Certified Investor Relations Officer Program

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 



Eligibility Criteria

 
Work Experience

At least 10 years’ cumulative relevant work experience. This could be within:
•    a listed entity;
•    financial markets;
•    journalism; and / or
•    investor relations consulting

The applicant must have demonstrated career progression which includes, at least five years in a senior IR role with a listed entity within the ASX 300 or NZX 50 or five years providing strategic IR advice to the management / board of a listed entity within the ASX 300 or NZX 50.

AND
Education
  • Have successfully completed AIRA’s Diploma of Investor Relations and passed the exam.
  • Relevant financial training (such as Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (CA), MBA, Certified Financial Accountant (CFA), Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) or have completed a postgraduate certificate or diploma in corporate / applied finance or an undergraduate degree in finance or accounting or an alternative undergraduate degree with a major in either finance or accounting).
AND
Membership

Must be a current financial member of AIRA (i.e. work for a listed entity or service provider that is a member or be an associate member) to hold and maintain the designation of CIRO.

 		  
 

Program Requirements

  

Applicants will have up to 12 months to complete the program from the date of acceptance.

This includes: 

  • three investor relations advanced professional development courses – ESG, Continuous Disclosure and Ethics,
  • indicative professional reading, and
  • passing an online exam.

Applicants who do not complete the program within this time frame will need to reapply.

  
 

Ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

 

On attaining the professional designation, recipients will be required to complete a minimum of 20 hours CPD annually.

CPD can be accrued:

  1. A minimum of 13 hours of structured CPD through AIRA i.e. courses, seminars, webinars, working group participation
  2. 4 hours of unstructured CPD ie. professional reading
  3. 3 hours of structured CPD from other professional organisations i.e. courses, seminars webinars.

For more information about CPD, please click here.

CPD will be accumulated annually from 1 July to 30 June, in line with AIRA’s Membership period.

AIRA will annually conduct an ad hoc audit of CIRO recipients to ensure that CPD requirements have been met. Those who have not met this requirement will be provided a three-month grace period before the professional designation is rescinded.

Completion of the Certification program will be counted as the allocated CPD requirements for year 1.

  
 

Membership


Recipients must remain a financial member of AIRA to retain the CIRO professional designation. Should a recipient’s employment change such that they are no longer employed by a member company, AIRA will allow a three- month grace period before the professional designation is rescinded. Recipients may choose to join as an Associate member if they are not employed by a company who is eligible to join under the corporate or supporting membership provisions.

  
 

Post-nominals

 
On being awarded this professional designation, recipients are eligible to use the post-nominals CIRO(AIRA).

 
 

AIRA Certification Assessment Committee


A CIRO Assessment Committee comprising up to six experienced AIRA members, one of whom will hold a board position and act as the Chair will oversee that the conduct of the Certification meets the priorities and policy parameters. This committee will have total discretion for those accepted into the program.

 

 

Code of Conduct

  

It is a requirement that individuals agree to adhere to AIRA’s Code of Conduct at the time of applying for entry into the program. Checking the box agreeing the adhere during the application process will be taken as the applicant’s acceptance of this condition.

A disciplinary process will apply for those who breach the Code or bring disrepute to the profession – see Disciplinary Process.

  
 

Disciplinary Process

  

When a CIRO has not acted professionally, ethically or legally the professional designation will be rescinded.  Should this occur, AIRA will adhere to ‘due process’ whereby individuals will be given appropriate notice to respond. This might occur in the instance of a complaint, dismissal that is a result of poor ethical judgement, unacceptable conduct that has brought the individual into disrepute.

AIRA’s disciplinary action will require:

  • A written declaration from the member and the individual to show cause why the designation should not be rescinded.
  • It would be at the CIRO Assessment Committee’s discretion to decide the appropriate response and time frame, and
  • The individual would be offered the opportunity to relinquish the designation.

Following this process, AIRA would have the right to:

  • Formally rescind the individual’s professional designation and advise that it cannot be used on their CV.
  • Expel a member (allowed under section 2.11 of the AIRA Constitution.  The Constitution includes due process steps).