As Wall Street demands deeperknowledge about corporate financials and critical metrics, theperson who serves as steward of a company's relationship withanalysts and investors had better be astute at understanding theorganization's cash position and risk guardrails.

When the steward is the investor relations officer (IRO), his orher primary responsibility is to frame the brand and story of thecompany. The role has historically focused more on communicationskills than on accounting capabilities or experience providingstrategic input. But as the chief intermediary between the companyand the investment community, the IRO needs a firm grasp of allthings treasury, from cash and investment management to capitalstructure optimization, credit, and risk management.

In the 2011 IR Magazine article “Rethinkingthe Investor Relations Director,” author Ian Roundell, head ofinvestor relations at Credit Suisse, argues that the head of acompany's investor relations function should spend timeunderstanding the financial markets, to better understand howinvestors view the company. Essentially, Roundell suggests, the IRdirector needs to develop his or her financial acumen in order toserve as the company's lead share-price strategist.