CIRI Announces 2014 Recipients for the Award for Excellence and the Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations

TORONTO, June 16, 2014 /CNW/ - The Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) is pleased to announce that Katherine Vyse has been chosen as the 26^th recipient of the Award for Excellence in Investor Relations and Jennifer McCaughey has been chosen as the fifth recipient of the Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations. These individuals were honoured at CIRI's 27^th Annual Investor Relations Conference in Ottawa.

Award for Excellence in Investor Relations

The Award for Excellence in Investor Relations is given by CIRI to honour individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the investor relations profession and to the Institute.

Katherine Vyse is a recognized leader in the investor relations profession and has been a significant contributor to CIRI. Her career spans 25 years, 15 years in investor relations and communications and 10 years in the financial industry. Most recently, Ms. Vyse was Partner and Senior Vice President of Investor Relations for Brookfield Asset Management. She joined the Brookfield Group of companies in 2000, initially within Brookfield's commercial real estate affiliate, Brookfield Office Properties, as Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications. Ms. Vyse holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, a BA from the University of Western Ontario and a Diploma in Retail Management from Sheridan College. Ms. Vyse has been an active volunteer for many years, having been on the CIRI National and CIRI Ontario Chapter Boards and contributed to development of CIRI's Guide to Developing an IR Program, 2012 edition.

"Katherine's contribution to the capital markets, to investor relations professionals throughout Canada and to the CIRI organization make her the perfect choice for the 2014 Award of Excellence," said Colleen Vancha, 2013 Award recipient and President of Creative Advantage Consulting Ltd.

"Katherine has had a tremendous impact on the IR community, willingly giving her time to mentor those new to the profession and sharing her experiences through numerous speaking engagements at CIRI's professional development events," said Yvette Lokker, President & CEO, CIRI. "In addition, she has made a significant contribution to CIRI through her National and Ontario Chapter Board involvement as the Membership Committee Chair.

Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations

The Belle Mulligan Award for Leadership in Investor Relations is given by CIRI in honour of the late Belle Mulligan to recognize individuals who have shown singular leadership in one or more aspects of the practice of investor relations.

Belle Mulligan (1940-2009) will long be remembered as a leader and standard setter in the IR profession, and a founder of CIRI. Her passion for IR began through her association with NIRI in the early 1970s. When she returned to Canada in 1981, she joined a small cadre of IR leaders here to develop NIRI Canada, now CIRI. She served on both the CIRI and NIRI Boards, and was a frequent speaker at IR events. She was respected for her integrity, which cemented her credibility, and she was cited by one analyst as "adding 10% to the valuation" of the senior gold mining company she represented. Her professionalism won her many admirers, and her engaging personality and generous heart won her a wide circle of friends. She was a mentor to many IROs, urging them to set their sights high within their organizations.

As President of the CIRI Quebec Chapter, Jennifer F. McCaughey has demonstrated exceptional leadership by increasing awareness of the investor relation profession and CIRI through high-profile professional development events. Ms. McCaughey is the Senior Director, Investor Relations and External Corporate Communications at Transcontinental Inc. She is responsible for all aspects of investor relations, external communications and sustainable development. Since joining Transcontinental Inc. in 2002, Ms. McCaughey has held numerous positions with increasing responsibility and seniority. Previously, she worked at Andersen as a Senior Consultant in Corporate Finance, Sprott Securities as a Sell-Side Analyst and at Deloitte Consulting as a Business Analyst. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

"Jennifer has been an exceptional leader for the CIRI Quebec Board, launching events that raise the profile of the investor relations profession and CIRI to a broader audience," said Yvette Lokker, President & CEO of CIRI. "By having high profile individuals with broad appeal speak at professional development events, the CIRI Quebec Chapter has attracted some 150 participants from various professions in the capital markets."

"Jennifer's involvement on the CIRI Quebec Board and her creative approach to professional development events have raised the profile of both the investor relations profession and CIRI among capital market participants in Quebec. Her leadership and commitment to advance the investor relations profession exemplify qualities that Belle admired," said Len Mulligan, Belle's husband.

About CIRI

CIRI is a professional, not-for-profit association of executives responsible for communication between public corporations, investors and the financial community. CIRI contributes to the transparency and integrity of the Canadian capital market by advancing the practice of investor relations, the professional competency of its members and the stature of the profession. With more than 500 members and four Chapters across the country, CIRI is the voice of IR in Canada. For further information, please visit CIRI.org.

SOURCE: Canadian Investor Relations Institute

Yvette Lokker
President & CEO
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