Investor Relations Certification Programme

Amsterdam and online virtual classrooms
1 April - 7 July 2022

In 2022, for the first time, Academy – Euronext Group launches its Investor Relations Certification programme.

The Certificate released at the end of the training and at successful completion of the examination, aims at providing a qualification, recognised across EU markets as well as internationally.
For those IR experts who are already working in the industry it may constitute a means to further develop competencies and take their career to the next level.

The final qualification will equip successful candidates with the necessary knowledge, tools and competence to manage effective, fair and trustworthy communications between the company they work for and their shareholders and stakeholders.

This modular “Investor Relations Certification Programme” is designed to provide IR Professionals and Board Directors with an in-depth update on current IR best practices, including ESG disclosures.
The Mastercourse covers the breadth of regulation compliance and disclosure practices, latest developments in the use of technology and social media to build closer relationships with investors, changes in critical aspects of the day to day role of IR.

The programme offers a wealth of real life case studies with speakers that are well-known industry experts.
Central to this are the fund manager led group discussions which provide an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast different engagement approaches and identify those that will work best for different industries and corporates.

The Mastercourse is a four-phased programme:

1. Assessment – an online check-point to verify the participants’ level of knowledge on some fundamental topics
2. Foundation courses – three online courses to get ready for the core curriculum. These courses will be mandatory for participants with identified knowledge gaps during the assessment phase
3. Core Courses – 4 modules on the most relevant topics for an IR expert
4. Final examination – an online examination to obtain the ‘Academy Certificate in Investor Relations’ by Academy - Euronext Group.

The Assessment:
The assessment is an online multiple-choice questionnaire, made of 50 questions to be completed in up to 75 minutes. The participants will be informed about the assessment outcome in three days time. If no gaps are identified, participants can skip the foundation courses phase and can be directly enrolled to the core courses.

Foundation courses:
On the basis of the assessment outcome, delegates will be asked to attend three online courses in preparation to the main programme:
1 - Introduction to financial markets and Instruments
2 - Financial Statement Analysis
3 - Company Valuation

Core courses:
The core curriculum is based on four Modules:
1- Understanding the financial eco-system: putting Investor Relations into context – 1 day in person in Amsterdam and 3-half days online
2- Implementing effective Investor Relations: organisation, strategy design and execution – 5 half days online
3- Benchmarking IR – half day online
4- IR and ESG – 3 half days online

Final examination and project work:
At the end of the Mastercourse an online examination session will be held in person in Amsterdam – Euronext Offices.
The exam will be a multiple-choice questionnaire, made of 75 questions to be completed in 90 minutes.

During the training, delegates will be also assigned a project work to be run in groups and presented on the final examination day.
At successful completion of the examination, the delegates will be awarded the ‘Academy Certificate in Investor Relations’ by Academy – Euronext Group.

Target audience:

• Post-graduates
• IR professionals
• Sustainability and ESG managers
• Board directors
• Communication and PR Managers of listed and listing companies
• Financial analysts of listed companies

Key take aways:
In addition to the in-depth updates on Regulation and Disclosure practice, Industry best practices and trends, such as sustainability, there are several key outcomes that can be expected from this course;

• Learn how to develop a focused IR strategy
• Benchmark your own IR practices against industry standards
• Understand the industry changes and learn what the likely changes will mean for you
• Learn how to get the best out of your “IR toolkit”
• Appreciate how IR can support the board and its governance story
• Understand what drives investors’ investment rationales and how to use this to enhance your company’s equity story and value
• Learn what investors, including Responsible Investors, expect from you and how best to engage with them.