ARTICLE
23 September 2024
EMPOWER ACQUIRES OPTIONTRAX TO DELIVER INTEGRATED EQUITY COMPENSATION SOLUTIONS
External News

Empower

Trending now
All plan types
USA

Empower has acquired Plan Management Corporation (PMC), the creator of OptionTrax®, a leading digital equity plan administration platform, to expand its retirement and wealth management services. The acquisition will integrate OptionTrax's equity compensation platform with Empower’s financial tools, offering enhanced equity compensation services to both public and private companies. Empower aims to meet growing market demand for equity compensation management, helping employers provide valuable equity benefits to their employees, while OptionTrax will continue operating under the brand "OptionTrax by Empower."

ARTICLE
23 April 2024
WORKER SHARE OWNERSHIP SCHEMES IMPORTANT TO ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
External News

South African Government News Agency

Design and strategy
All plan types
South Africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of worker share ownership schemes for economic transformation, stating that giving workers a stake in corporate decision-making fosters innovation, morale, and builds a resilient economy. Speaking at the inaugural Worker Share Ownership Conference, he highlighted that Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) can deepen workers' understanding of business challenges and opportunities, promoting growth, investment, and job creation. He also stressed that these initiatives not only advance social justice but make sound business sense, helping to equitably distribute the benefits of economic progress across society.

 

ARTICLE
11 September 2024
AXA LAUNCHES ITS 2024 EMPLOYEE SHARE OFFERING (SHAREPLAN 2024)
External News

AXA

Trending now
All plan types
European Union

AXA has launched its 2024 annual employee share offering, known as Shareplan 2024, across 40 countries for over 110,000 employees. Employees will have the option to participate in either a Classic offer or a Guarantee Plus offer, with shares offered at a discount to the reference price. The share subscription period will take place from November 4 to November 8, 2024, and the capital increase is expected to occur on December 5, 2024, with the new shares being listed on Euronext Paris.

ARTICLE
3 September 2024
ELIS ANNOUNCES A 2024 “ELIS FOR ALL” EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN
External News

Yahoo Finance

Design and strategy
All plan types
France

Elis has launched the "Elis for All" 2024 employee share ownership plan, offering its employees the chance to invest in company shares with a 30% discount and a matching contribution of one share for every 10 subscribed. The plan applies to employees in France and various international subsidiaries, with a minimum three-month seniority requirement. Participants must hold their shares for three to five years, depending on their location, and the offering is part of a broader effort to strengthen employee engagement and ownership within the Elis Group.

ARTICLE
12 September 2024
EMPLOYEE SHARE SCHEME SHAKE-UP FOR STARTUPS
External News

Inside Government 

Private and pre-IPO companies
All plan types
New Zealand

New Zealand's tax exempt thresholds for employee share schemes are set to increase under the proposed Taxation Bill, aimed at adjusting for inflation and boosting support for startups, particularly in the tech sector. The changes would raise the maximum value of shares offered to employees from $5,000 to $7,500 annually, and the employer's maximum discount from $2,000 to $3,000. These adjustments are intended to help early-stage companies recruit and retain talent, aligning employee incentives with company growth and contributing to broader economic recovery.

ARTICLE
11 September 2024
CAPGEMINI LAUNCHES ITS ELEVENTH EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN
External News

Capgemini

Design and strategy
All plan types
France

Capgemini has launched its eleventh Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP), offering approximately 97% of its employees the opportunity to subscribe to up to 2,700,000 new shares, maintaining employee shareholding at around 8% of the company’s capital. The subscription period runs from September 12 to October 1, 2024, followed by a subscription/revocation period in November, with shares offered through leveraged and guaranteed formulas to protect employees from potential losses. To neutralize the dilutive effect of the capital increase, Capgemini's Board has authorized a share buyback within the next 12 months.

ARTICLE
10 September 2024
MICHELIN LAUNCHES A NEW GLOBAL EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN: BIB'ACTION 2024
External News

Yahoo Finance 

Design and strategy
All plan types
France

Michelin has launched a new global employee share ownership plan, "BIB'Action 2024," offering 127,000 employees in 44 countries the opportunity to buy shares at a 20% discount with additional free shares depending on the number purchased. The plan, which aims to increase employee ownership within the company, allows participants to vote at the 2025 Shareholders Meeting and receive dividends, with a five-year lock-up period on the shares. The subscription period runs from September 11 to 26, 2024, and the shares will be delivered by October 29, 2024.

ARTICLE
9 September 2024
AIRBUS COMMENCES LIMITED SHARE BUYBACK TO SUPPORT FUTURE EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN ACTIVITIES AND EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION
External News

Airbus

Design and strategy
All plan types
European Union

Airbus has initiated a share buyback program to support its future employee share ownership and equity-based compensation plans, aiming to repurchase up to 4,254,000 shares by 31 March 2025. The first tranche, involving up to 2,127,000 shares, will run from 9 September to 31 October 2024, managed independently by an investment firm. The program is designed to avoid dilution of existing shareholders and is in compliance with EU market regulations.

ARTICLE
25 July 2024
A SLICE OF THE PIE: HOW CFOS CAN SET UP EMPLOYEE-SHARE SCHEMES THAT WORK
External News

Raconteur

Design and strategy
All plan types
UK and Channel Islands

Employee-share schemes are an effective tool for attracting talent, boosting productivity, and improving employee retention, with 81% of UK companies reporting positive impacts. However, they come with risks, particularly around tax complexities and misalignment with company goals, requiring careful design, implementation, and communication. Additionally, the broader challenges of inequality, such as gender disparities and the financial accessibility of these schemes, need to be addressed to maximize employee participation and impact.

 

 

VIRTUAL CHAPTER EVENT
9 October 2024, 4 - 5pm BST
UK CHAPTER MEETING
UK CHAPTER MEETING

Manchester

All plan types
UK and Channel Islands

Join industry experts to gain insights into current trends and best practices for communicating with share plan participants, we will also answer your burning questions on the latest news in our industry with our hot topics roundtable! Whether you are a seasoned share plan professional, or someone newer to the industry, we have you covered - come meet, learn and network with everyone.

LOCATION
This is a virtual meeting.  Details will be sent after registration.

Both GEO Member and non-members can attend at no cost, but registration is required.