Thought leadership Six smart ways IROs can work more efficiently in 2025 (and beyond)
By Erik Carlson, chief executive officer at Notified
You’re being asked to do more than ever – and usually without more headcount. From earnings to disclosures, sentiment tracking to C-suite prep, the workload is intense and constant.
Notified is the world’s only all-in-one IR communications provider, supporting more than 10,000 global customers in staying compliant, engaging stakeholders and simplifying workflows. As COO of Notified, I’ve seen firsthand where teams get stuck – and more importantly, where they find leverage.
The recommendations below aren’t just theories. They come directly from what we’ve learned in conversations with clients over the years and from our recent webinar with IR Impact.
Here are some of my favorite curated tips from IROs who've maximized impact.
Each earnings cycle spans four to six intense weeks. Rebuilding your workflow from scratch every quarter wastes time and creates room for error.
Reverse-engineer your timeline. Map out deadlines. Lock in deliverables. As Katie Keita, IR Lead at Kneat.com put it: ‘Everything that should and could be a process, put it into a process now. Then, make it repeatable – that’s how you free up your time.’
Support that repeatability with shared tools. Sometimes low-tech can have the highest impact – something as simple as a well-architected SharePoint folder can cut down versioning issues and save hours in coordination. Everyone works from the same source of truth.
It doesn’t have to be complex. Done right, even basic tools reduce admin time and keep teams aligned. Repeatability gives you time back to handle unexpected developments, like a competitor announcement or a sudden market shift.
Strong IR starts with clarity. Each quarter, define three to five key takeaways, the points you want investors to remember. That becomes your core messaging document.
This narrative becomes the foundation for everything else: earnings scripts, internal briefings, investor Q&A and more. Sharing it early with leadership and internal teams helps align messaging and reduces rework down the line.
If you're like me, you gravitate towards Excel, not Word. Leverage the strengths of your corporate communications counterparts to hone your message – especially when targeting non-financial audiences for impact.
A clear message saves time because everyone, from execs to communications teams, knows where to focus.
Earnings season brings a flood of information – financial data, analyst notes, media sentiment and peer disclosures. You’re expected to stay on top of all of it. How can technology help?
Media monitoring tools can surface what’s trending and where your story is landing – without manually checking 50 sources. It's especially convenient when key headlines are automatically delivered to your CEO's inbox.
You can also use AI tools to conduct transcript analysis to prepare for Q&A. For example, if you know certain analysts always ask about free cash flow, you can build profiles and prep more efficiently.
Instead of trying to prepare for every possible question, use technology to understand the ones most likely to be asked – and spend your time there.
One of the most effective ways to reduce last-minute changes is to pre-record the management script before the live earnings call.
Pre-recording forces early alignment. It locks in the message, reduces script edits and gives your team time to polish slides, update the IR website and prep for Q&A – all with less stress.
That 24-hour window before going live becomes calm, not chaotic, and everything else tied to the call (like filings and follow-ups) benefits.
Lisa Caperelli, former VP of IR at Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, reinforced this early-alignment theme during our webinar. She kicks off each cycle ‘four to five weeks ahead’ with a slide deck outlining last quarter’s disclosures and likely changes, so everyone debates substance before anyone drafts a release.
One of the smartest things an IRO can do is know when to step back and let others lead. I’m not a communications expert – and I don’t try to be. Once we’ve locked in our messaging, I rely on our comms and marketing teams to tailor it for different stakeholders, channels and formats.
For IROs, it’s the same principle: leverage your network. If a request isn’t core to your role, or if someone else is better positioned to respond, it’s okay to guide it in the right direction rather than taking it all on yourself. The goal isn’t to say ‘no’ – it’s to say, ‘Let’s bring in the right people to do this well.’
As Keita said during our discussion: ‘Distribute the tasks to people who know the most, and then our job in IR is just to give context.’
This not only leads to better outcomes, but it also saves valuable time. Instead of stretching yourself thin, you’re free to focus on the work that truly requires your expertise.
I believe the next few years are going to define a new standard in how IR operates.
IR tech should support your workflow – not complicate it. Our IR Hub platform brings together your IR website, earnings releases, events and regulatory filings – saving valuable hours each quarter and avoiding last-minute chaos. Next up, we’re building Iris, a secure AI assistant that will help IR teams pull strategic insights from their own data, fast.
Look for tools that automate repeat tasks, streamline updates across touchpoints and deliver insights in real time without compromising data privacy. The right technology reduces administrative overhead and lets you stay focused on strategy and storytelling.
If you’d like to learn more about how other IR leaders are navigating these challenges and using technology to work more efficiently, I encourage you to watch the full discussion on demand.
Thanks for reading!
Erik Carlson is a strategic and results-driven chief executive officer who leads Notified’s product, finance, and global operations teams with over 15 years of experience in building high-performing teams and driving growth in complex environments. At Notified, he has spearheaded strategy, finance, and integration initiatives, complemented by extensive M&A and acquisition integration experience from his tenure at PwC and IBM. Known for his hands-on, operator-focused approach, Erik is dedicated to proactive problem-solving and delivering operational excellence at scale. Erik earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with honors, from Boston University, specializing in Corporate Finance, Accounting and Business Management.
