ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Ahead of NIRI's Annual Conference in Chicago, Mark Hayes and David Grunfeld sat down to discuss what investor relations best practices look like in the Middle East right now, and what global IR teams can learn from them.
Here are a few themes from the Elevating IR conversation worth carrying into your next earnings call:
- Middle East capital markets are resilient and the IR practices emerging from the region offer a useful framework for any management team preparing for Q2 earnings.
- The IR story must now carry a resilience layer. Growth narratives alone are no longer sufficient. Investors are asking sharper questions: supply chain exposure, margin sensitivity to logistics costs, balance sheet durability under sustained volatility.
- The AI question has evolved. Investors are no longer asking whether you are using AI. They are asking whether AI is improving your economics and competitive position.
- Management credibility looks different today. What investors are looking for from leadership has shifted materially from two or three years ago, with greater emphasis on strategic foresight, adaptive capacity, and the ability to pull multiple levers when conditions deteriorate.
Originally published on Jun. 3, 2026.
