Concurrent Sessions - Block 9
Friday, 16 April
2:45 - 3:45 pm

Session 9.1
Credit Suisse: a Case Study

Credit Suisse is a global financial services company with over 46,000 employee in over 100 different countries. This case study will cover the creation and implementation of innovative senior management compensation plans designed to meet the needs of an increasingly complex and challenging financial environment. We will review the main drivers behind the design features and also discuss the implementation and administration of the plans.

Marcelo Victoria, Director, Credit Suisse (CH)
Philip Halliday, Global Head of Executive Compensation, Credit Suisse (US)

Session 9.2
Affordable Global Equity Compliance: How to Manage Your Company's Risk on a Tight Budget

With many companies still operating under a tight budget, the sky-rocketing cost to comply with tax and regulatory requirements for globally offered share-based pay programs can present an opportunity to generate savings by bringing in some tasks in-house. This panel of global equity compliance experts, including advisors and in-house stock plan professionals, will present a framework for how a multinational plan sponsor can achieve global equity plan compliance on a tight budget. Drawing from real life experiences, speakers will identify the compliance tasks that the plan sponsor can successfully complete internally, and introduce you to free and economical resources you can use to gain the basic and advanced international stock plan compliance know-how to work efficiently with internal and external stakeholders involved in the global equity compliance process. Speakers will also discuss how to recognize situations that warrant professional help from external tax and legal advisors, and the techniques for minimizing the tax/legal fees when working with outside advisors.

Mike Pewton, Managing Director, GlobalSharePlans.com (ES)
Kelly Geerts, Sr. Program Manager, Global Payroll Programs & Strategy, Apple Inc (US)
Peter Vassallo, Reward Director - Equity Plans, BP plc (UK)
Jewon Wee, Managing Director, ISP Advisors, LLC (US)

Session 9.3
Presto! Managing LTIPs in Italy

Managing global LTIPs plans is always a challenge, and in particular in a fast-changing environment like the Italian one where in addition to the common nightmares for HR people such as employees' multiple mobilities, withholding issues, IFRS standards... there is in addition a very specific regulatory framework. This session will adress some key points of managing such plans in Italy, followed by comments on the practical and operational issues raised by the current Italian law to foreign issuers thinking of rolling out a share compensation plan in Italy.

During the case study which will be presented by US based GILEAD, we will focus on the Italian regulations related to the duties, obligations and limits of offering and managing LTIPs to and for Italian employees and provide practical tips and solutions to other issuers thinking of deploying LTIPs plans in the Italy.

During this presentation, the speakers will provide their perspective on:
1. Legal framework and documentation for placement of LTIPs: key elements
2. The role of Italian Financial Intermediary through its own “financial advisors”
3. Enrolment procedures for ESPP and other incentive plans: possible solutions
4. Management of Italian lock-up periods and related tax treatment: how to minimise burdensome local requirements

Sandra Sussman, Director Stock Administration - Gilead Sciences (US)
Olivia Cattaneo, Head of Client Solutions - BNP Paribas Securities Services (Italy)
Stefano Bondioli, Sales & Relationship Manager - BNP Paribas Securities Services (Italy)

Session 9.4
Building and Managing a Global Employee Stock Purchase Program

This session will review the creation of employee stock purchase plans across multiple jurisdictions, and address issues including plan philosophy, internal versus market fairness, dealing with local tax/securities issues, and dealing with the downturn. Panelists will review real life design and implementation issues faced by companies as they develop and launch Employee Stock Purchase Plans including internal design issues, shareholder approval, communication and administrative issues.

Brett Harsen, Vice President, Radford (US)
Heather Robinson, Compensation Manager, Fairchild Semiconductor (US)

Session 9.5
Carried Interest Structures: Developments and Taxation from an International Perspective

As a result of the current economic crisis and the negative publicity internationally related to carried interest structures,legislators and tax authorities are showing an increased interest in the often complicated individually designed equity based compensation schemes. New tax measures are introduced and performance criteria become mandatory. During this session, we will discuss the impact of new tax rules and regulations on existing carried interest structures and other individually designed equity based compensation schemes. In addition we will discuss current market trends how we see the future of these types of compensation.

Richard Sirus, Attorney, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (US)
Patrick Rietbroek, Attorney at Law and Tax Advisor, Greenberg Traurig, LLP (NL)