Rise of Vocal Investors in Japan Is Fueling Hunt for IR Talent
- Annual meetings facing record number of shareholder proposals
- Businesses hiring investor-relations staff from finance firms
The Tokyo Tower in Japan.
Photographer: Akio Kon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Japanese businesses facing greater scrutiny from shareholders and regulators are competing for investor-relations talent, turning to investment funds, banks and other financial firms to find people who can better communicate corporate strategy and capital allocation.
“The percentage of employees of Japanese companies that have had direct communication with shareholders is minuscule,” said George Olcott, an outside director at Kirin Holdings Co. who has served on the boards of Denso Corp., Dai-Ichi Life Holdings Inc. and other companies during the past decade.