Summary

David-Sheldon-Square

David Sheldon, Senior Associate Investor Relations in GRG was recently recognised via IFM’s internal Rewards program, GEM, for going above and beyond in his commitment to our clients and shareholders.

David won the award, one of 239 recipients since the program started in May 2020, for successfully navigating a challenging period and collaborating with multiple internal stakeholders across the business to reach positive outcomes.

David credits the opportunities he has been given at IFM, including a lateral move across the business and a secondment to the New York office, with learning the skills and building the relationships that have helped him navigate the organisation and resolve business challenges.

Out of the workplace, David has translated these leadership skills into sport and coaching. “I’ve been playing hockey since I was 9 years old and have coached multiple teams since then. In addition to coaching, I was also the Vice President of the club with 300+ members for a number of years. Over the last few years - excluding 2020 - I’ve been playing in the Victorian Premier League, which has been a really great challenge, getting to compete in the top division in Victoria which includes a few current and former Olympians.”

Through IFM’s unique ownership model, I got the sense that the business truly cared about working people and was not a group of individuals simply looking out for themselves. I saw IFM as a place where I could build a career that I’d be proud of.

David joined IFM in 2015, with the sense that it was different to other Global Investment Managers.

David began at IFM as an Operations Analyst, focusing on investment operations for the Listed Equities team.

In his second year, he was promoted to Assistant Manager of Operations, taking a managerial role within the team.

 

A lateral move into GRG in 2017 saw David take on an Investor Relations Analyst role, supporting IFM’s relationship management and business development efforts, before he was recognised with a promotion, becoming an Investor Relations Associate and then an Investor Relations Senior Associate.

In his current role, David is a Relationship Manager, bringing together advice and recommendations from teams all across IFM into a single and consistent view for a number of IFM’s largest clients.

A secondment to the New York Investor Relations Team in 2019 enabled David to solidify relationships with key stakeholders. Says David, “I had exposure to senior leaders and experience in dealing with the team there, which has given me a unique insight into opportunities and challenges for our clients globally.”

Addressing climate change is one of these opportunities, “It’s a serious issue and something I am keenly interested in”. In 2019, IFM announced a carbon reduction program within the Australian Infrastructure Fund and signposted carbon reduction program on the GIF Funds. “IFM’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions is a really positive step towards a better future,” said David.

David’s initial impression of IFM as a business with a noble purpose still stands today. “IFM genuinely wants to create a better retirement for working people everywhere.”