Fundamentals of Investor Relations
Boston 2018
Howard E. Berkenblit
Partner and Leader - Sullivan & Worcester’s Capital Markets Group
Howard E. Berkenblit is a partner and leader of Sullivan & Worcester’s Capital Markets Group. He specializes in counseling both public and private companies involved in equity and debt financings and ongoing corporate governance and disclosure matters, stock exchange listing standards and Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Dodd-Frank Act compliance. He also advises Israeli and other international companies that seek to have their securities traded in the United States, as well as real estate investment trusts that engage in securities offerings and governance initiatives. In addition, Mr. Berkenblit works with clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising and general corporate matters. He has written articles and spoken on many topics including Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, the JOBS Act and a range of securities law issues impacting U.S. and foreign companies. Mr. Berkenblit’s experience has been recognized in recent publications such as Best Lawyers in America, the Client Choice Guide and Legal 500. He is a cum laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and he received his law degree, summa cum laude, from Boston College Law School.
Matthew D. Brusch, CAE
Chief Programs Officer - National Investor Relations Institute
Matt Brusch is Chief Programs Officer for the National Investor Relations Institute, leading NIRI’s professional development, certification and other programming. Appointed in 2007 to manage communications and publications, he created NIRI’s research program, and working with volunteers, launched the first professional investor relations certification program in the U.S. His previous experience includes leading investor relations and corporate communications departments for several public companies, as well as serving in regulatory and marketing roles with the NASDAQ Stock Market. Brusch began his career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy, and received the Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland, a B.S. from the Pennsylvania State University, and is a Certified Association Executive.
David Calusdian
President - Sharon Merrill Associates
David Calusdian is president of Sharon Merrill Associates, an investor relations strategic advisory firm based in Boston. He combines broad experience in investor relations, public affairs and media relations with a passion for quality service in providing Sharon Merrill Associates clients with ongoing strategic counsel as well as direct support on projects such as investor perception studies, corporate presentations, investor roadshows and analyst days. Calusdian also has significant experience in providing executive presentation coaching. Prior to joining Sharon Merrill Associates in 1995, he implemented communications programs as an account executive for Jack Walsh & Associates, a public affairs consulting firm. For nearly 10 years, Calusdian served as an adjunct instructor of investor relations, public relations and public speaking at Emerson College, where for part of that time he also directed the school's media relations efforts. He has delivered speeches and participated on investor relations panel discussions at conferences sponsored by NIRI, the NYSE, NASDAQ, Public Relations Society of America, and other professional development organizations. He is a past-president of NIRI's Boston chapter and holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in communications from Emerson College.
Andrew Kramer
Vice President, Investor Relations - NetScout Systems, Inc.
Andrew Kramer is vice president of investor relations at NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC. (Nasdaq: NTCT), a leading provider of network and application performance management solutions. He joined NETSCOUT in July 2014 and played an important role in advancing the IR program in support of the company’s transformative $2.3 billion acquisition that involved securing the approval of the transaction by shareholders and, in the process, increased its market capitalization from approximately $1.5 billion to approximately $4 billion. His responsibilities at NETSCOUT include serving as a primary spokesperson to the company’s sell-side and buy-side constituencies, developing all investor communications including press releases, presentations and conference call scripts, and managing all investor outreach, including non-deal roadshows, investor visits and the company’s Investor Day event.
Prior to joining NETSCOUT, Kramer worked for over a decade at Interactive Data. During the first six years of his tenure, he oversaw the company’s communications with the investment community, including financial analysts, institutional investors, stockbrokers and individual investors. Kramer’s contributions helped strengthen relationships with influential sell-side analysts and institutional shareholders as the Company’s valuation more than doubled from $1.5 billion, culminating in a successful $3.4 billion sale of the company in July 2010 to private equity. Following the sale, Kramer transitioned into a broader role with responsibility for debt holder communications, regulatory affairs, market and competitive intelligence as well as for supporting strategic partnership, alliance and acquisition projects.
Kramer’s experience also includes senior investor relations positions at leading network technology companies such as Sycamore Networks and ArrowPoint Communications, as well as at Sharon Merrill Associates, a nationally recognized, Boston-based investor relations consulting firm. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), the world’s largest professional association for IR, from 2009 through 2013. He also served on the Board of Directors for NIRI’s Boston chapter, concluding his tenure as chapter president. Kramer also served as an adjunct professor at Boston University, teaching investor relations to undergraduate and graduate communications students from 2006 through 2017. He received a BA degree in communication as well as an MBA degree from Boston College.
Maureen T. Wolff (NIRI Fellow)
Chief Executive Officer - Sharon Merrill Associates, Inc.
Maureen is a national thought leader in strategic communications, and leads Sharon Merrill Associates’ strategic vision and provides high-level counsel to clients. Maureen is a trusted advisor to CEOs, CFOs and boards of directors on critical communications issues, including those related to reputation management, corporate governance, shareholder activism and proxy contests. She is a frequent speaker on crisis and reputation management issues and has delivered speeches and participated on panel discussions at conferences sponsored by the New York Stock Exchange, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), NIRI, the Publicity Club of New England, Deloitte, Business Wire and other professional development organizations. She has lectured at universities in the Boston area and has appeared on CNBC, and her comments have been featured in national newspapers and magazines. In addition, Maureen has received numerous awards from the Public Relations Society of America, the Publicity Club of New England and Women’s Business magazine. Maureen is a past chairman and board member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), a NIRI Fellow, vice chairman of the NIRI IR Certification committee, and current member of NIRI’s Senior IR Roundtable steering committee. Prior to joining Sharon Merrill Associates in 1985, Maureen held positions in the investor relations and corporate communications departments at Lotus Development Corporation. She received a B.A. degree in Communications from Montclair State University. Her specialized training includes completion of prescribed studies in “Financial and IR” at the Simmons College Graduate Program in Communications.
David Yates
Partner - FinanceTalking, Ltd.
David joined FinanceTalking in 2009 after nearly thirty years in the City as a corporate lawyer, investment banker and financial PR specialist.
- Qualified as a solicitor in 1982. Joined Linklaters & Paines, specializing in capital markets and corporate law
- Joined the corporate finance division of Robert Fleming, London based merchant bank, in 1984. Spent three years on secondment with Jardine Fleming in Australia between 1987 and 1990.
- Began his Financial PR career in 1995 with Gavin Anderson & Co.
- Joined Financial Dynamics (FD) as a partner at the end of 1998 and commenced their coverage of the Life Sciences sector.
- Retired from FD in March 2009 following sale of the company to FTI Technologies Inc. of the US.
During his financial PR career in the City, David built a reputation as one of the leading practitioners in London and acquired experience in all aspects of the financial markets, particularly M&A and IPOs. Together with his experience in the law and the investment banking sector, he has an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the City, the roles that each of the institutions play in the markets and how business is covered by the media.
Rich Yerganian
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications - Xcerra Corporation
Rich Yerganian is the Vice President of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations for Xcerra Corporation, a leading provider of equipment and consummables for the semiconductor and printed circuit board test markets. He joined the company in 1984 as an Applications Engineer. Upon receipt of his Master’s in Business Administration in 1988 from Bentley University he moved into several marketing and sales positions. He has the led the Investor Relations program for the company since 1999. In his current role he is also responsible for corporate communications including the company’s web site and public relations efforts. He was Chairman of the Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) for the 2003/2004 year and is a member of NIRI’s Senior Roundtable. He was also a committee member assisting in the development of the IRC exam. Yerganian also holds a BSEE from Northeastern University.