What does the hospitality industry—restaurants, hotels, and other service-led brands—have in common with your ESPP? One shared challenge: creating demand in a crowded, high-choice environment.

In this focus session, these experts will draw on their unique experience across both equity compensation and hospitality to share five proven, people-driven lessons that can be directly applied to ESPP design and communication. Borrowing from the hospitality playbook, this session focuses on how perceived value, accessibility, messaging, and social influence shape participation decisions.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Apply hospitality-inspired thinking to ESPP design, including how employees perceive discounts, matches, and overall value.
• Learn how hospitality reduces friction and stays top of mind—and how those tactics translate to cash vs. cashless ESPPs and ongoing communication.
• Leverage messaging, exclusivity, and peer influence to boost awareness, enrollment, and sustained ESPP participation.
   

Join this session to learn how Allianz, EY, and Equatex have partnered since 2018 to design and scale a truly global ESPP—driving employee ownership at Allianz from 9% to an impressive 79%, representing more than €1.5 billion in assets under management.

This session will explore how Allianz evolved from simply offering an ESPP to cultivating a holistic, enterprise-wide culture of employee share ownership. By combining thoughtful plan design, tax-efficient strategies, and a strong focus on employee experience, Allianz has successfully engaged its global workforce across 48 countries.

This is a practical, end-to-end case study on the power of partnership, innovation, and execution in building sustainable global employee ownership.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Learn how Allianz transformed its ESPP into a holistic employee shareholder program spanning 48 countries and dramatically increased participation across its workforce.
• Gain insights from EY on managing diverse tax and legal frameworks while maintaining global consistency, compliance, and tax efficiency.
• Discover how Equatex optimized the employee journey and centralized communications to boost engagement and participation worldwide.

Designing equity programs across multiple regions can be challenging, particularly when balancing U.S. and European practices. This session explores the similarities, differences, and nuances of equity plan design on both sides of the Atlantic. Participants will gain insights into how cultural, regulatory, and market factors shape plan structures, participant communications, and overall program effectiveness. 

Through practical examples and lessons learned from multinational companies, attendees will leave with strategies to harmonize their equity programs while addressing local requirements and maintaining global consistency.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Compare key design features, regulatory considerations, and cultural influences between U.S. and European equity plans.
• Learn strategies for harmonizing plan structures and participant experiences across regions while respecting local rules and expectations.
• Gain actionable tips for managing cross-border tax, compliance, and administrative complexities, ensuring smooth program execution worldwide.

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.

The world of equity compensation is evolving rapidly—and some of the most meaningful innovation comes not from new tools or plan designs, but from shared experience and open dialogue. This interactive roundtable brings together industry peers to exchange ideas, compare approaches, and discuss what’s next for equity compensation.

Through candid conversation, participants will explore emerging trends in plan design, communication, and administration, while tackling the real-world challenges stock plan professionals face today. From simplifying complexity to increasing employee engagement, this session is designed to surface practical solutions and fresh perspectives drawn directly from those in the trenches.

KEY LEARNING POINTS:

• Gain insight into the latest developments in equity plan design, communication, and administration.
• Learn strategies to address operational, compliance, and engagement challenges faced by stock plan professionals.
• Exchange real-world experiences and creative approaches with fellow equity compensation practitioners to inspire new solutions.

Major corporate actions—such as creating new legal entities, reorganizations, rapid scaling, and global expansion—can dramatically reshape companies and create unique challenges for equity operations. From maintaining data accuracy to ensuring effective communication and governance, equity teams must navigate complex transitions while keeping programs resilient and effective.
In this session, cross-industry experts share proven strategies and practical lessons for managing equity during periods of structural change. Attendees will gain actionable insights to adapt equity plans, onboard employees, maintain operational excellence, and ensure governance remains strong—even in fast-moving environments.
 

KEY LEARNING POINTS:
 

• Learn strategies to adjust plan structures for new entities, reorganizations, and global expansion.
• Explore best practices for onboarding employees, keeping data accurate, and managing day-to-day administration amid organizational transitions.
• Discover techniques for clear employee and stakeholder communication, while upholding governance standards during periods of transformation.

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.

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.

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.

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.