As Wall Street demands deeper knowledge about corporate financials and critical metrics, the person who serves as steward of a company's relationship with analysts and investors had better be astute at understanding the organization's cash position and risk guardrails.

When the steward is the investor relations officer (IRO), his or her primary responsibility is to frame the brand and story of the company. The role has historically focused more on communication skills than on accounting capabilities or experience providing strategic input. But as the chief intermediary between the company and the investment community, the IRO needs a firm grasp of all things treasury, from cash and investment management to capital structure optimization, credit, and risk management.

In the 2011 IR Magazine article “Rethinking the Investor Relations Director,” author Ian Roundell, head of investor relations at Credit Suisse, argues that the head of a company's investor relations function should spend time understanding the financial markets, to better understand how investors view the company. Essentially, Roundell suggests, the IR director needs to develop his or her financial acumen in order to serve as the company's lead share-price strategist.