ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) today announced the election of Valerie Haertel, IRC, as the 2017 Chair of the NIRI Board of Directors. Ms. Haertel serves as Global Head of Investor Relations for BNY Mellon (NYSE: BK). She will succeed Felise Kissell, Vice President of Investor Relations for HSN, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSNI), at the NIRI Annual Meeting of members, December 7, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“I am thrilled that Valerie Haertel will be NIRI’s next Board Chair,” said Ms. Kissell. “Valerie has been deeply involved in moving NIRI forward through leadership positions on the NIRI National Board including as Chair of our Advocacy Committee, in the NIRI Boston and New York chapters, involvement with the NIRI Senior Roundtable, and as a member of the inaugural class of IRC™ credential holders. Valerie embodies the spirit of selfless volunteerism so representative of members throughout NIRI. She is an asset to our organization.”
Ms. Haertel said, “I am honored to have been elected as 2017 NIRI Chair for an organization that has been instrumental in my investor relations career development as a corporate officer, counselor and service provider. I have dedicated the majority of my career to Investor Relations and I am proud to both lead and continue to serve a dedicated Board and community of members as we transform NIRI to better serve our evolving membership.
“Felise Kissell has been an incredible leader at a time of significant change. She has been transparent, inclusive and completely dedicated to the needs of all members. With a strong foundation set and a Board guided by these key principles, we will work together to continue on the path to create an even stronger NIRI together.
“This is an important inflection point in NIRI’s history as we search for a new CEO and look ahead to prepare a new leader for success. As part of our strategic planning process, the NIRI Board has embarked on a journey to 'reimagine NIRI' to focus on the issues we know are most important to our members, enabling the organization to thrive in the coming years. I appreciate this opportunity to serve our members, and I look forward to our continued partnership in my new capacity next year.”
Ms. Haertel has over 20 years of investor relations experience across a variety of industries. At BNY Mellon, she manages relationships with the company's shareholders and analysts, reports to the company’s vice chairman and chief financial officer, and is a member of the company's Operating Committee, which is responsible for successfully executing BNY Mellon's corporate strategy and policies.
Prior to this, Haertel was Senior Vice President of Investor Relations at State Street Corporation until August of 2014 where she led the global investor relations program, managing relationships with the company’s shareholders and analysts. Prior to State Street Corporation, Haertel served as Vice President of Investor Relations for Medco Health Solutions since 2006; Vice President and Director of Investor Relations at AllianceBernstein for five years; Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at telecommunication services provider, RCN Corporation; Director of Nasdaq Company Services and Chief Retention Officer for The Nasdaq Stock Market; Vice President of Corporate Analysis/Investor Relations at Georgeson & Company; and Research Associate at Prudential Securities. She was named Best Investor Relations Officer by Institutional Investor magazine in 2009 and 2010 for the Healthcare Services and Distribution industry. Under her leadership, Medco was named as having the Top Corporate IR Management Program in 2009 for Healthcare Equipment and Services by Greenwich Associates, ranking No. 16 for all industries combined.
Ms. Haertel has been a NIRI member since 1995, and a member of the NIRI Senior Roundtable. She served as President of the NIRI New York chapter from 2004-2005 and served on the chapter Board for six years. She was also a Director on the NIRI Boston chapter Board. She was a member of the Investor Relations Association and served as an officer for several years. Haertel earned NIRI’s IRC™ credential, and graduated from St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a Master of Business Administration.
About the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)
Founded in 1969, NIRI (www.NIRI.org) is the professional association of corporate officers and investor relations consultants responsible for communication among corporate management, shareholders, securities analysts and other financial community constituents. NIRI is the largest professional investor relations association in the world with more than 3,300 members representing over 1,600 publicly held companies and $9 trillion in stock market capitalization.
