Where Expertise Meets Community

Brooke has 25 years of experience in the equity compensation industry with extensive knowledge of plan design, administration and taxation for equity plans. Brooke has been a Client Service Manager at Charles Schwab since 2021. Prior to joining Schwab, she held positions as a Sr Client Service Manager at Certent, and prior to obtaining that role, she was an Implementation Manager at Certent for 10 years. She also held various roles at Transcentive/Computershare in Support, Sales and Relationship Management. Brooke earned her CEP designation in 2019 and has been a speaker at several industry events such as the Annual NASPP Conference, The NASPP NE Summit, CEPI Symposium and local NASPP Chapter Meetings.

Jen Francis is a Director within Aon’s Executive and Board Advisory practice, specializing in employee education, video creation and print communications in the stock plan and total rewards space. Jen started in the industry in 2000 working with software service providers and the NASPP. During her career she has worked in several areas including: consulting, training, product strategy and product management. Jen earned her CEP designation in November 2005 and is a volunteer for the Certified Equity Professional Institute (CEPI), serving on the certification council for CEP Institute, and serves as the Treasurer for the CT NASPP Chapter.

Rees Franklin is an Equity Operations Manager with over 20 years of global equity program experience overseeing corporate stock programs across diverse industries. They specialize in the end-to-end administration of equity plans, including stock options, RSUs, and ESPPs, ensuring seamless execution and compliance in both public and private companies. With a strong background in global mobility, tax reporting, and stakeholder engagement, bringing a wealth of operational expertise and a strategic lens to managing equity programs at scale.

Charles Russo is a regional manager for Computershare’s Plan Management business, overseeing a team of relationship managers responsible for a portfolio of corporate clients across a wide range of industries. Since joining Computershare in 2008, Charles has leveraged his experience in the employee compensation business to ensure high levels of quality and satisfaction for all of his clients. Prior to joining Computershare, Charles was with UBS, Bankers Trust and JP Morgan. During his thirty-plus years of financial services experience, he has held positions in relationship management, product management and operations, across various disciplines. Charles earned his B.S. and MBA in Finance from Fordham University.

Barbara Baksa serves as Executive Director for the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) and is a respected leader in the field of equity compensation. She frequently speaks on stock compensation related topics, is the author of the book “Accounting for Equity Compensation,” published by the NCEO and a required text for the CEP exam, as well as numerous other articles and white papers. Barbara is a CEP, a member of the Advisory Board of the CEP Institute, and an Executive Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations.

Greg has 30 years of experience providing human resources and executive compensation consulting services to senior management and Boards across a broad range of industries, in both private equity and corporate transactions (IPOs and M&A) and non-transactional situations. He also has corporate in-house experience leading the compensation function for two publicly-traded alternative asset management firms, including leading the compensation team through an IPO and as a member of the global communications team.

Greg combines his experiences in consulting and corporate human resources to provide strategic, practical, and implementable solutions. He works with companies across industry to evaluate, design, and implement compensation programs that align the organization’s business strategy with the management team that is tasked with executing the strategy.

His recent projects have emphasized his experience in IPOs, helping HR teams to drive value and manage enterprise risk through IPO workforce planning and costing, executive and equity plan design, stock plan administration implementation, and employee communications.

John Hammond is an Associate Partner with Aon Equity Services leading the Communications Practice which focuses primarily on video and print material creation and employee education in the equity and broader compensation space. John has been in the equity plan space for 25 years and joined Aon in 2017. Prior to joining the equity plan industry, John was a financial planner and advisor for 10 years.

John has been a speaker at a variety of meetings and conferences on a wide range of issues surrounding equity compensation, communication, administration, and reporting requirements. John has been an active member of NASPP since 1999. John has also been a member of GEO since shortly after its formation in 1999, attending its first international conference in 2000 and having been a speaker at international events on 3 continents.

John has served in a variety of industry leadership roles including NASPP officer roles and president of both the Philadelphia and Carolina chapters. John served as a member of the NASPP Executive Advisory Committee for 6 years and received a NASPP 10-year service award in 2017 and an Individual Achievement Award in 2018. Additionally, John earned his Certified Equity Professional (CEP) designation in 2000 and served on the CEP Advisory Board from 2010 – 2017 and chaired the board from 2013 – 2014. John became a Fellow of Global Equity in 2020, recognized for his high level of experience, significant industry knowledge and ability, and for his positive impact on the global share ownership community.

Dave is an Equity Plan Specialist in the Workplace Benefits group at Bank of America. In order to assist companies in finding the appropriate solutions for their corporate stock plans, Dave leverages over 35 years of experience in sales, relationship management, plan administration services and consulting for equity compensation and retirement plans.

Dave holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in Finance from Rutgers University, and in 2003, he earned the Certified Equity Professional (CEP) designation. In addition, he holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations. Dave voluntarily served on the Technical Oversight Board for multiple GPS: Guidance | Procedures | Systems research projects conducted by the Certified Equity Professional Institute (CEPI) on topics including Global Stock Plans, Performance Awards, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and Participant Education and Communication. He also is a member of the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals (NASPP) New York/New Jersey chapter board.

Dave resides in New Jersey with his wife and his two sons, and when he is not working, Dave enjoys coaching youth sports, teaching both typical and special needs individuals.