EUROPEANCHAPTER

Successful GEO Award submissions clearly tell the story behind the achievement by defining the challenge, explaining the solution, and demonstrating measurable business impact. Judges value authentic, issuer-led innovation supported by data, clear outcomes, and lessons that can benefit the broader equity compensation community. Companies of any size can submit a winning entry by focusing on meaningful results, creativity, and compelling storytelling.

Veolia launched a global employee stock ownership plan for approximately 180,000 employees across 55 countries. The plan offers discounted shares through company savings schemes, reinforcing employee participation in the company's long-term growth and sustainability strategy

An IPO marks a major shift for executive compensation, bringing new stakeholders, stricter regulations, disclosure requirements, and trading restrictions tied to material non-public information (MNPI). To prepare, companies should establish a compensation committee, create a strong benchmarking peer group, review equity plans, define a clear compensation philosophy, and ensure compliance with evolving pay transparency and market abuse regulations. Executive education is also critical, as IPO-related equity compensation, lockups, blackout periods, and trading rules can be complex and may limit executives’ ability to access liquidity even after going public.

The Netherlands is proposing new tax incentives to support startups and scale-ups, including a favorable employee stock option regime where only 65% of benefits are taxed and tax is deferred until shares are sold. It also introduces a clearer definition of startups for tax purposes to improve access to talent and investment. To fund this, existing entrepreneur tax deductions will be reduced in 2027 and abolished by 2030.

The Squire Patton Boggs report on “Hot Employment Law Topics for 2026” highlights that a central global theme is ongoing regulatory “change,” with many jurisdictions introducing new employment laws that generally increase worker protections and expand employer obligations. Key focus areas include pay transparency and pay equity requirements, growing AI and technology regulation in the workplace, and stricter rules around compliance, data protection, and employee rights. Overall, the report emphasises that employers should expect higher legal, financial, and compliance risks in 2026 and will need to proactively adapt policies and workforce practices to keep up.