S6E01: Brett Feldman from AT&T on The Real Job of Investor Relations: Aligning Perception With Reality

What does it take to run investor relations for one of the most recognized brands in America — a company that's been public for nearly 150 years, serves tens of millions of customers, and is under constant scrutiny from investors, regulators, and the public alike? Today's guest, Brett Feldman, has the answer. As Senior Vice President — Investor Relations and Treasurer at AT&T, Brett oversees IR for a company with a market cap north of $175 billion and a retail investor base that makes up roughly a third of its shareholders — many of whom are also AT&T customers. Brett brings a perspective that's genuinely rare in IR: he started his career in IR, spent 20 years as a sell-side equity analyst, and returned to the corporate side. That full-circle experience shapes how he thinks about everything from analyst relationships to internal communications to the fundamental purpose of an investor relations function. In this conversation, Brett and Mark Fasken go deep on what it really means to align perception and reality — and why getting that wrong has a measurable cost to your company's shareholders. Listen to the full episode to learn more about: The financial case for investor relations — and why volatility is the metric that matters How AT&T communicates consistently across investors, regulators, employees, and customers The internal IR work that most companies overlook What the sell side actually cares about (and what IROs misunderstand) Why smaller companies should build relationships with analysts who are obsessed with their business — not just the ones with the biggest brand names Winning IR is brought to you by Irwin. For more winning ideas, subscribe to Winning IR wherever you get your podcasts.For more information, visit getirwin.com/winning-ir