Hear from respected industry leaders as they share their experiences and insights into working in the equity compensation field. This session will cover their personal motivations, the highs and lows of their careers, and what the next generation can expect in this evolving industry. Gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic interactions between issuers and providers, and learn valuable lessons from their professional journeys.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Discover why leading professionals chose to work in the equity compensation field and their career highlights
• Understand the challenges and rewards of the industry from experienced voices
• Learn about the evolving expectations for the next generation and the issuer-provider dynamic

In this mini-workshop, explore how to manage your energy effectively to enhance both your professional and personal life. With stock administrators facing increasing workloads and blurred work-life boundaries, learn strategies to identify energising versus depleting activities. 

Drawing on research from organisational behavior and positive psychology, and insights from Elena’s experience with McKinsey & Company’s Women in Leadership program, you’ll create an energy action plan tailored to boost your personal energy resources and improve overall well-being.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Discover how to identify and leverage energising activities both at work and home
• Learn strategies for managing energy levels to handle professional and personal challenges effectively
• Develop a personalised energy action plan to enhance your productivity and well-being

Explore Experian's groundbreaking global freeshare award initiative, which introduced share grants in countries where employees had never received them before. This session will reveal the unique challenges faced, including effective communication of plan details, ensuring employee understanding, and maximising participation rates. Discover how Experian incentivised long-term commitment with a bonus award for employees who retained their shares for three years. 

Attendees will gain insights into why employees favored shares over cash and how this aligns with Experian’s broader goals. Learn from Experian’s experience to enhance your own strategies for clear communication and driving employee engagement.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Discover the challenges and solutions for rolling out a global freeshare award initiative
• Learn how strategic incentives like bonus shares can boost employee retention and alignment with company goals
• Understand the importance of effective communication in maximising participation and employee engagement

Discover why cash-settling or using phantom awards can be a practical solution for global equity plans in this session. Our expert panel will demystify the process, covering when it’s appropriate to cash settle—such as in cases of complex administration or legal issues in regions like China, the Philippines, or Vietnam. Learn about different cash-settled structures, including how they compare to pure phantom awards, and gain insights into documentation, administration, and common pitfalls. Understand the risks involved, such as Canadian Salary Deferral Rules and securities laws impacting derivatives.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Learn when and why to use cash-settlement or phantom awards for global equity plans
• Explore different cash-settled structures and how to effectively document and administer them
• Identify potential risks and pitfalls, including regional legal issues and securities laws

Examine the impact of the current political climate in Western Europe on share plans and employee taxation with insights from our expert panel. The session will explore current trends, key tax, and legal challenges, and what to expect in the near future. Gain a broader understanding of emerging issues and how they might affect your share plans.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Understand how the political climate in Western Europe could influence share plans and employee taxation
• Identify key tax and legal challenges currently affecting and expected to impact share plans
• Gain insights into emerging issues across the continent and how they may affect your strategies

Explore how creativity and technology can transform employee communications in this inspirational session. Delve into the use of innovative digital tools—beyond traditional animation and interactive brochures—to enhance employee engagement. The panel will address practical questions such as the effectiveness of these tools, overcoming resource constraints, and actionable steps to immediately improve your digital experience. Feel inspired, energised and dazzled by the possibilities.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Discover how advanced digital tools can significantly enhance employee engagement beyond traditional methods
• Learn practical strategies from experts for implementing innovative communication techniques, even with limited resources
• Get inspired with actionable steps to evolve your digital experience for better results

Explore how recent global changes are reshaping equity plans in this insightful session. We’ll delve into the impact of the evolving economic climate, shifts in government and workplace dynamics, and the changing role of employee equity plans. Our panel of experts will provide perspectives from economists, equity issuers, advisors, and providers, highlighting trends in awards, metrics, and structures. 

Gain valuable insights and practical strategies for leveraging equity as a powerful tool for organisational success in a competitive, globalised world.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Understand how recent economic and geopolitical changes affect stock plan design and usage.
• Learn how workplace disruptions and government shifts impact employee equity plans and performance awards.
• Discover practical strategies and real-life examples to navigate equity trends and shape successful companies.

Setting up an employee share plan involves crucial decisions about sourcing shares and managing sales effectively. Join Ghal and Tom from EQ's Corporate Dealing team, Ben McCarthy from Linklaters and Rob Lyons from M&S as they share their extensive experience in this area.  They’ll cover current trends in sourcing shares, looking at new issue or market purchase, along with key considerations for an issuer and their finance team.  Discover strategies for hedging, managing large share sales and using the Employee Benefit Trust to your advantage. There will be focus on the recent changes to dilution limits in the Investment Association’s Principles of Remuneration.

KEY LEARNINGS:

• Learn strategies for sourcing shares, planning in advance for your share plan vesting whilst managing headroom and dilution limits.
• Understand how an issuer can use various approaches across their share plan grants to keep their finance team and employees happy.
• Discover effective liquidity management techniques to ensure an orderly market at vesting.