Stephen Popowski is a Director in Aon’s equity valuation practice. In his current role, Stephen consults directly with management and Compensation Committees on issues related to share-based compensation programs. He frequently produces financial reporting information for a broad range of equity-based compensation instruments, especially employee stock options, stock appreciation rights, and performance units/shares. Stephen frequently performs valuations under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (“Topic 718”) as well as under International Financial Reporting Standard 2 (“IFRS 2”) using Monte Carlo simulation.

Stephen previously served as the interim Head of European Equity Services, where he led Aon’s equity valuation practice in the UK and European markets. Prior to that he was the Associate Practice Leader for Aon’s CEO Pay Ratio market offering, where he advised over 100 US-based clients on compliance, modeling, statistical sampling, and communications relating to CEO Pay Ratio.

Stephen is a member of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (“NASPP”) and served as the Treasurer of the Wisconsin NASPP Chapter from 2019 to 2022. Additionally, Stephen publishes thought leadership around a variety of topics and is a frequent speaker at regional, national, and international conferences on Topic 718, IFRS 2, and CEO Pay Ratio. Stephen received his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and received his master’s degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. Stephen is a Certified Equity Professional (CEP), Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP), and is an FSA Credential Holder through the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (Value Reporting Foundation).

Narendra Acharya focuses his practice on matters relating to US and international employee benefits and executive compensation — including global stock plans and pensions, as well as matters pertaining to pensions, executive compensation and employment issues in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Acharya has particular expertise dealing with cross-border compensation issues, including issues raised in corporate reorganizations and inversion transactions. Mr. Acharya has been selected as a BTI Client Service All Star, which recognizes "innovative attorneys who are leveraging market changes to stand out with corporate counsel and deliver superior client service."

Mr. Acharya assists US and non-US companies – both publicly traded and private – in the design and implementation of employee stock plans. He has extensive experience advising clients on income tax, social security, payroll withholding and reporting, local corporate tax deduction, employment law, securities and other regulatory issues applicable to equity awards in numerous jurisdictions. Mr. Acharya advises companies on the application of deferred compensation rules under Code Sections 409A and 457A and the impact of recently enacted FATCA requirements on compensation plans and participants, as well as a broad range of tax and compensation issues related to international mobile employees.

Eaton is a seasoned professional serving as the Director of Executive Compensation & Equity at Seagate. With more than ten years of dedicated experience in executive compensation and equity administration, Eaton has honed her expertise in this specialized field. She is recognized for her proficiency in data analytics, a skill she leverages to propel HR practices into the realm of data-driven decision-making.

Eaton holds a Master’s degree in Data Analytics, augmenting her educational background with an MBA and a CPA license. Her academic achievements reflect her commitment to staying abreast of industry trends and equipping herself with the necessary tools to excel in her role.

Sinead Kelly is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Compensation practice. Sinead focuses her practice on executive compensation and global equity, advising on the design, administration, governance and implementation of executive and director compensation arrangements, including equity and incentive plans, deferred compensation plans, severance and employment agreements, change in control plans, bonus plans, and director compensation programs. Sinead also frequently speaks and publishes on compensation-related topics and is a contributing author to Lexis Practice Advisor and Wolters Kluwer's "Practical Guide to SEC Proxy and Compensation Rules," and a founder of the Firm's Compensation Connection blog. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Certified Equity Professionals Institute (CEPI) of Santa Clara University and serves on the Firm's International Benefits Committee. Sinead has been recognized by Chambers USA for Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, where clients have described her as "extremely intelligent, responsive and solution-oriented." She is a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer for 2024 and is ranked by Legal 500 as a "Leading Lawyer" for Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and Retirement Plan Design.

Megan Hunt is the Director of Equity Administration at Samsara, where she oversees the company’s expanding equity programs. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Megan brings a broad range of expertise to her role. Before joining Samsara, she worked for both vendors, such as Charles Schwab, and issuers like Nordstrom, Inc., gaining valuable perspectives. Her background includes advising on equity administration best practices, developing processing solutions, and designing programs that adapt to the evolving demands of the equity landscape.

Paul J. Arens is a seasoned C-level executive based in Palo Alto, California, with extensive leadership experience across startup and established enterprises in both Europe and North America. With expertise in strategic planning, business development, and mergers and acquisitions, he has led organizations to significant growth. Arens has held leadership roles at Astrella, Computershare, and Monidee Group, among others. He holds master’s degrees in Business Management from Nijenrode Business University and Business Economics from Erasmus University. Fluent in English, Dutch, German, and French, Arens is also a fellow of the Global Equity Organization.

Nancy Kobs is the Sr. Director of Global Equity Programs at Palo Alto Networks, Inc. (“PANW”), where she oversees the global enablement, administration, taxation, and compliance of PANW’s equity programs, as well as the associated policies and programs, which include a complex deferred compensation plan. 

Nancy has been in the global equity field for nearly 16 years, including 6 years at Cisco Systems, Inc. and almost 7 years at Twitter, Inc. (RIP). Nancy’s expertise is in tackling challenges and coming up with innovative solutions to effectively grow and scale equity programs, while ensuring compliance.

Prior to working in the equity field, Nancy worked as a paralegal and project manager for multinational companies’ global expansion and M&A integration projects where she worked with a global network of attorneys and paralegals to structure and maintain subsidiaries and offices around the world. This work and Nancy’s expertise in building and reconfiguring compliant functions led her to join the global equity field at Cisco Systems.

Nancy is originally from Chile, where she earned her degree in Business Administration from the University of Santiago. She immigrated to the U.S. following the completion of her university studies, to follow the footsteps of her father who was a professor of math at UC Berkeley.