Operating share plans globally is no easy task—but there are proven ways to significantly improve their effectiveness and impact. In this session, a highly experienced panel featuring leaders from NatWest, Sage, Tapestry, and Wealth at Work will share practical insights drawn from real-world experience across industries and regions.

The discussion will explore evolving trends in plan design, effective approaches to financial education (without crossing into financial advice), and strategies for engaging a multigenerational and multicultural workforce. 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn how to deliver responsible plan communications and financial education without crossing into regulated financial advice.
• Discover innovative solutions to common communication challenges that improve how employees perceive and value their share plans.
• Explore strategies for addressing cultural and generational differences to ensure equity programs resonate across regions.

As companies expand globally, equity plans must do more than scale—they must resonate with employees across diverse markets while staying aligned with business objectives. This panel takes attendees beyond the mechanics of grants and vesting to explore how thoughtful design, regional adaptability, and market dynamics shape successful global equity programs.
Panelists will share practical strategies for launching or expanding broad-based equity, fostering a culture of ownership, and managing cost and complexity. Attendees will gain insight into balancing tax, regulatory, and cultural considerations with compliance and administrative efficiency, while also examining how market forces such as ownership norms, trading environments, and transaction costs influence employee engagement and perception of equity compensation.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn how to scale equity across regions while fostering a culture of ownership and aligning programs with strategic business goals.
• Understand how tax, regulatory, and cultural factors influence plan design and participation—and how to adapt without overcomplicating administration.
• Identify the right metrics to assess engagement, retention, and program effectiveness, ensuring global equity remains a long-term driver of value.

Over the past several years, artificial intelligence has been the subject of significant discussion across stock plan administration and the broader finance function—but much of the conversation has remained aspirational. This session moves beyond the hype to focus on how AI is actually being implemented today.
Led by Deloitte AI leader, this discussion will explore where AI agents are already delivering real value within stock plan and finance teams. Drawing on hands-on experience building and deploying AI solutions across multiple platforms, these experts will share practical insights into what is working, what is not, and what it truly takes to adopt AI successfully. Attendees will examine real-world. 

AI use cases in stock plan administration and walk through the journey of AI readiness—from data and systems to governance and change management—so they can begin taking meaningful steps now to prepare for what’s ahead.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Understand practical, real-world AI use cases already impacting stock plan administration and finance operations.
• Learn the foundational requirements for successful AI adoption, including data readiness, system integration, governance, and team capabilities.
• Identify concrete, near-term actions you can take to prepare your stock plan function for AI adoption and long-term transformation.

As companies expand globally, boards are increasingly composed of directors who reside outside the company’s home country—introducing new layers of regulatory, tax, and compliance complexity. This panel will explore the critical considerations companies must address when compensating non-resident board members, including securities regulations, taxation, withholding, reporting, and treaty relief.

Drawing on real-world case studies from jurisdictions such as Canada and the UK, panelists will share practical approaches to structuring director compensation, managing multi-jurisdictional tax obligations, and avoiding common pitfalls. Attendees will gain actionable insights to help ensure compliant, efficient, and well-governed outcomes for globally distributed boards.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• How to evaluate regulatory and securities law requirements for non-resident directors.
• How to determine residency, allocate compensation, and manage cross-border tax obligations.
• How to navigate withholding, reporting, and treaty relief to reduce risk and complexity.

The role of the equity professional is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Once viewed primarily as administrators and technical experts, today’s equity leaders are expected to serve as strategic advisors—educating executives, influencing enterprise-wide decisions, and proactively managing risk in an increasingly complex environment.

In this session, industry experts with decades of hands-on experience will share candid reflections from their professional journeys, offering rare perspective on how the role has evolved and what has remained constant. Drawing on real-world lessons learned at the highest levels, speakers will explore shifting expectations from executives and boards, how to build lasting equity literacy across the company, and what it truly takes to move from execution to influence.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Gain perspective from seasoned industry leaders on how the equity role has evolved over time and what future equity professionals must understand to remain relevant and influential
• Understand changing expectations from executives and boards, and learn practical approaches to building enterprise-wide equity literacy and trust
• Learn how to elevate your impact by leveraging data, storytelling, and proactive risk management to influence strategy and strengthen your organizational and career positioning

In today’s world of tighter budgets and rising expectations, how can issuers reduce the cost of their share plans without compromising their appeal? This session brings share plan accounting to life, showing that what may seem like a dry, technical topic is actually critical for program success.

Attendees will explore practical strategies to optimize expenses while maintaining eligibility and plan attractiveness. The session will also examine the tension between U.S. trends toward more discretion in performance conditions and the measurement challenges this can create. Participants will leave with actionable insights to make informed decisions, manage costs effectively, and maintain high-performing equity programs.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn practical approaches to reduce share plan expenses without impacting employee eligibility or program appeal.
• Understand the challenges and implications of discretionary performance metrics and their effect on measurement and compliance.
• Gain actionable insights for maintaining attractive, high-performing share plans in budget-constrained environments.