CIRI Awards the Belle Mulligan Scholarship for the 2012/2013 CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program to Alyssa Barry

TORONTO, June 11, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) has awarded the Belle Mulligan Scholarship for the CIRI/Ivey Investor Relations Certification Program and Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR) exam to Alyssa Barry , Manager of Investor Communications at Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc. Alyssa was awarded the scholarship at CIRI's 25^th Annual Investor Relations Conference in Montreal.

"Alyssa joined the investor relations profession six years ago and has made a concerted effort to enhance her knowledge of the profession through educational programs offered by the Chapter," said Tom Enright , CIRI President and CEO. "She further demonstrated her commitment to the profession by volunteering for the CIRI British Columbia Chapter Board."

"I am extremely honoured to have been selected to receive the prestigious Belle Mulligan Scholarship and would like to sincerely thank the Mulligan Family and CIRI for providing this generous opportunity.  I am excited to begin the CIRI/Ivey IR Certification Program at the Richard Ivey School of Business in September and look forward to furthering my knowledge and experience in investor relations," said Alyssa Barry , Manager of Investor Communications at Amica Mature Lifestyles Inc.

CIRI has partnered with the Richard Ivey School of Business, Canada's top ranking business school, to develop a program that covers all relevant areas of the multi-disciplinary role of investor relations. This 10-month program is delivered through a combination of online and in-person classes. Once individuals have successfully completed the program, they may write an examination offered through CIRI to become a Certified Professional in Investor Relations (CPIR). The first program commenced in September 2011.

This Scholarship, which will be awarded annually, recognizes individuals who have chosen investor relations (IR) as their career and are keen to participate in this program to help them excel in IR through a deeper knowledge of the key areas of this dynamic profession.

It is being given in honour of the late Belle Mulligan (1940-2009) who will long be remembered as a leader and standard setter in the IR profession, and a founder of CIRI. Her passion for IR began through her association with NIRI in the early 1970s. When she returned to Canada in 1981, she joined a small cadre of IR leaders here to develop NIRI Canada, now CIRI. She served on both the CIRI and NIRI Boards, and was a frequent speaker at IR events. She was respected for her integrity, which cemented her credibility, and she was cited by one analyst as "adding 10% to the valuation" of the senior gold mining company she represented. Her professionalism won her many admirers, and her engaging personality and generous heart won her a wide circle of friends. She was a mentor to many IROs, urging them to set their sights high within their organizations.

"The selection committee was impressed with Alyssa's significant advancement since starting up the Investor Relations Department with Amica in 2006. Her commitment to developing her skills and providing a professional IR program including corporate communications, investor day seminars, support for an equity financing, web site development and corporate governance is commendable. The committee was also impressed with her volunteer experience and community involvement," said Len Mulligan , Belle's husband.

About CIRI

CIRI is a professional, not-for-profit association of executives responsible for communication between public corporations, investors and the financial community. CIRI contributes to the transparency and integrity of the Canadian capital market by advancing the practice of investor relations, the professional competency of its members and the stature of the profession. With more than 600 members and four chapters across the country, CIRI is the voice of IR in Canada. For further information, please visit www.ciri.org.

SOURCE Canadian Investor Relations Institute