|
 Company: AECOM, New York, NY, USA
Company Description: AECOM (NYSE: ACM) is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental and energy. AECOM's more than 35,000 employees around the world serve clients in more than 60 countries and had revenue of $4.2 billion during fiscal year 2007. More information on AECOM can be found at www.aecom.com.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Investor Relations Program
Nomination Title: AECOM Rallies Wall Street and Employees for its Initial Public Offering
1. Tell the story about this nominated investor relations program (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
In January 2007, AECOM planned to issue an IPO on the NYSE in the spring as one
of the 10 largest listings in 2007 and one of the largest engineering industry
IPOs of all time.
Objectives
AECOM’s IR program for the IPO launch consisted of an integrated communications
strategy involving employee communications, investment community outreach and
PR, that was designed to:
* Communicate AECOM’s investment story to the investment community – its
business, achievements, strengths and market opportunities
* Increase positive media coverage positioning AECOM as an industry leader with
strong growth prospects by targeting the investment community and business
media
* Help achieve full valuation for AECOM shares, and open trading at or above
IPO price
* Retain employee talent and desire to hold shares, and unify the global
employee base behind the corporate brand
Challenges
* AECOM was known primarily in industry circles for its industry-leading work
in architecture and engineering design, but had minor recognition on Wall
Street.
* As a parent company to regional professional firms, AECOM needed to introduce
a unified corporate identity and an integrated approach to communications with
its public debut.
* Substantial internal outreach was critical to the success of the IPO and
beyond. Restructuring into a public company could not compromise employee
loyalty or willingness to hold company shares.
Tactics
* Research and planning
* Analyzed competitor messaging and AECOM’s internal messaging globally
* Examined analyst coverage of key competitors
* Reviewed communications best practices for several publicly traded companies
* Regular phone and in-person briefings
* Employee communications program
* Interactive employee presentation “AECOM’s Proposed IPO: Understanding this
Important Event”
* Employee FAQs
* CEO letters regarding status and benefits of IPO
* AECOM World Weekly employee newsletters
* Employee updates and events
* Outreach to business press and the IR community
* Investor road show
* Continuously updated IR website
* Timely press releases and filings
* Ads (The Wall Street Journal)
* Extensive media outreach. Results:
* Coverage of AECOM in national business and trade outlets, including
Investor’s Business Daily, The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Los Angeles
Business Journal, “Mad Money” on CNBC and Engineering News-Record (ENR).
* Interactions and relationships with high-tech industry research and
analyst firms
* Press release pick-up in leading print and online media
* Interviews with leading publications
Accomplishments
* AECOM rang the NYSE Opening Bell on May 11, 2007.
* The IPO priced at $20 per share, at the top of its range. The stock opened
trading at $21.10 and five months after the IPO, reached its highest post-IPO
price to date of $38.25. Since the IPO, the stock has performed consistently,
and has to date remained above the IPO price.
* Fifty percent of media coverage from the IPO and months following reflected 5
or more key messages, and 75% reflected at least 3 key messages.
* AECOM earned considerable business and media coverage on listing day and
beyond, including a cover story in the leading industry trade magazine, ENR.
CNBC has since invited AECOM’s CEO to appear three more times on various
programs.
* 81% of employees maintained shares in the company after the IPO, evidence of
their continuing commitment to and belief in AECOM’s future growth opportunity.
2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
AECOM Media Center: http://www.aecom.com/NewsMedia/36/82/index.jsp
AECOM Press Release Homepage: http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=211994&p=irol- news&nyo=0
AECOM Investors Homepage: http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131318&p=irol-sec
Press releases pertaining to the nomination:
* AECOM Plans to Issue IPO (1/24/2007): http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=211994& p=irol-newsArticle&ID=997984&highlight=
* AECOM Files Registration Statement for IPO (3/8/2007):
http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=211994&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=997969&highlight=
* AECOM Announces Pricing of IPO of its Common Stock at $20.00 Per Share
(5/9/2007): http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=211994&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=998335&highlight=
* AECOM to Ring NYSE Opening Bell (5/10/2007):
http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=211994&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=999062&highlight=
* AECOM Announces Closing of IPO (5/15/2007):
http://pr.aecom.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=211994&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1000838&highlight=
Wall Street Journal Ad on AECOM’s listing on the NYSE: http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/13/131318/AECOM_6192007.pdf
News Articles/Online Media Coverage:
* “Newly Public AECOM Driving Consolidation,” Investor’s Business Daily (July
9, 2007): http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/13/131318/2906AECOM_b_071 107_3.pdf
* Cover Story: “Warm Reception on Wall Street Makes AECOM Stock Golden,”
Engineering News-Record (June 25, 2007): http://www.aecom.com/media/5227.pdf
* ENR Podcast: “AECOM's Successful IPO” (6/21/2007):
http://enr.construction.com/people/multimedia/podcasts/2007/070621.asp
* “MadMoney” interview with AECOM CEO John Dionisio (7/9/2007):
http://www.cnbc.com/id/20972507/
http://maddmoney.blogspot.com/2007/05/aecom-technology.html
* MarketWatch: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/aecom-tech-ipo-bulks-up/ story.aspx?guid=%7B875E5C7D-1DCC-47FE-A910-F81273A76638%7D
NYSE Opening Bell Photo and Webcast (5/11/2007):
http://www.nyse.com/events/1177928481889.html
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the team that carried out this nominated investor relations program:
Paul J. Gennaro, Jr: Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate
Communications and Chief Communications Officer
Paul Gennaro joined AECOM in March 2006 and currently leads AECOM’s global
corporate communications, including investor relations, brand and reputation
management, public and media relations, internal communications, crisis and
issues management, and community and government relations. He is a member of
AECOM’s Executive Board. Gennaro has 20 years of experience managing corporate
communications and public relations. Previously, he managed corporate and
marketing communications for Johns Manville, a subsidiary of Berkshire
Hathaway. He has also held communications leadership roles for Ingersoll-Rand,
Dell Computer and American Express. He began his career as a journalist and
public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy.
|
