Expectations from Buy & Sell Side: What do Best-in-Class IROs Do?
IROs operate at the intersection of company strategy and market perception, making it critical to understand what analysts and investors expect from them. In this dynamic panel, leading voices from both the buy-side and sell-side will share their perspectives on how top-performing IROs build trust, credibility, and long-term relationships. Join us as we gain insights into the strategic approaches that set best-in-class IR programs apart.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Enhance their understanding of what analysts and investors look for in effective IROs and how these expectations shape engagement strategies
- Implement best-in-class behaviors, communication styles and strategic approaches
- Develop actionable strategies to improve their IR planning, messaging and stakeholder engagement to build trust and credibility
Panelists:
Anthony Bonadio
Vice President, Equity Research
Wells Fargo
Anthony Bonadio is a vice president covering the staples retail and food service space, with lead coverage on the convenience stores. Anthony joined Wells Fargo in 2017 after six years at Credit Suisse in various roles including a year at a top five ranked research team. His team at Wells Fargo ranked No. 1 in the Institutional Investor All-America team surveys in each of the past five years. Anthony has a BS from the University of Notre Dame in Chemical Engineering and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Brian Downey
Managing Director
Aventail Capital Group
Brian Downey, CFA is a Managing Director at Aventail Capital Group focused on the Upstream oil and gas E&P and Oilfield Services sectors, with over 16 years of Energy experience. He has a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M and undergraduate degrees in Finance and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Neal Dingmann
Energy Analyst
William Blair
Neal Dingmann is an analyst in the energy and power technologies group. He joined William Blair in July 2025. Prior to joining William Blair, he spent 15 years at Truist Securities. Neal also previously worked for Wunderlich Securities, Dahlman Rose, Pritchard Capital Partners, Bank of America, and RBC Capital Markets. He received his B.S.B.A in finance from the University of Arkansas and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.
Moderator:
Ash Aulds
Director FP&A & Investor Relations
Murphy USA
Ash Aulds is the Director of FP&A and Investor Relations at Murphy USA, a leading retail fuel company with more than 1,700 stores across 27 states. Since joining Murphy USA in 2019, Ash has held analytics leadership roles across field operations, merchandising, marketing, and food & beverage before moving into FP&A and Investor Relations in 2023. He previously held analytics and marketing leadership roles at CenturyLink (now Lumen Technologies), a global telecommunications technology company.