Fundamentals of Investor Relations - Speakers

 
 

Allison Bahen

Senior Manager – Investor Relations, Edison International 

(Alli) Bahen is currently Senior Manager, Investor Relations at Edison International since June 2015.  Previously, she worked at Huntington Ingalls Industries, a naval shipbuilding company in Newport News, Virginia as Director, Investor Relations. Prior to that, Alli was a research analyst in the corporate credit and distressed investment group at GSC Group and an investment banking analyst at Deutsche Bank, both in New York City. A Virginia native, she holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia. Alli, her husband and two children live in Santa Monica.
 
 

Rich Barry

Vice President/Floor Governor, NYSE Euronext

Rick Barry  

Richard Barry (Rich) is a Senior Director and Trading Floor Governor of the New York Stock Exchange. Rich runs the NYSE Market Access Center located on the NYSE Trading Floor – a group of market professionals and former traders who provide individual stock trading insight and analysis as well as a consolidated view of stock trading to NYSE listed companies.

Prior to joining the NYSE in 2008, Rich served as Senior Managing Director and Floor Trading/ Risk Manager for LaBranche and Co. Specialists from 2001-2008. He served as an NYSE Floor Official from 2002 to 2004, and as a Floor Governor from February 2007 until January 2008 when he was appointed Executive Floor Governor.

In addition to his management duties, Rich acted as the Specialist-trader in stocks such as Exxon Mobil, Medtronic, MasterCard, Zimmer Holdings, Whiting Petroleum and Dolby Labs. Rich earned his BA in Economics from Fairfield University and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University.
 
 

Maili Bergman

Live Nation, Inc.

Maili Bergman  

Maili Bergman is the senior vice president, investor relations at Live Nation Entertainment, where she oversees the global investor relations program. Bergman has more than 15 years of financial marketing and investor relations experience and during this period, has built investor relations programs for multiple companies across various industries.

Prior to joining the company in 2011, she was the vice president, investor relations for Guess? and before that, she served as the director of investor relations and corporate communications for Abraxis BioScience.

Bergman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with an emphasis in international finance and entrepreneurial studies, from the University of Southern California. She previously served on the board of directors for the National Investor Relations Institute’s Los Angeles chapter.
 
 

Kathleen Brennan deJesus

Senior Attorney, Southern California Edison
 
 

Stephen Cooke

Partner, Corporate Development Paul, Hastings LLP

Stephen Cooke  

Stephen Cooke is a partner in the Securities and Capital Markets practice group of Paul Hastings and concentrates his practice in securities and corporate law. His experience in all aspects of the capital formation process includes issuer and underwriter representations in public offerings, private placements, venture capital financings and Rule 144 transactions. Mr. Cooke has substantial experience in mergers, acquisitions, business combinations and other transactions including public and private companies.

Mr. Cooke represents NYSE, Nasdaq and OTC-traded companies with their periodic reporting requirements and listing qualification issues. He regularly advises boards of directors of public and private companies regarding corporate governance issues, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
 
 

Scott Cunningham

Vice President – Investor Relations, Edison International

Scott Cunningham  

Scott Cunningham has been Vice President, Investor Relations for Edison International since March 2007. Previously he was Vice President, Investor Relations for AES in Arlington, Va. Before joining AES in 2004, he spent 20 years with Union Carbide and then its spin-off, Praxair, establishing the Praxair investor relations program in 1992 and serving a total of seven years in two separate assignments heading their IR program. He additionally held positions in treasury, strategic planning, business management, marketing and business development, and federal government affairs. Scott began his career as an engineer with the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Scott is President of the NIRI Los Angeles Chapter and a member of the California Science Center Foundation Board of Directors.

A native of Washington, D.C., Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Maryland and a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University. Scott has been happily married to his wife Kathy for 33 years and they have two great adult sons living in Southern California.
 
 

James Cudahy

President & CEO, NIRI

Jim Cudahy  

Jim Cudahy is President and CEO of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), appointed in 2015. Cudahy previously served as executive director and CEO for the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), an organization that certifies stenographic court reporters and broadcast captioners while protecting and advancing their professional interests. At NCRA, he managed a staff of 35 and a $7 million budget. Within a career that spans 24 years working in and around associations, Cudahy worked for nine years at CFA Institute as vice president of marketing and communications. There, among his responsibilities, he was responsible for engineering campaigns to build wider recognition and appreciation of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) credential on a global basis

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University, and is a Certified Association Executive.
 
 

Alexandra Geller

Senior Analyst – Investor Relations, Cornerstone OnDemand

Alexandra Geller  

Alexandra Geller joined Cornerstone OnDemand (NASDAQ: CSOD) in July 2013 and serves as Senior Analyst of Investor Relations. Prior to Cornerstone OnDemand, Alexandra worked for Wireless Capital Partners, LLC as a Senior Portfolio Analyst as well as Deloitte Corporate Finance LLC, where she assisted in sell-side transactions, divestitures, and capital raises for clients in the consumer & industrial products and food & beverage industries. Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with Honors from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
 
 

Frank Hatheway

Chief Economist, Nasdaq

Frank Hatheway  

Dr. Frank Hatheway is Chief Economist for Nasdaq, and leads the Economics & Statistical Research Department. His team is responsible for a variety of projects and initiatives in the U.S. and Europe to improve market structure, encourage capital formation, and enhance trading efficiency. A regular participant in industry events for both issuers and traders, he has appeared before the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Congress to discuss a variety of issues around the equities and derivatives markets. His research work includes identifying the causes of the August 24, 2015 market break, evaluating enhancements for the markets, and exploring the implications of proposed exchange mergers.

Dr. Hatheway's background prior to joining Nasdaq combines academics and regulation with industry experience. He was a finance professor at Penn State University and a researcher in market microstructure. Dr. Hatheway has authored academic articles in the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Intermediation and other leading finance journals. He has served as an Economic Fellow and Senior Research Scholar with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, worked as a derivatives trader, and earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University.
 
 

Victor Hawley

Principal, Aristotle Capital Management, LLC

Victor Hawley  

Vic Hawley is a member of the Aristotle Capital research team and a veteran of the investment industry. Vic was a senior analyst and Portfolio Manager at Reed, Conner & Birdwell, LLC (RCB) for 18 years. (RCB combined its business with Aristotle Capital in January 2012.) Prior to his tenure with RCB, Vic was a Vice President at The Boston Company. He also held various positions in sales, product marketing and marketing management at International Business Machines.

Vic earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA from Harvard University. He is a CFA® charterholder. Vic is a former Governor of the CFA Society of Los Angeles.
 
 

Mickey Foster (NIRI Fellow)

Vice President, Investor Relations, FedEx Corporation

Mickey Foster  

Mickey Foster is vice president, Investor Relations for FedEx Corporation.  He has over 30 years’ experience working with the financial community in investor relations.
 
Foster is a 2013 Fellow and past chairman of the National Investor Relations Institute, a former president of the Investor Relations Association, and a founding and current member of NIRI’s Senior Roundtable.  Mickey is on the NYSE Listed Company Advisory Board, and earned the “Lifetime Achievement” Award from IR magazine in 2011 and the NIRI “National Volunteer of the Year” Award in 2010.
 
A native of Texas, Foster earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a MBA in finance from Texas A&M University.  In addition, he received a master’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Southern California.
 
 

Jeffrey LaRocque

Director, Market Intelligence Desk, Nasdaq

Jeffrey LaRocque  

Jeffrey LaRocque is a Director on the Market Intelligence Desk, covering U.S. equities, with over 10 years of experience. Previous to joining the MID, he learned market structure while working on institutional trading desks and as a stock surveillance analyst. Mr. LaRocque offers diverse professional knowledge, including IPOs, Technical Analysis, and Options Trading.

Jeffrey holds BS degrees in Finance and Political Science from Coastal Carolina University. He continued his education with MBA studies at Fordham University and New York University. Since 2011, he’s been a mentor at Career Gear, a non-profit organization that develops economically disadvantaged men with career development advice.
 
 

Sam Levenson (NIRI Fellow)

Chief Executive Officer, Arbor Advisory Group

Sam Levenson  

Sam Levenson is the Founder and CEO of Arbor Advisory Group. Arbor offers its clients bespoke advisory services in investor relations, corporate communications and investor event management across a broad array of industries. The Arbor team is composed of seasoned experts with backgrounds in sell-side research, buy-side portfolio management, corporate investor relations and IR consultancy work.

With a 25 year career in-house prior to founding Arbor, Sam’s experience includes designing and implementing strategic communications plans, crisis management, mergers and acquisitions as well as other strategic and financial transactions for global companies including Sony Corporation, Cendant Corporation and Staples, Inc. At Arbor, Sam takes the lead on the most challenging issues facing its clients, including engagement with activist shareholders, consideration of strategic alternatives, implementation of structural transactions, mergers and acquisitions, spin-off transactions, equity and debt offerings as well as executive and Board transitions.

Sam previously served on the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) Board of Directors, as chair of its external affairs committee, as chair of its Senior Roundtable, as co-chair of its annual conference and on its Subject Matter Expert Committee. He also co-chaired the CFAI/NIRI Joint Task force on Issuer and Analyst Relations and served as the sole member of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council (FASAC) to represent the investor relations community.
 
 

Julie MacMedan

Senior Vice President, Financial Profiles, Inc.

Julie MacMedan  

Julie MacMedan is a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience in investor relations, strategic corporate positioning and financial analysis. She has extensive experience leading investor relations programs for both pre-IPO and post-IPO companies in a wide range of industries, particularly internet, digital media, interactive entertainment and technology. Nominated for Best Investor Relations, Small Cap, by Investor Relations Magazine in 2011, Julie applies strong problem solving skills and innovative solutions to address rapidly changing business environments.

Prior to joining Financial Profiles, Julie served as Vice President, Investor Relations, for digital media company Demand Media after nearly nine years at interactive entertainment company THQ Inc., where she was Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications.

Prior to joining THQ, Julie was Vice President at a leading investor relations and strategic public relations firm. Julie began her career NASDAQ stock market, where she served as a Director of Market Services counseling public companies on investor relations strategy.

Julie earned an MBA from George Mason University, and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Richmond, where she graduated magna cum laude. From 2012-2014, Julie served as President of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). She is an active speaker on investor relations best practices, including corporate disclosure, crisis communications, media relations and social media.
 
 

Michael Pachter

Managing Director, Wedbush Securities

Michael Pachter  

Mr. Pachter is an analyst at Wedbush Securities providing coverage of the Entertainment Software, Entertainment Retail, Social Internet and E-Commerce & Movies and Entertainment sectors.

Previously, Mr. Pachter spent two years as the Director of Research at Wedbush Securities. Before joining Wedbush Securities, Mr. Pachter served as the Director at Management Resource Center, a middle-market investment bank. Prior to that, Mr. Pachter spent 15 years in various financial and management positions at Atlantic Richfield Company, most recently as Director of Strategic Planning. Mr. Pachter brings over 20 years of experience as a finance professional to Wedbush Securities. Mr. Pachter has been recognized as StarMine’s Top Earnings Estimator year after year and Best on the Street by the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Pachter holds an M.B.A. from the Anderson School at the University of California at Los Angeles, a juris doctor from Pepperdine University, an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida, and a bachelor’s in Political Science from California State University, Northridge.
 
 

Idalia Rodriguez

Senior Advisor, Arbor Advisory Group

Idalia Rodriguez  

Idalia Rodriguez is a Senior Advisor with the Arbor Advisory Group. Starting her investor relations career in-house in a Fortune 500 company, Ms. Rodriguez later became an investor relations advisor at some of the largest IR agencies in the country prior to joining Arbor. Her experience includes some of the largest Initial Public Offerings on the NASDAQ and NYSE markets in the past few years. Her client engagements span industries which include Industrials, Beauty, Financial Services and Asset Management, Leisure and Entertainment, Technology and REITs. Credited by her clients for her immersive style and extraordinary commitment to their success, she is viewed as being “completely engaged” in their business and she has gained their trust as a strategic advisor.

Ms. Rodriguez’s expertise spans the complete spectrum of the investor relations function. Her practice areas also include M&A, public offerings, crisis communications, proxy advisory and other strategic and financial transactions. Having also served as an officer and president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute, Ms. Rodriguez is recognized as a leader in her profession. She is also a member of New York Women in Communications and 100 Women in Hedge Funds.
 
 

Gwen Rosenberg

Rosenberg Business Communications

Gwen Rosenberg  

Gwen Rosenberg is the President of Rosenberg Business Communications, specializing in IR/PR, strategic planning and program development, and crisis management. She has established and headed new IR & Corporate Communications departments at biotech and high tech companies. Gwen’s recognitions include being awarded Best Communications with Retail Investors by Investor Relations Magazine, receiving the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) Annual Scholarship, and being named the BioFusion IR /PR Leader of the Year.

Gwen served as the President of the NIRI San Diego Chapter and has held additional Board positions. She is also a member of the Boards of Directors of other non-profit organizations. Gwen received B.A. cum laude and M.A. degrees from Adelphi University and SUNY Stony Brook, respectively. She is an inventor and author on several patents and scientific publications.
 
 

Tricia Ross

Senior Vice President, Financial Profiles, Inc.

Tricia Ross  

With nearly fifteen years of media and investor relations experience, Tricia leads Financial Profiles’ media and Wall Street strategy and outreach activities. Tricia has conducted numerous successful media and corporate visibility campaigns for a wide range of clients including asset managers, REITs and BDCs. She has strong relationships with reporters at many of the leading financial and trade publications including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Pensions & Investments, among others.

Prior to joining Financial Profiles, Tricia was a Director at Financial Relations Board where she developed and implemented numerous investor and analyst targeting campaigns for agency clients. Previously, she served as the financial assistant to the Senior Economic Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education in Washington, D.C., where she was an analyst and lobbied at congressional hearings and prepared reports for the Office of the President. Tricia began her career working on the Clinton/Gore '96 reelection campaign.

Tricia has a Bachelor's degree, cum laude, in History and Political Science from the University of Vermont.
 
 

Nicole Russell

Vice President, Investor Relations, Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc.

Nicole Russell  

  Nicole Russell is Vice President of Investor Relations at Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., one of the oldest asset management companies in the United States. Ms. Russell is responsible for all aspects of the company’s investor relations program. With nearly 25 years of business and financial experience, Ms. Russell joined the Investor Relations department in 1999, where she established the company’s first formal investor relations program. Prior to accepting her position in the investor relations department, Ms. Russell held a business analyst position in Waddell & Reed’s Corporate Reporting and Analysis department. Her knowledge of the company’s financial reporting and corporate structure has proven invaluable to both internal and external audiences. Prior to joining Waddell & Reed, Ms. Russell served as a staff accountant for six years at a major oil company in Eastern Canada.

Ms. Russell is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) and has served on its Board of Directors from 2008-2012. In 2000, she co-founded the NIRI/Kansas City Chapter and served as its President from 2006 – 2008. In 2007, she was awarded the University of Michigan Theory and Practice of Investor Relations Scholarship. In 2009, she served as co-chairman for the NIRI Annual Conference. In 2014, she served as Chairman for NIRI’s Senior Roundtable.

Ms. Russell earned a Business and Accounting degree in Canada, a B.A. in Management with Magna Cum Laude honors from the University of Ottawa, and an MBA from Webster University. She is a native of Québec, Canada and is fluent in French.
 
 

Jean Wood

Vice President Investor Relations, The Macerich Company

Jean Wood  

As vice president of investor relations, Jean Wood, handles the investor outreach for institutional and individual shareholders for Macerich.

Ms. Wood joined Macerich in 1994. During her 20-year plus tenure with the company she has served many critical roles on the finance team, including Vice President of Business Planning & Analysis. She began her career as a certified public accountant in San Francisco with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ms. Wood holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Stanford University. She is a member of the National Association of REITs (NAREIT), the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). Ms. Wood has two teenage sons and serves on the finance committee of the Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation.