Stock plans are more than just grants, vesting schedules, and compliance—they are a strategic lever for attracting, motivating, and retaining talent. But who actually owns your company’s stock, and how does this impact your equity programs? This session takes stock plan professionals beyond mechanics to explore how ownership patterns, trading practices, and market dynamics influence company valuation, employee confidence, and investor perception.
Through practical examples and real-world insights, panelists will help attendees understand how institutional vs. individual holdings, off-exchange trading, and market complexity affect equity programs. 


KEY LEARNING POINTS:

  • How institutional vs. individual holdings affect stock volatility, company valuation, and equity program perception.
  • Insights into off-exchange trading, liquidity, spreads, and the real cost of equity transactions.
  • How trading dynamics, including widening spreads and higher transaction costs, impact executives’ and employees’ day-to-day experience with equity compensation.
Speaker/Author

Paul Kolano, Bank of America (US)
Sean O'Brien, Bank of America (US)
 

Event date
Wednesday, 22 Apr 2026, 12:00 - 12:50
Country
Breakout series
Location
JW Grand Salon 3
Field of Study
Specialized Knowledge
Level
I