Joining me is Maxim Platonov, Senior Advisor for Investor Relations at Arqaam Capital — an investment bank focused on emerging and frontier markets and the sole corporate access partner here at the event. Thank you for joining us.
Thank you for having me. My pleasure.
Can you share the importance of the investor relations function at an event like this and more generally?
Investor relations is basically about building the bridge between the company and the capital markets — and this works both ways. IR helps to explain the investment case to the market — the equity story, the performance. And it works the other way too — delivering market perception and investor expectations back to management.
What are you hearing investors really talking about right now?
Corporate access is where the bridge actually closes — where capital markets can meet management and speak openly and transparently about the company. We see plenty of investors and analysts attending this event, meeting companies. The key questions are as usual: why invest, why now, what is the price? But also about resilience — how can they sustain current events? Good to hear that companies are well prepared. They have a preparedness playbook and are addressing current challenges openly.
Can you tell us more about Arqaam Capital?
Arqaam Capital is a well-known and leading investment bank in the region providing access to emerging markets and serving clients across different products and services. We in particular provide investor relations services — advising companies on how to build their IR function, how to be transparent and consistent, and how to deliver the story to the market.
Why is IR so important for companies creating value?
Companies should go beyond being compliant with local regulations about disclosures. It is about proactive engagement with investors, regular communications, and delivering on the guidance they publish. And importantly — linking strategy to numbers. Because strategy without numbers is just a story, a beautiful story. But if a strategy is supported with numbers and explains how the company is taking X percentage of market share — that is what helps investors to model and price the story properly.
What is the mix of investors you are seeing?
It is a mixed picture — we see local and regional funds and also international funds with emerging and frontier market mandates and GCC-specific mandates. We are happy to see really active interest from international investors. Local exchanges have recently lifted restrictions on foreign ownership — the market is open and welcomes foreign investors from the US, Europe, and the Far East. Now is really the time to exploit virtual roadshows, virtual conferences, and in-person meetings to explain the story not only to regional investors but to international funds.
If there was one piece of advice you could share — what would it be?
It actually consists of three words — consistency, transparency, and no surprises. Investors do not like surprises at all. Whether negative or positive — predictability is key. And trust is the main currency of investor relations. Trust is hard to build and gets back on foot slowly.
Thank you very much for sharing these insights.
Thank you. My pleasure.
