In an interview with《The Icons》APAC, a UK-based media outlet focusing on global leadership influence, Guo described the atmosphere at that moment not as boisterous, but as a grounded feeling of “knowing which direction to take”:

“This sense of assurance actually stems from a rather challenging starting point. The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) in the United States has already traversed half a century. However, in Taiwan, investor relations has long been regarded as a subsidiary function, lacking institutional support and a professional community.”

It was against this backdrop in 2018 that Guo, together with several corporate spokespersons and CFOs, founded TIRI. Without corporate sponsorship or existing resources, what sustained the association’s initial progress was merely a shared belief in professional value. Guo consistently emphasized that the most difficult part of establishing an association is not the initial step, but ensuring its long-term sustainability. Only when value is institutionalized can the profession endure beyond personnel changes. This idea gradually became the most important consensus within the association and laid the foundation for TIRI’s development direction.

Looking back seven years later, TIRI is no longer just a collection of advocates but has become a professional community recognized by the market and responded to by the system. The discussions among association members have also evolved from “how to communicate information clearly” to “how to integrate investor relations into the decision-making layer.”

From Disclosure to Governance: The Repositioning of the IR Role

As the association gradually took shape, the first issue to emerge was precisely the position of IR within corporate governance. Reflecting on the association’s development, Kevin Wang, Vice Chairman of TIRI and Chairman of Nanchang Creative Sensor Technology Co., Ltd., pointed out that while Taiwanese companies have made significant progress in the completeness of information disclosure, IR is still often misunderstood as a one-way communication tool.

In his view, investor relations is a governance discipline that combines professional ethics and international standards. It involves not just explaining information, but building long-term trust. For this reason, he hopes that while aligning with international practices, the association can gradually become a platform for corporate governance exchange, allowing institutional dialogue to transcend mere regulatory compliance.

This governance perspective is also reflected in the overall structure of the capital market. Freddie Liu, Executive Director of TIRI and Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer & Deputy Spokesperson of TPK Holding Co., Ltd., also pointed out that the association is playing a bridging role between Taiwan and the international capital market. By facilitating information flow and professional dialogue, IR not only serves companies but is also influencing the overall perception of Taiwan in the market.

Observing from an institutional level, Jack M. Chang, Executive Director of TIRI and Vice President of Finance at Allgenesis Biotherapeutics Inc., noted that while the corporate governance evaluation system has continuously evolved in recent years, many companies still view IR as part of the disclosure process rather than as an integral part of the governance structure. He believes the association should more actively act as a communication node between enterprises and regulatory authorities, enabling IR to truly enter the governance system rather than remaining in a peripheral role.

Industry Experience and International Narrative: Enabling Taiwan to Be Truly Understood

As the governance role becomes clearer, another key point repeatedly mentioned is international communication. Andy Chien, Executive Director of TIRI and Head of the Corporate Governance Center & Spokesperson of TECO Electric & Machinery Co., Ltd., pointed out that Taiwanese companies possess high resilience and innovation capabilities in the global market, but there is still room for deepening their capital narrative and international communication.

This challenge manifests in different forms across various industries. Fu-Fu Shen, Director of TIRI and former Deputy Head of the Finance Division & Deputy Spokesperson of Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., believes that the association itself must maintain a high level of knowledge flow. Through case sharing and workshops, experiences scattered across different industries can be organized, accumulated, and gradually transformed into transferable professional knowledge.

From a corporate operational standpoint, Nan-Hao Lin, Director of TIRI and General Manager of Chi Shan Long Feng Food Co., Ltd., pointed out that for Taiwanese companies to establish a firm foothold in the international capital market, the key lies not in technology, but in the ability to speak a language that investors understand. In his view, the association is precisely the vital platform to assist companies in completing this crucial task of translation.

Education and Talent: The Key to Institutional Sustainability

As the system gradually takes form, the association has come to realize that “people” are the key to its long-term continuation. Cash Hong, Director of TIRI and Manager of the Investor Relations Division at JPP Holding Company Limited, views IR education as a long-term responsibility. He promotes a localized IR cultivation program, hoping to enable companies in central and southern Taiwan, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, to participate in international market dialogue, preventing the system from being concentrated only among a few large corporations.

Regarding institutionalized education, Tina Chang, Director of TIRI and Department Head of Investor Relations & Deputy Spokesperson at Compal Electronics, Inc., pointed out that the association has released the Chinese version of the “Investor Relations Body of Knowledge” and held the inaugural TIRIC certification course. This is more than just the launch of educational materials; it is a crucial step towards establishing a common language for the IR profession.

On a practical level for companies going global, Peter Chang, Director of TIRI, Special Assistant to the Chairman & Spokesperson of Lelon Electronics Corp., reminds that for companies to truly “compete on a world stage,” they cannot remain solely in the Taiwanese market; they must achieve comprehensive integration with international capital markets, governance structures, and professional systems.

Starting from the practice of corporate communication, Frank Wang, Director of TIRI and former Senior Manager of the Public Relations Department & Spokesperson at AVerMedia Technologies, Inc., pointed out that investor relations is not just an information disclosure process but a bridge for building long-term trust between a company and the market. If companies wish to enhance their international visibility, they must simultaneously strengthen their IR professional capabilities and media narrative strategies, allowing corporate value to be understood by the market in a transparent and compelling manner. He believes the association should continue to promote a corporate co-learning mechanism, transforming IR expertise from individual company experience into a shared institutional asset for the industry.

Continuing the discussion on talent development, Nancy Hsu, Director of TIRI, Special Assistant to the President & Spokesperson of FineTek Co., Ltd., pointed out that IR involves multiple facets including finance, legal affairs, communications, and sustainability. Without long-term training and further education, it is difficult to form a genuine professional community. She hopes the association can establish a more comprehensive training framework, providing a clear career path for talent.

Sustainability and Trust: The Ultimate Destination of Governance Culture

As systems and talent gradually fall into place, sustainability is no longer just an ancillary issue but has become part of the governance culture. Tom Huang, Director of TIRI and Head of the Investor Relations & Sustainability Office at Sitronix Technology Corp., points out that the association’s role extends beyond education; it also involves facilitating institutional dialogue between regulatory bodies and the market, fostering positive interaction between policy and practice.

Within the context of the technology industry, Ant Lan, Director of TIRI and General Manager of Algoltek, Inc., also notes that Taiwan’s technological capabilities have long been world-class. The real challenge lies in how to translate these achievements into a governance narrative that international investors can understand.

From a corporate sustainability governance perspective, Nick Huang, Director of TIRI and Manager of the Investor Relations & Sustainability Committee at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., emphasizes that only by centering on transparency and openness can investors perceive a company’s long-term commitment through its governance mechanisms.

Observing from the supervisors’ group, Wen-Chun Yao, Supervisor of TIRI and Special Assistant to the Chairman & Spokesperson of FSP TECHNOLOGY INC., believes the association should further guide policy advocacy, fostering synergy between the government and industry.

Julia Chen, Supervisor of TIRI and Chief Sustainability Officer of Lining-ESG Corporation, points out that true sustainability is not an additional burden but a natural outcome of a mature governance culture.

Similarly from a governance standpoint, Paul Yeh, Supervisor of TIRI and Associate Manager of the Administration Department & Spokesperson at USERJOY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., emphasizes that enhancing the overall investor relations literacy is equivalent to improving the quality of Taiwan’s capital market.

Echo Wan, Supervisor of TIRI and Independent Director of Complex Micro Interconnection Co.,Ltd., adds that by introducing international IR standards and practices, Taiwanese companies can demonstrate a more mature governance profile in the global market.

From System to Culture: A Path Taking Shape

At the advisory level, David Yang, Honorary Advisor of TIRI and Managing Director of the Securities Analysts Association Chinese Taipei, cautions that many boards still view IR as an extension of public relations rather than the starting point for long-term value communication. This is precisely an area where the association needs to continuously work.

Kevin Yu, Chief Advisor of TIRI, notes from a macro perspective that Taiwan should not merely imitate international best practices but should establish two-way learning and cooperation mechanisms, allowing the system to evolve continuously.

As the integrator of the association’s operations, Judy Hsu, Secretary-General of TIRI, describes her role as a “translator,” converting the languages of different industries and professions into a public policy language that the association can communicate externally. She points out that when the board members begin discussing the “next generation,” the association is no longer just an organization but a professional ecosystem capable of continuous self-renewal.

Chairman Jonny Zong-Lin Guo concludes by stating that the essence of IR is not “making information look better,” but embedding trust into the system and placing value into the long-term narrative. If Taiwanese companies continue to treat IR as an extension of PR, they risk remaining in short-term reaction mode; true competitiveness lies in enabling the board, management team, and capital market to discuss risks, strategy, governance, and sustainability using the same logic, allowing the market to see not just financial figures but verifiable governance quality and long-term resilience:

“Looking towards 2026, what TIRI needs to do is not issue another advocacy statement, but to actually create the ‘common language’. Advancing systems and methodologies, deepening education and talent supply, and incorporating the ‘next generation’ into training and succession mechanisms. This ensures the profession can be passed on, the system can iterate, and the association can continue to self-renew, driving companies towards the global stage.”

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The post From Disclosure to Decision-Making: How Investor Relations is Rewriting the Language of the Boardroom first appeared on The Icons.