23andMe is considering splitting up its business into two entities—one focused on DNA-testing and the other on drug development—after the stock slid by as much as 10% after second quarter 2024 earnings. The proposed strategic shift arrives at a pivotal moment for 23andMe, a company that once boasted a market cap exceeding $6 billion and now trades for pennies as it faces a Nasdaq delisting.

The problem runs deeper than just missing quarterly forecasts. The split is being seen as a last-ditch attempt to regain stability in a market that has quickly soured on its business model. The rapid decline in share price highlights the volatile nature of the tech and biotech sectors as well as the critical need for agility in strategic planning. All told, there’s been a significant loss of trust in the company's leadership team triggering a massive crisis of confidence.

Your headshot is crucial for establishing authority and communicating power, confidence, authenticity, and creativity on your website. Adding a smile increases your likeability and exhibits friendly, competent, and trustworthy qualities that can attract investors. A study by Priceonomics using a content creation app called Snappr evaluated the headshots of leading CEOs from each of the 2020 Fortune 500 companies.

Consistent, two-way message flow between a company and the broader financial community is akin to allocating monies for both guns and butter. Anyone who studies economics understands that an investment in IR will produce future dividends and returns.

Let’s kickoff 2023 by briefly revisiting last year. It started with bang as the S&P 500 hit record highs on the first day of trading. More than 75% of Americans were vaccinated and this gave us a glimmer of hope that the world would soon return to some sense of normalcy (which it has, thankfully).

From the rise of virtual investor meetings to the challenge of delivering good news in a turbulent market, the role of investor relations has changed dramatically over the last two years. Larger forces shaped by technology and the democratization of information have categorically redefined the scale, scope and complexity of the function, in addition to its strategic value as a key part of the modern-day executive team.

It’s impossible to anticipate all the questions that may be asked during an investor presentation, nondeal roadshow or on an earnings call despite your best efforts at preparation and due diligence. When investors ask about specific lines on the balance sheet and you can’t make a direct and factual response, it’s absolutely ok to say “Sorry, I don’t know.”