Welcome, friend and future deep-dweller!
In this episode of Deeponomics, we sit down with Johan Graaf to learn about the emergence of the field of investor relations.
Graaf, an Associate Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics, brings an interdisciplinary and ethnographic approach to the study of accounting as a social and institutional practice. His work explores how accounting shapes equity investment, the role of sell-side equity advisors, and the dynamics of rankings and performance management.
We take a deep dive into his current research on Investor Relations in a Swedish context—examining why the profession emerged, what it actually entails, and why practitioners must master a diverse mix of communication, financial understanding, and institutional awareness.
Drawing on qualitative, field-based methods, Graaf traces how IR officers navigate increasingly complex demands—from translating accounting and financial analysis into meaningful narratives, to responding to the shifting expectations of fund managers and other capital market actors.
Learn more about Johan Graaf: https://www.hhs.se/en/persons/g/graaf-johan/
This episode is produced in cooperation with the Stockholm School of Economics podcast, Numbers Talk. It is a longer and less filtered version of that conversation. —
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