Sarah Elder was a Gold Award winner in the “Investor Relations Professional of the Year” category in the 2017 Stars of PR Awards. The 2018 Bulldog PR Awards are now open for submission.
Length of PR career (so far): 3 years
Your most memorable campaign: Pushpay’s ASX Listing
Most poignant professional moment: Pushpay joining the NZX 50 Index
Favorite journalist to work with: Campbell Gibson, NBR
Number of 2 a.m. calls from a client this month: None this month but we do work till the early hours of the morning and sometimes through the night at least six times a year when preparing to report to the market.
Best thing about working at your agency: I work directly for Pushpay (not through an agency), but the best thing about my role is the learning opportunities available. A high level of knowledge on your business’s metrics/drivers, the capital markets and general economic conditions is a must.
Last time you didn’t do any work all weekend: Before I started working at Pushpay in 2013.
Most misunderstood thing about PR: That we have some kind of control over the share price.
Most outrageous client request: I have a “can do” attitude so I struggle with this one! I guess just the expectation that I will always be available even when I’m on holiday.
What got you interested in a PR career? I actually just fell into the role. I assisted with listing Pushpay on the NZX and, once they listed, they soon realized they needed someone to manage their Investor Relations. They asked me if I was interested, so I did a Diploma in Investor Relations and took the role.
Most interesting thing about your job: Being privy to the inner workings of the business and decision making process.
Number of meetings you were in last week: 6
Your nightmare client in 3 words: Poor / incomplete communication
Best advice to a PR student: Journalists are never your friends, treat them as a professional relationship.
What do you read daily? Craigs Investment Partners Morning Sales Email
Favorite way to de-stress: Go for a walk or cook
The moment you realized PR is more important than you thought it would be: The first time I made a mistake.
Your best crisis management: Pushpay’s share price, was declining but it was unrelated to the performance of the business, so we had to readjust the market’s perception of the business and ensure they understood the opportunity.
Brand most in need of better PR: There are too many to count.
Favorite non-work hobby: Cooking
Last book you read: Building a StoryBrand
Cocktail of choice: Virgin mojito
Favorite movie this year: The Accountant
Your first “real” job: Waitress
Childhood “dream job”: Lawyer
Three people you’d love to invite to dinner: Roger Federer, Jeff Bezos, Jessica Alba
Your next big adventure: Listing Pushpay on the NASDAQ or NYSE.
Your ideal Saturday: Walk along the waterfront in the morning with Coco (my friend’s dog), brunch with friends at Café on Kohi, babysit my nieces and nephews.
