Receiving an executive equity grant can be thrilling—a promise of future wealth with the potential to transform careers. But what happens between the initial grant and the final payout? This session explores the realities versus expectations for employees, executives, and directors, unpacking the complexities of communication, regulation, and strategic planning throughout the executive equity lifecycle.

Participants will gain a comprehensive view of how effective communication aligns expectations, while regulatory frameworks shape the journey from grant to vesting. The session will also examine broader considerations, including tax optimization, succession planning, estate management, and trust creation. 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understand the full journey from grant to vesting, including common challenges and regulatory considerations.
• Learn strategies to clearly communicate equity value and align expectations for executives, directors, and employees.
• Gain insights into tax optimization, succession planning, estate management, and trust strategies to enhance wealth outcomes.

GEO’s Global Share Plans Ranking Study is the first of its kind, offering a country-level snapshot of the appetite, support, and provision of employee share ownership - and now includes insights from even more countries!
With insights from senior equity compensation issuers and service providers across a growing number of countries, this expanded report paints the bigger picture of employee equity worldwide. This session will dive into key report highlights, uncovering the countries leading the charge in employee equity adoption as well as those with untapped potential.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Explore key findings, including emerging trends and barriers to implementing share plans,
• Learn how to leverage the report to strategically extend plans into new countries or boost participation in your current regions
• Discover actionable insights to enhance your global equity strategies

Tax-qualified equity plans can feel daunting to implement and manage across different countries—but when used strategically, they can offer meaningful advantages for both employers and employees. In this session, local experts from France, Israel, and the UK will share practical insights into the benefits, challenges, and success factors of tax-advantaged equity plans in their respective regions.
 

Recognizing that tax-qualified plans aren’t always the right fit, the discussion will also explore alternative approaches to encouraging employee equity participation when these plans are not viable. Attendees will gain a balanced, real-world perspective on how to evaluate options, manage complexity, and design equity programs that align with local regulations and workforce needs.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn the key benefits, structures, and compliance considerations for tax-advantaged equity plans in France, Israel, and the UK.
• Identify scenarios where tax-qualified plans may not be appropriate and explore alternative strategies to promote employee equity participation.
• Gain practical strategies for navigating tax and legal risks, working across cultures and time zones, and ensuring compliance in European and global equity programs.

From China to Chile, the U.S. to the UK—and everywhere in between—this session takes a practical look at the legal, regulatory, and tax updates shaping global equity incentive plans. 
Designed for professionals balancing compliance, cost, and complexity, this session cuts through the noise with candid discussion, practical guidance, and hard-earned lessons on managing global incentive plans without losing your sanity—or your budget. Whether you’re a seasoned global equity leader or just expanding internationally, you’ll walk away with actionable insights you can apply immediately.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understand the latest regulatory and tax developments impacting equity compensation across key global markets.
• Learn strategies to control compliance costs while minimizing legal, tax, and operational risk.
• Gain real-world tips from issuers and advisors on keeping plans compliant, scalable, and efficient across multiple jurisdictions.

Global equity programs bring complex reporting obligations that touch multiple stakeholders throughout the plan lifecycle—from implementation to plan termination or conversion in an M&A context. This session brings together legal experts, corporate issuers, and a financial institution representative to unpack these requirements, offering insight into how companies manage reporting duties across jurisdictions while maintaining compliance and governance standards.
 

Panelists will share practical approaches for handling regulatory and market transparency obligations, addressing evolving requirements, and mitigating risks tied to non-compliance. Attendees will gain actionable guidance on establishing oversight, managing cross-border reporting, and ensuring alignment with both global and local obligations, including indirectly related regulations like the EU Pay Transparency Directive.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understanding the full scope of reporting obligations tied to global equity programs.
• Best practices for managing compliance effectively across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strategies for maintaining oversight and mitigating risks of reporting failures.

Equity programs only create value when employees truly understand them. Yet for many—particularly those with limited financial experience—equity benefits feel complex, confusing, or out of reach. This panel brings together seasoned equity and communication leaders to share how companies are simplifying equity education and making participation more accessible across all employee populations.
 

Experts will focus on practical communication strategies that cut through confusion, correct common misconceptions, and drive engagement—from ESPP enrollment decisions to understanding the value of RSUs. Through real-world examples, the panel will highlight how interactive videos, digital content, and intuitive modeling tools can build equity literacy and confidence across a global workforce.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• How to communicate equity concepts clearly without losing accuracy or credibility.
• Which tools and formats most effectively increase employee understanding and participation.
• How to address common misconceptions that prevent employees from engaging with equity.

Transitioning to a public company is a defining moment—particularly when equity programs must scale quickly across multiple countries. For newly public organizations, the real challenge begins after the bell rings: building equity plans that meet heightened governance expectations while supporting a growing, global workforce.
 

Drawing on lessons learned from recent IPOs, this session explores critical post-IPO considerations including Day 1 trading readiness for officers and executive leadership roles (ELRs), scalable equity operations, and the realities of managing cross-border tax, compliance, and award administration. Through real-world examples, speakers will share how companies have balanced control and flexibility—creating equity programs that are resilient, compliant, and built for international growth.
 

KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Understand post-IPO equity requirements, including trading readiness for officers and executives.
• Learn how to build equity processes that adapt to regional expansion, operational growth, and evolving governance needs.
• Gain practical strategies for handling tax withholding, award modifications, and local compliance across jurisdictions.

As global equity programs continue to evolve amid regulatory change, workforce mobility, and rapid advances in technology, staying ahead of what’s coming next has never been more critical. This forward-looking session provides a global snapshot of where equity compensation stands in 2026—and what companies should be preparing for now.
 

These global industry experts from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Israel, and the US, will explore key regulatory developments across major regions, shifting talent mobility and retention dynamics, and the growing influence of technology and AI on equity administration. Designed to help global equity leaders navigate uncertainty with confidence, this session will combine strategic insights with practical considerations to support informed decision-making in an increasingly complex environment.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Identify key regulatory trends and emerging risks across major global markets and how they may impact equity plan design and administration.
• Explore how changing workforce patterns—including cross-border mobility and remote work—are reshaping global equity strategies.
• Learn how technology and AI are transforming equity operations, from compliance and reporting to data management and decision support.
   

Visa operates in more than 250 countries and territories and supports employees in over 100 countries with equity compensation—truly a global footprint. This panel will take you behind the scenes of Visa’s expansive stock plan programs to explore what it takes to design, implement, and scale equity programs across diverse regions.
 

Join experts from Deloitte and Visa for an in-depth discussion on lessons learned from managing one of the world’s most progressive and far-reaching equity programs. The panel will cover the end-to-end journey of global ESPP expansion, including evaluating feasibility in different countries, designing policies for scale, navigating complex legal and tax considerations, balancing stakeholder priorities, and effectively communicating and engaging employees worldwide.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understand how to evaluate program viability, create scalable policies, and align plans with local and global requirements.
• Learn strategies for balancing priorities across legal, tax, HR, and executive stakeholders while navigating diverse regulatory environments.
• Gain actionable approaches to communicating and engaging employees across regions to maximize participation and program effectiveness.