Equity compensation programs don’t operate in a vacuum—cultural context plays a critical role in how employees perceive, value, and engage with equity awards. In this interactive panel, issuers from North America, EMEA, and Asia will share firsthand experiences designing and administering equity plans across diverse cultural landscapes. Panelists will explore how regional norms influence plan design choices, communication approaches, participation rates, and employee understanding. Attendees will leave with practical insights on how to tailor equity programs to resonate locally while maintaining a cohesive global strategy.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understand how cultural norms across regions influence employee perception, participation, and overall engagement with equity compensation.
• Learn practical, region-specific approaches to communicating equity awards that improve clarity, adoption, and employee trust.
• Gain actionable best practices for designing equity plans that align with global objectives while accommodating local cultural expectations.

As companies continue to evolve their total rewards strategies, one critical lens is often underexamined: the ROI. This session introduces a fresh, practical framework for evaluating equity compensation through both a business and employee experience perspective.
 

We’ll explore how intentionally linking equity plan design to corporate objectives can drive shareholder value while simultaneously increasing employee engagement, retention, and long-term wealth creation. By combining quantitative metrics with qualitative insights, this session will demonstrate how organizations can better measure, communicate, and enhance the value participants realize from their equity awards.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn how to connect equity plan design to business objectives while ensuring meaningful value for employees.
• Understand how to assess equity compensation beyond cost and dilution by balancing financial outcomes with participant perception, engagement, and retention.
• Discover practical ways to improve participant understanding, confidence, and realized value through targeted education, communication, and plan enhancements.

Executive transactions represent one of the most complex and high-risk areas of equity plan administration. While executives make up a small portion of participants, they demand outsized attention due to heightened regulatory scrutiny, market sensitivity, and reputational risk. 
 

This session examines the evolving executive equity landscape, highlighting regulatory developments, governance challenges, and practical strategies for improving execution while reducing risk and administrative burden. Panelists will share real-world approaches to streamlining processes, leveraging technology, and delivering tailored education and support—helping equity teams meet executive expectations without overwhelming internal resources.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understand current requirements for Rule 10b5-1 plans, pre-clearance, and SEC reporting—and how to manage them efficiently.
• Learn how to navigate trading windows, tax strategies, and fragmented markets while minimizing transaction costs.
• Discover how personalized education, dedicated support, and smart technology can improve outcomes for executives and administrators alike.

Even in a world of constant communication, participants often struggle to find trusted and accessible information about their equity. This session explores how leading companies like Block, PayPal, and Procore are rethinking participant education to meet evolving employee needs. Using AI, smart design, and scalable strategies, these organizations are creating engaging, intuitive, and impactful equity education programs.

Attendees will walk away with practical ideas for designing or revamping their own programs, regardless of budget or team size, and actionable insights to improve participant understanding, engagement, and confidence.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn how leading companies are using AI, design thinking, and technology to enhance equity communication.
• Discover methods to deliver effective equity education regardless of budget, team size, or geographic reach.
• Gain actionable ideas for creating programs that increase participant comprehension, confidence, and satisfaction.

Broad-based employee ownership (BBEO) isn’t just good for employees—it drives real shareholder value. Work to Own is pioneering the Employee Ownership (EO) Index, using AI to measure and optimize BBEO across 1,500 U.S. public companies. This session explores how data-driven insights link employee ownership to firm performance and provide companies with actionable strategies to scale equity ownership effectively.

Join the experts to learn how AI overcomes data gaps, discover research-backed connections between BBEO and shareholder returns, and see how a quantitative model can help companies design equity programs that boost engagement, retention, and long-term growth.
KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn how AI and analytics create a data-driven standard for employee ownership.
• See research showing companies with higher BBEO outperform peers.
• Use the EO Index and models to design and communicate programs that benefit employees and shareholders alike.