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A FIRST-CLASS VIRTUAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Billy Billingham
BILLY BILLINGHAM MBE

Decorated Military Leader. Bodyguard. Best-Selling Author. TV Personality. Speaker.

There is not much Billy Billingham MBE QCB can't do!

With more than 20 years of military leadership, including executing strategic operations in places including Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, and Africa, Billy has experienced what it takes to be mentally tough.

As a result of his bravery, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery and MBE by Queen Elizabeth II.

Join Billy as he brings his experiences to GEO's audience to educate and enthral those seeking how to combat challenges and hardships the SAS way!

INSIGHTFUL AND INSPIRING BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Access on-demand recordings.of the event's 20 live sessions that span six subject tracks and 30 'Best of Edinburgh' highest-rated sessions from GEO's 24th Annual Conference.

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Thursday, 12 Nov 2026, 10:35 - 11:35
1.2 Global Share Plans in Practice From Multinational Issuers

Alexy Armitage, Howden Group Services Limited
TBC

Cash deferral
Choice plans
Employee stock purchase plans (ESPP)
Executive plans
Performance shares
Restricted shares
Global
BREAKOUT I

Multinational issuers face a fundamental choice when implementing employee share plans: create a consistent global offering, adapt plans to individual markets, or combine both approaches. This issuer-led discussion examines the practical implications of those choices, including cost, relevance, implementation, employee engagement, tax, securities law, exchange controls, governance, stakeholder support, and the emerging role of AI.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

  • Differentiate between global, local, and bespoke approaches to multinational share plan implementation.
  • Assess cost, compliance, implementation, and employee engagement considerations when selecting a plan approach.
  • Evaluate governance, stakeholder, and technology practices that support effective global plan delivery.
LOCATION:
Fenchurch
Thursday, 12 Nov 2026, 10:35 - 11:35
1.3 Rethinking Financial Education for Today’s Workforce

Jo Mitchell, Fidelity 
Catherine Rylah, bp
Anna Jex, RELX
 

Employee stock purchase plans (ESPP)
Performance shares
Restricted shares
Global
BREAKOUT I

Financial education needs are evolving as younger generations enter the workforce and employees navigate changing economic conditions. Drawing on US and global programs and real-world issuer examples, this session examines how organizations can tailor financial education by geography, employee demographic, and plan type while balancing targeted support with broad-based education.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

  • Identify changing financial education needs across employee demographics and regions.
  • Compare approaches to financial education for ESPPs, discretionary plans, and other equity programs.
  • Evaluate targeted and broad-based education strategies for improving employee engagement.
LOCATION:
Lombard
Thursday, 12 Nov 2026, 10:35 - 11:35
1.4 Building the Board-Level Case for Share Plans

Computershare TBC
 

Employee stock purchase plans (ESPP)
Global
BREAKOUT I

Securing board support for employee share plans requires a credible case grounded in strategy, governance, and measurable business value. This session examines how equity professionals can position share plans at board level, identify the metrics and evidence that support decision-making, and develop materials and narratives that communicate the value and return on investment of employee ownership.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

  • Identify the information and metrics boards may consider when evaluating employee share plans.
  • Explain how governance considerations can strengthen the business case for share plans.
  • Evaluate approaches for presenting share plan value and ROI to senior decision-makers.
LOCATION:
Minster Forum
Thursday, 8 Jun 2023, 15:00 - 15:50
Operational effectiveness
FRACTIONALLY BETTER EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES

SPEAKERS: Tim Oakes, Moss Adams, Fernando Herrera, Microsoft, Ali Salsberg, Amazon

Global
BREAKOUT II

While rising stock values are generally seen as positive, companies that have high stock prices and offer broad equity to their employees may face certain challenges. One such challenge arises during sell-to-cover tax withholding at vesting events, where participants are typically required to sell a whole share on the market to generate cash for tax payment, with the remaining amount being paid to the employee. However, many employees would prefer to keep the remaining value in company shares instead of receiving cash for the difference.

Hear experts from Amazon, Microsoft, and Moss Adams share their insights and describe the journey towards implementing a fractional share at vest offering. Their innovative approaches allow participants to sell only a portion of a share to cover their tax obligations at vesting, enabling employees to retain a higher ownership stake in the company. This strategic shift offers numerous advantages to employees, empowering them to benefit from increased company ownership while effectively managing their tax liabilities.

Attendees will learn:

  • The rationale for allowing Fractional Shares at vesting
  • The journey to implementing Fractional Shares at vesting
  • Lessons learned and initial perspectives on the implementation process
Thursday, 8 Jun 2023, 15:00 - 15:50
Design and strategy
KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR 'FOREIGN' PLANS IN CANADA, THE UK AND THE US

SPEAKERS: Jessica Pancamo, BDO, Andy Goodman, BDO, Andrea Bunbury, BDO, Julie Hindley, Alpha FMC

Global
BREAKOUT II

With global employee populations on the rise, so is the demand for globally compatible compensation plans. As issuing various forms of equity compensation from foreign plans to employees becomes more common, it is important to carefully review the plans prior to issuance.

When expanding a share scheme into new territories, an appendix will usually suffice to ensure the plan meets the respective domestic country's tax efficient rules, but our panel has encountered some common issues affecting employees in Canada, the UK and the US.

Attendees will learn:

  • The current taxation rules and issues which require close attention when reviewing foreign plans
  • Simple fixes and discuss the issues that may not be possible to fix in each country
  • How to navigate new UK legislation to ensure the foreign plan is compliant
Thursday, 26 Oct 2023, 14:30 - 15:20
GAME ON WITH THE GLOBAL SHARES: PUT YOUR MACRO-ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST

SPEAKERS: Chris Dohrmann, FGE,  Global Shares - a J.P. Morgan Company; Ryan Ross, Aon

Executive plans
USA
BREAKOUT II

It’s share plan chutes and ladders.

People can find financial concepts boring – that’s why you need to get them engaged and excited. Consider how you would speak to your employees about the effects of macro-economics on their stock plans? Or how to make sure that the “need-to-know” details are presented in an informative, educational and engaging way? This is a session with a difference and will focus not just on the importance of knowledge sharing to help create financial wellness for your workforce, but how you can find interesting ways to communicate and engage with employees.

Creating an engaging and reflective forum, we will get the audience involved in the discussion by beginning the session with a game, where the audience will have their own understanding of specific macro-economic concepts put to the test. One side of the room will be against the other and for each topic accurately explained by a team, they will move forward one space on the board. If the team doesn’t know an answer, they’ll move backwards, representing the setback a lack of knowledge can have on their employees.

From inflation, to volatility, ROI or AMT, and 10B5-1 plans, we’ll be covering the fundamentals to ensure the audience leaves this session better equipped to support their employees in understanding how macro-economics might impact their equity compensation. Following this, our panel will move on to look at practical solutions to educate your workforce, with a particular focus on video libraries as an interactive hub for educational resources.

Thursday, 26 Oct 2023, 14:30 - 15:20
REVOLUTIONIZING STOCK COMPENSATION: INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

SPEAKERS: Emily Cervino, FGE, Fidelity; Rado Kanev, Equity Methods, Barbara Wallace, Grove Collaborative 

Employee stock purchase plans (ESPP)
Global
BREAKOUT II

This session will cover six new ideas for your stock compensation radar. We’ll explore modernization strategies to make your stock programs more successful, less costly, more equitable, more differentiated, and better equipped for what may lay ahead.  Topic will include how you can time travel with prior day close, the outsized benefits of fractional shares for both tax withholding and ESPP, exploring different vesting levers and more!

 

CPE CREDIT HOURS: 1.5*

Field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Levels: O
Delivery method: Group live
Advanced preparation: None

CEP Continuing Education (CE) credit:1.25 credits

Please visit our Continuing Education and Event Policies pages for more information.

Thursday, 16 Nov 2023, 09:40 - 10:40
Design and strategy
2.1 TEAMVIEWER'S SHARE PLAN SUCCESS STORY

Anto Lucic, Computershare
Carolin Graue, TeamViewer

Performance shares
Restricted shares
Global
BREAKOUT II

Discover TeamViewer's groundbreaking journey as they introduced their inaugural employee share plan in December 2022. This momentous occasion underscored their unwavering commitment to their workforce, forging a sense of shared ownership and a united path towards success. It recognized the strategic significance of employees in propelling TeamViewer to unprecedented heights.

During this session, our expert panel will dissect the fundamental principles and objectives that drove their plan choices. They will shed light on how this program has transformed employees into genuine stakeholders in the company's flourishing trajectory. Notably, TeamViewer has extended Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) plans to all employees and introduced an exclusive Performance Stock Unit (PSU) plan tailored for their esteemed leadership team.

Don't miss this engaging session that delves into the decision-making process, the intricate navigation of complexities, and the triumphant implementation of this transformative initiative.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

  • Gain insights into the core principles and objectives guiding TeamViewer's pioneering employee share plan.
  • Discover how RSU plans for all employees and PSU plans for the leadership team have empowered staff to become genuine stakeholders in the company's growth.
  • Uncover the strategies and successes behind TeamViewer's remarkable journey in launching this milestone initiative.

 

CPE CREDIT HOURS: 1.0*

Field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Levels: O
Delivery method: Group live
Advanced preparation: None

CEP Continuing Education (CE) credit: 1.0 credits

Please visit our Continuing Education and Event Policies pages for more information.


 

Thursday, 16 Nov 2023, 09:40 - 10:40
Data and business intelligence
2.2 KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GLOBAL EQUITY INSIGHTS SURVEY 2023

James Robertson, Computershare
David Voggeser, hkp/// group
Andrew Thain, hkp/// group
Sandra Sussman, FGE, SAP
Sebastian Wetzel, Siemens Energy

Global
BREAKOUT II

Equity compensation is in the midst of a profound transformation. This expert panel will uncover the key highlights from the Global Equity Insights Survey 2023 (GEIS 2023) with a laser focus on three pivotal elements: Long-Term Incentives (LTIs), Share Purchase Plans (SPPs), and the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets. 

Attend to gain in-depth insights into the transformation of equity compensation and learn how to leverage these key learnings to enhance your organization's compensation strategies. Explore the latest trends, best practices, and real-world applications of these critical aspects of equity compensation.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

  • LTIs unveiled: Discover insights on eligibility and performance, providing a comprehensive understanding of how LTIs are shaping equity compensation strategies.
  • SPP dynamics: Explore the employee participation measures designed to boost engagement and effectiveness, revealing the secrets to successful SPP programs.
  • ESG integration: Understand and explore the application and importance of ESG metrics in shaping equity-based compensation plans.
     

CPE CREDIT HOURS: 1.0*

Field of study: Specialized Knowledge
Levels: O
Delivery method: Group live
Advanced preparation: None

CEP Continuing Education (CE) credit: 1.0 credits

Please visit our Continuing Education and Event Policies pages for more information.