Series 2: Ep 8: Leading IR at a Global FTSE 10 Business Listed on Three Exchanges with Richard O'Connor

Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast

Navigating the intricate field of Investor Relations (IR) requires a blend of experience, adaptability, and foresight. In this insightful episode, we chat with Richard O'Connor, who has a longstanding IR career and currently serves as the Global Head of Investor Relations at HSBC. Richard is an authority on the subject of investor relations, and, in his current role, oversees one of the most expansive IR teams for a UK-listed company, located both in the UK and Hong Kong. Tuning in you’ll learn how Richard manages his talented team, how he draws on his years of leadership experience to mentor and develop them, and why he uses reverse mentorship to learn about topics like AI and technological development. We hear about HSBC’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic — and the painful impact it had on their shareholders — before discussing their successes and wins since then. Learn about the awards and accolades Richard and his team have garnered for effective stakeholder communication, along with insights into the philosophy underpinning their success. We also discuss their geographical shareholder diversification, upcoming trends in investor relations, plus a whole lot more. For anyone keen on understanding the ever-evolving realm of Investor Relations and how stalwarts like Richard perceive future challenges and trends, this episode is a must-listen!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Get to know our guest, Richard O'Connor, Global Head of Investor Relations (IR) at HSBC.

• An overview of how roles and responsibilities are divided across his team.

• How he manages his time between internal and external responsibilities.

• His approach to coaching and developing his Investor Relations (IR) team.

• The reverse mentorship he receives: young people sharing their technological expertise.

• HSBC’s approach to hiring and how it has changed over the past eight years.

• Prioritising management's time to ensure that investors get sufficient access to the team.

• HSBC’s diversification of their shareholder base by geography and type.

• How and why HSBC increased Asian investor ownership between 2016 and 2020.

• Insight into how Asian investor engagement is handled by his team in Hong Kong.

• How they use corporate brokers to support investor marketing.

• Strategies for managing telecommunications on IR matters across their large organisation.

• Lessons Richard learned from activist campaigns between 2020 and 2023.

• The painful impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their shareholders.

• An overview of the many successful seminars they’ve done in the UK and Asia.

• The awards his team has received for effective communication with stakeholders.

• Broader trends in investor relations and key challenges that lie ahead.

• What motivated Richard to move into investor relations and what he enjoys most about it.

Quotes:

“I'm based in London, but spend many weeks a year in Hong Kong in Asia, helping support that team.” — Richard O'Connor [0:02:04]

“[It’s] very much a combination [of hiring internally and externally], I'd encourage [new hires] to keep an open mind and not just focus on one career path. We all have to be quite pragmatic and balanced these days.” — Richard O'Connor [0:08:25]

“We're fortunate to be well resourced, and the firm has performed well over the last couple of years, building back up from that base of COVID.” — Richard O'Connor [0:21:55]