Upgrade IR by ARIR
Core skills and tools for Investor Relations
September 29th, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Old Town
ARIR (The Romanian Association for Investor Relations) is organizing a new applied course on September 29th for those who wish to gain skills in the field of Investor Relations, as part of the Upgrade IR by ARIR professional training program. The course will provide participants with the tools, concepts, and frameworks needed to effectively understand and manage communication with investors, while also complying with regulatory requirements and international corporate governance standards.
Join this year’s course if you belong into one of the following categories:
- Professionals already working in Investor Relations who have practical experience in the field;
- Individuals at the beginning of their careers in Investor Relations or those who wish to transition into this field from another area.
The international trainers will hold their sessions in English, while local professionals will present in Romanian.
Why attend?
By attending this course, you will gain a solid foundation in the principles and best practices of Investor Relations, equipping you with the tools to communicate effectively with institutional and retail investors, analysts, and other stakeholders. You’ll deepen your understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern the capital market, learn how to craft compelling corporate narratives, and explore the latest trends in digital communication and corporate governance. Through interactive sessions led by seasoned professionals from Romania and international markets, you’ll build practical skills that can be immediately applied in your role.
Beyond the structured curriculum, this course is an opportunity to connect with a vibrant network of professionals who share a commitment to transparency, excellence, and innovation in Investor Relations. You’ll have direct access to facilitators with decades of real-world experience, including leaders from listed companies, legal experts, and regional influencers in capital markets. Whether you are looking to enhance your strategic thinking, navigate new governance expectations, or simply gain confidence in investor-facing roles, this program will support your growth.
Upgrade IR by ARIR is a step forward in your career as a trusted communicator between the market and your organization.
9:00 am – 9:30 am – Registration and Coffee Break
9:30 am – 9:45 am – Opening word from Daniela Maior, ARIR President
9:45 – 10:30 am – Introduction in Investor Relations – Daniela Maior, ARIR President and Vlad Obreja, Head of Public Affairs, ARIR
- Fundamentals of Investor Relations and the legislative framework
- Core role attributions for Investor Relations professionals
10:30 am – 12:00 pm – Evaluating investor perception and building an equity story – Anca Cighi, Investor Relations Director, Aramex
- The building blocks of an Equity Story, considering valuation, performance, and strategic objectives and why they matter
- Practical session & group exercise: understand what makes a compelling equity story
- How to maintain an efficient two-way communication with the market, including investor perception audits and feedback integration into strategy
11:45 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm – Legislative framework updates and implementation of Corporate Governance provisions – Radu Ropotă, Partner, Clifford Chance Badea
- Legal framework of Investor Relations activity
- Reporting requirements for listed companies
- Inside information disclosure
- Recent legislative updates and how they change investor engagement
- Implementation of new regulations on Corporate Governance – the Corporate Governance Code of the Bucharest Stock Exchange
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm – Investor Relations strategy and digital transformation – Müge Yücel, Board Member, Turkish Investor Relations Association
- IR’s role in value creation and capital markets positioning
- Core elements: audiences, goals, messaging, and tools
- IR as a strategic advisor, not just a communicator
- Case study: real-world IR strategy (IPO, turnaround, ESG shift)
- Trends & tools in modern IR strategy
4:00 pm – 4:45 pm – Q&A Session with one of the most experienced IR professionals in the Romanian capital market – Raluca Kasap, Head of Investor Relations, Electrica
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm – Coffee Break
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Bonus session for all ARIR Members and Course Participants: Book discussion on Investor Relations and digital tools – Müge Yücel, Board Member, Turkish Investor Relations Association
Trainers
Anca Cighi
Investor Relations Director, Aramex
Anca Cighi is the Investor Relations Director at Aramex, the Middle East’s leading provider of logistics and transportation services with global operations in 65+ countries. Having spent close to 15 years in the GCC region, Ms. Cighi brings a wealth of experience from one of the fastest growing and dynamic emerging markets in the world. She made Aramex the first company listed on the Dubai Financial Market to open up 100% to foreign ownership and brought the latest in integrated sustainability and business reporting to their investor relations function. This was recognized by an Award for Best Integrated Annual Report by the Middle East Investor Relations Society.
Müge Yücel
Board Member, Turkish Investor Relations Association
Müge Yücel holds a Governance, Risk and Compliance Professional (GRCP) certificate, as well as licenses in Capital Market Activities Level 3, Corporate Governance Rating, Derivative Instruments, and Credit Rating. She was elected to the Editorial Board of IR Magazine and is currently a Board Member of the Turkish Investor Relations Society (TUYID). Additionally, she actively supports the sector’s development through her involvement in organizations such as the Corporate Governance Association of Turkey.
As a pioneer of digital transformation in investor relations, Yücel promotes leveraging digitalization and integrating artificial intelligence technologies to develop smarter and more efficient solutions. Her investor relations philosophy is founded on three key principles: being proactive, strategic, and engaging.
Daniela Maior
President, ARIR
Following 17 years’ experience in the capital markets, Daniela set up a consultancy service 5 years ago that continues to build on her skills of helping companies to become successfully listed on the stock market. She supports clients to constantly grow their market value with millions of € a year, through best practice investor relations. She works with top prospective listed companies in getting their best valuations at the IPO.
Her expertise in the capital markets, including at the Bucharest Stock Exchange, was crucial in initiating and leading ARIR, the Romanian Investor Relations Association, attracting more than 90% of market capitalization companies on the Bucharest Stock Exchange in less than 5 years.
Raluca Kasap
Head of Investor Relations, Electrica
Raluca Kasap is the Head of Investor Relations at Electrica, where she established the department 11 years ago and has since continuously developed and refined the company’s communication with investors and capital markets.
Prior to this role, she worked in entrepreneurship and project management, leading international projects in dynamic and multicultural environments. At Electrica, Raluca oversees the dialogue between investors and company management, consistently promoting transparency, honesty, and proactivity in capital market communications.
Radu Ropotă
Partner, Clifford Chance Badea
Radu Ropota is a Partner in the Bucharest office of the international law firm Clifford Chance. He has over 20 years of experience in a wide range of complex transactions in the financial sector and capital markets, corporate governance (with expertise in risk management, shareholder disputes, and corporate compliance matters), as well as in restructuring procedures. Radu has been involved in coordinating numerous capital markets transactions, from bond issuances (including mortgage bonds and securitizations) and public share offerings (such as Hidroelectrica, Digi, Alro, OMV Petrom, Teraplast) to public takeover bids. He also led the legal department of a closed-end investment fund listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.
Radu graduated from the Board Practice and Directorship Programme, organized by Henley Business School in partnership with ENVISIA – Boards of Elite.
Vlad Obreja
Head of Public Affairs, ARIR
Vlad is a public affairs professional with a legal background that has joined the ARIR team in 2023. He has been part of ARIR’s endeavors of contributing to an improved regulatory framework of the local capital market on various topics, such as gender balance in listed companies’ management structures, capital increases and financial reporting.In his previous experiences, he has accumulated know-how in public communication and NGO management, as well as external relations.
Last year's experience
ARIR managed to bring together the most important topics that an Investor Relations professional needs to be familiar with from the very first steps in this field. I particularly appreciated the quality of the trainers and their willingness to share their experience, offering practical advice and pragmatic approaches. This is the kind of training filled with highly relevant information, from which you leave with lessons you can immediately apply in your day-to-day work. Congratulations to everyone involved in the organization! Your role in shaping the professionals of tomorrow is undeniable.
Anca Visteanu
- Access to local and international experts in the field of Investor Relations
- The opportunity to understand and apply the latest rules, trends in IR, and stakeholder engagement tools
- Direct interaction with professionals in the field, with the chance to ask questions and receive answers
- Networking with other participants and the opportunity to build valuable connections
- Educational materials and additional resources for participants, including templates that support professionals in their work
- Certificate of participation issued by ARIR
- Providing a general understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of Investor Relations (IR) and the responsibilities of professionals working in this area
- Familiarizing participants with the structure of the Romanian capital market and outlining a broad perspective on its dynamics
- Understanding key elements for attracting investors
- Presenting the current regulatory framework and its impact on IR activities, including major mandatory reporting requirements and related communication needs
- Exploring brokerage services and the concept of Market Making
- Detailing how to interact with and prospect international investors, along with effective strategies for doing so
- Addressing the specifics of individual investors and ways to engage them
- Practical application of IR activity planning and obtaining a set of template materials for organizing IR operations
Book your place!
Starting September 1st, participation fees are RON 3,000 for Non-Members and RON 2,500 for ARIR Members.
If you want to book your seat and lock the price or need other payment options, write to us at contact@ir-romania.ro.