Andrew G. Backman
Summary
With over 20 years of demonstrated success in leading Investor Relations, Public Relations, and Corporate Communications, I bring deep expertise across a wide range of industries and business stages. My experience spans spin-offs, IPOs, turnaround strategies, as well as Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies. I have developed sector-specific knowledge and have supported companies in Industrials (Infrastructure/Construction), Financial Services, Commercial Real Estate Finance (including REITs), Telecommunications (Services/Equipment), Insurance, Asset Management, Broker-Dealers, Mutual Funds, BDCs, SPACs, Television Broadcasting, Alternative Energy, Medical/Biotech, and Global Fashion Technology. Skilled in guiding organizations through every stage of the business lifecycle—from pre-IPO and IPO execution to growth, restructuring, and navigating bankruptcy or its avoidance. Known for delivering strategic insight and stability in complex corporate environments, with deep expertise in crafting communication strategies tailored to each phase of a company’s evolution. Builder of dynamic collaborative partnerships across all organizational levels, who instills shared vision and alignment with robust organizational goals. Highly skilled at translating complex technical information into concise language readily understood by broad range of stakeholders.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President of Investor Relations
EMCOR Group Inc.
Norwalk, USA
09.2023 - Current
- Company Overview: A Fortune 500 company and a new member of the S&P 500, EMCOR Group, Inc., is a leader in mechanical and electrical construction, industrial and energy infrastructure, and building services.
- Transformed Investor Relations Function: Recruited to elevate EMCOR’s investor relations from a passive function to a proactive, strategic platform. Embedded deeply across the organization, I conducted site visits and built foundational relationships to gain a 360-degree understanding of the business, enabling more insightful and credible investor communications.
- Sell-Side Analyst Expansion & Engagement: Launched and executed a targeted sell-side outreach program, increasing analyst coverage from 2 to 9 firms within 16 months, with 2 additional firms in the pipeline. Many new relationships were secured through prior connections and strategic engagement with previously unengaged analysts.
- Primary Investment Community Liaison: Served as EMCOR’s primary spokesperson to the investment community, personally leading nearly all buy-side and sell-side engagement, significantly enhancing the company’s visibility and credibility on Wall Street.
- Investor Base Diversification: Designed and implemented a strategic investor targeting program that broadened and diversified the shareholder base, attracting high-quality long-only institutional investors and fostering long-term engagement.
- Streamlined Earnings Process: Internalized and optimized the quarterly earnings process, creating meaningful operational synergies, and improving cross-functional collaboration and efficiency.
- Capital Markets Collaboration: Partnered with a leading investment bank to develop compelling corporate overview presentations, enhancing the company’s equity story and positioning in the capital markets.
- Market Recognition & Performance: Played a key role in EMCOR’s inclusion in the S&P 500, a significant milestone reflecting increased visibility and investor confidence.
- Executive & Board Recognition: Earned consistent recognition from senior leadership and the Board of Directors, regularly presenting to both, and contributing to strategic discussions with a deep understanding of the business and capital markets.
Global Head of Investor Relations
Kornit Digital ltd.
Englewood, USA
05.2021 - 08.2023
- Company Overview: Kornit Digital is a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand, digital fashion and textile production technologies.
- Highly recruited to internalize and further develop the Company's global investor relations platform across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions.
- Seamlessly integrated and provided immediate value across all levels of the organization including Board of Directors; Responsible for incremental sell-side research coverage; Targeted and secured new tier one buy side investors; Co-led recent $350m secondary equity offering that was ~5x Oversubscribed with ~90% allocation to long-only, growth oriented funds; Pivotal in re-drafting and finalizing Company’s inaugural ESG report just weeks prior to issuance; Raising the bar across entire global organization as I develop another world class IR program.
- Kornit Digital is a worldwide market leader in sustainable, on-demand, digital fashion and textile production technologies.
Principal & Founder
InVision Investor Relations Inc.
New York, USA
01.2019 - 05.2021
- Providing strategic counsel to executives and senior management teams at public and privately held companies to help create and maximize value by building and strengthening relationships with major institutional investors, high-net worth retail investors and leading analysts worldwide.
Managing Director Investor Relations / Public Relations
HC2 HOLDINGS, INC. / INNOVATE
New York, USA
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Company Overview: A publicly traded diversified holding company with eight key operating subsidiaries in construction, marine services, energy, telecommunications, life sciences, broadcasting and insurance.
- Recruited to build out the highest quality Investor Relations & Public Relations platform for a publicly traded diversified holding company with eight key operating subsidiaries in construction, marine services, energy, telecommunications, life sciences, broadcasting and insurance.
- Deeply embedded in the firm's critical strategic objectives and capital raising initiatives, understanding each of HC2’s portfolio companies, both financially and operationally, to effectively communicate HC2’s message to the Street, in addition to building and expanding relationships with both current and prospective equity and debt investors / analysts.
- Despite continual and meaningful headwinds associated with specific operating and corporate Holdco issues, I was able to continually and consistently articulate the complex, long-term strategy, maintain credibility for the Company, which in turn had allowed the stock to recover and increase significantly since joining firm (+~95%), with a corresponding tightening of our then 11% Senior Secured Notes during the same time (+~28 bps).
- Strategically cultivated shareholder base from what was originally high turnover, fast money hedge funds (Raging Capital, Wingspan, Luxor, Hudson Bay) to longer-term Growth, GARP, Value, Deep Value holders who had either initiated a position, meaningfully added to, or held their positions (JPM AM, Putnam, Brookfield, Mittleman, Charlie Frischer, Gabelli/Teton).
- Intimately / actively involved in banking relationships and in the execution of acquisitions and corporate financings; Instrumental in maintaining ratings with Moody’s and S&P by implementing a more proactive, focused relationship.
- A publicly traded diversified holding company with eight key operating subsidiaries in construction, marine services, energy, telecommunications, life sciences, broadcasting and insurance.
Managing Director Investor Relations / Public Relations
RCS Capital Corporation
New York, USA
01.2014 - 01.2016
- Company Overview: The second largest independent retail advice company in the United States, as well multiple publicly listed companies and sponsored alternative investment programs through the company’s advisory services business, representing over $40 billion AUM.
- Recruited to lead the development and execution of comprehensive IR and PR strategies for RCS Capital.
- Worked closely with CEO, CFO, senior leadership team and Board members, when appropriate, to help develop and effectively communicate the Company’s operational, financial and corporate strategies to key stakeholders.
- Developed strong relationships with top Wall Street analysts and leading institutional investors and actively communicated their perspectives to the leadership team in order to refine and strengthen corporate messaging to align with expectations.
- The second largest independent retail advice company in the United States, as well multiple publicly listed companies and sponsored alternative investment programs through the company’s advisory services business, representing over $40 billion AUM.
Principal & Founder
InVision Investor Relations Inc.
New York, USA
01.2011 - 01.2014
- Provided strategic counsel to executives and senior management teams at public and privately held companies to help create and maximize value by building and strengthening relationships with major institutional investors, high-net worth retail investors and leading analysts worldwide.
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Marketing
iStar Financial, Inc.
New York, USA
01.2004 - 01.2010
- Company Overview: A diversified Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) with $15B AUM.
- Recruited to transform Investor Relations for $15B AUM diversified Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), from passive function into dynamic and valued business partnership completely integrated with business planning, operations and marketing functions.
- Expanded focus to encompass development and execution of Investor Relations, Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing strategies to guide company through changing market conditions.
- Integrally involved in all capital raising and restructuring initiatives including ~$15B in secured and unsecured debt, convertible debt, trust preferreds and equity.
- Increased and improved communications with financial community by expanded and strengthened relationships with new and existing investors, analyst and ratings agencies; diversified debt and equity investor base; transitioned and increased debt and equity research coverage more than 70% during my tenure.
- Served as sole spokesperson for business with investors, analysts and financial media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Barron’s, Newsweek and a number of national, international and regional publications during one of the most challenging financial markets in history.
- Repositioned and strengthened corporate brand across multiple domestic and international markets.
- Guarded company’s reputation through commercial real estate market meltdown, providing strategic counsel for executive management and Board of Directors on capital initiatives, branding and crisis management.
- A diversified Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) with $15B AUM.
Vice President, Investor Relations, Public Relations & Marketing Communications
Corvis Corporation / Broadwing Communications
Austin, USA
01.2000 - 01.2004
- Company Overview: A cutting-edge all-optical networking equipment company.
- Joined cutting-edge all-optical networking equipment company in advance of one of the most successful and highly publicized IPOs in history to build and lead the corporate investor relations and communications organization from ground-floor.
- Identified and developed relationships with buy-side and sell-side investors and served as primary company spokesman to investment community and financial media.
- Developed, researched and wrote all corporate presentations, news releases, conference call scripts and financial data disseminated to investment community.
- Re-engineered IR, PR and marketing functions and revamped corporate messaging and positioning to reflect acquisition of Broadwing Communications.
- Assumed additional responsibility for Marketing Communications operations during senior executive transition.
- A cutting-edge all-optical networking equipment company.
Director, Investor Relations
Lucent Technologies, Inc.
Murray Hill, USA
01.1996 - 01.2000
- Company Overview: A multinational telecommunications equipment and services company formed through tri-vestiture of AT&T Corporation in 1996.
- Led IR operations for multinational telecommunications equipment and services company formed through tri-vestiture of AT&T Corporation in 1996.
- Role included developing individual, retail and institutional shareholder marketing programs.
- In addition, developed dividend reinvestment and direct stock purchase plan programs and directed securities transfer agent that serviced ~2M retail shareholder accounts.
- Contributed to 10% increase in retail ownership of Lucent stock within 18-month period by developing and implementing individual and retail shareholder marketing program, recognized as one of the most innovative and successful in industry.
- A multinational telecommunications equipment and services company formed through tri-vestiture of AT&T Corporation in 1996.
Various Leadership Roles
AT&T Corporation
Basking Ridge, USA
01.1990 - 01.2000
- Progressed through leadership roles of increased responsibility and scope within various business divisions.
- Developed and implemented business, product and financial plans, including financial modeling, that supported development of annual budgets, customer proposals and financial negotiations, including for joint venture between AT&T and Sharp Corporation, for development of next-generation videophone technology, and for the sale of two Consumer Products manufacturing operations in Singapore and Indonesia to Taiwanese investor.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MAFinancial Leadership Program -
Lucent Technologies
Professional Development Program -
AT&T
Skills
- Leadership and team building
- Business development
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Investor relations
- Executive partnerships
- Crisis management
- Internal and external communications
- Alliance management
- Marketing strategies
- Sell-side engagement
- Capital markets communication
- Earnings optimization
- Metrics tracking
- Strategic planning
- Corporate communications
Affiliations
- Member, NIRI - The Associate For Investor Relations
- Member, NIRI - Senior Roundtable
- Member, Boston College Alumni Association
- Member, St. Gregory Barbarigo Finance Committee and Men’s Cornerstone
Websites
Professional Highlights
- Developed, implemented and led comprehensive investor and public relations programs for companies with diverse corporate structures and stages of development including EMCOR Group (Mechanical/Electrical Construction, Industrial/Energy Infrastructure, Building Services), Kornit Digital (Fashion Technology), HC2 Holdings (Diversified Holdco), RCS Capital (Financial Holdco), iStar Financial (Hybrid REIT), Corvis Corporation (IPO), AT&T / Lucent Technologies (IPO / Spin).
- Integrally involved in $25B+ equity/debt capital raising and restructuring initiatives for companies such as Kornit Digital, HC2 Holdings, iStar Financial, Broadwing Communications, Corvis Corporation, Lucent Technologies and AT&T.
- Key player in structuring and execution of two historical initial public offerings for Corvis Corporation ($1B) and Lucent Technologies ($3B).
- Integrally involved in more than $4B domestic and international M&A transactions, including transactions in Tokyo, Taipei, Singapore and Indonesia.
- Designed, organized and launched investor relations program for Corvis Corporation, nominated 'The Best Investor Relations Program for an IPO' by Investor Relations Magazine.
- Instrumental in execution of Lucent Technologies’ historic IPO, awarded 'Best Investor Relations Program for an IPO' and 'Best Investor Relations Program for Retail Community.'
- Finalist for Investor Relations Magazine’s 'Lifetime Achievement in Investor Relations' Award
Timeline
Vice President of Investor Relations
EMCOR Group Inc.
09.2023 - Current
Global Head of Investor Relations
Kornit Digital ltd.
05.2021 - 08.2023
Principal & Founder
InVision Investor Relations Inc.
01.2019 - 05.2021
Managing Director Investor Relations / Public Relations
HC2 HOLDINGS, INC. / INNOVATE
01.2016 - 01.2019
Managing Director Investor Relations / Public Relations
RCS Capital Corporation
01.2014 - 01.2016
Principal & Founder
InVision Investor Relations Inc.
01.2011 - 01.2014
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Marketing
iStar Financial, Inc.
01.2004 - 01.2010
Vice President, Investor Relations, Public Relations & Marketing Communications
Corvis Corporation / Broadwing Communications
01.2000 - 01.2004
Director, Investor Relations
Lucent Technologies, Inc.
01.1996 - 01.2000
Various Leadership Roles
AT&T Corporation
01.1990 - 01.2000
Bachelor of Arts - Economics
Boston College
Financial Leadership Program -
Lucent Technologies
Professional Development Program -
AT&T