Discover Big Ideas and New Horizons

Location: Topaz Foyer

Location: Topaz 3

What's happening with long term incentive design? A changing macroeconomic climate is making stock plan design and usage tricky to navigate. The role of relative performance awards, the evolving use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics in the annual and/or long-term plan, and the challenges in performance goal-setting are a few of the top questions on the table. This session looks at recent trends in award vehicles, metrics, structures, and more, then unpacks the implications for the future.

Speakers

• Emily Cervino, Fidelity

• Nate O'Connor, Equity Methods

• Sebastian Skalany, TechnipFMC

Location: Topaz 3

In today's fast-paced regulatory environment, staying on top of disclosure rules related to executive compensation and performance metrics is crucial for businesses. Our session will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the latest updates and requirements for Pay vs. Performance disclosure rules, including the SEC's interpretations issued after companies had completed their first disclosure. We will explore how these regulations impact corporate governance and the overall transparency of compensation practices. We'll also look at the most prevalent company selected metrics, and shareholder and other stakeholders’ reaction to the disclosures. This session will share invaluable insights into ensuring compliance and effectively communicating the alignment of pay with performance. Don't miss the opportunity to hear our experts' take on lessons learned, what this means for your company, and how to streamline compliance with these regulations going forward, based on the latest interpretations of the disclosure rules.

Speakers

• Natalie Devine, Infinite Equity

• Ryan Ross, Infinite Equity

Location: Topaz 2

This session will cover the crucial role global employee share plans can play in improving employee engagement, boosting revenues, and enhancing profitability. Attendees will gain insights into effective strategies for employee equity compensation programs, cross-border communications, and future modifications, as companies seek to efficiently navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by global expansion.

Speaker

• Patrick Grimes, Deloitte

• Simon Thomas, Computershare

Location: Topaz 3

Location: Topaz Foyer

Hitting employees with the right amount of information at the right moment makes your equity plans more effective, which leads to better employee engagement. This interactive session will walk through the lifecycle of an RSU, a stock option, and an ESPP offering period. What are the points where a little communication goes a long way? When are employees most open to hearing about their equity? Attendees will get a guide to rolling out a successful communications plan. You’ll leave with tools to create a communications calendar that helps your participants get the most out of your own plans.

Speaker

• Pam Chernoff, Aon

• Jennifer Shepherd Cashio, Flex

• Michael Mauro, insightsoftware

Location: Topaz 3

RSUs are the most common equity vehicle and drive a significant number of questions in industry discussion forums, conference watercooler conversations and benchmarking requests. Join these industry mavens for a jam-packed session addressing the top questions received about RSUs. We’ll address how companies manage retirement provisions for RSUs, if there is a better way to define FMV for tax purposes, the pros and cons of share withholding vs. sell-to-cover, whether companies should allow employees to request additional tax withholding, and whether RSUs are really creating long term employee owners.

Speakers

• Barbara Baksa, NASPP

• Emily Cervino, Fidelity

Location: Topaz 3

This presentation will discuss compensation considerations around mergers and acquisitions and what every company needs to think about each year even if a deal is not on the table. In particular, we will discuss the nuances of equity compensation in the M&A context from both an acquirer and target perspective, including the tax and accounting ramifications. Additionally, we will discuss how consolidation in a particular industry (like we have seen recently in the energy and technology sectors) can impact a company's approach to compensation. We will supplement technical discussion with real-world case studies and examples of practical application from these sectors. Finally, the session will also highlight recent market data around CIC benefits from 100 companies within the S&P 1500 (25 each from the small, mid, large and mega cap across all industries).

Speakers

• J.D. Ivy, Alvarez & Marsal

• Ryan Wells, Alvarez & Marsal

Location: Topaz 2

In this session, we will discuss how stock compensation is coming under focus from multiple angles in the industry. In response to investors, analysts and governance, companies are asked to perform more detailed reporting with high emphasis on analytics. Both FASB and SEC have been developing new rules requiring additional disclosure and reporting with a goal to provide users with more granular information. We’ll unpack numerous reasons why more expanded disclosure and scrutiny of stock compensation is in focus. Then, we’ll pivot and look at how leading companies are becoming more agile in how they analyze and report stock compensation both internally and externally. At the end, we’ll walk through regulatory changes, macroeconomic circumstances, trends in compensation strategy, and more. We’ll discuss:

• Recent and upcoming SEC and FASB rule-making driving more disclosure granularity
  
  

• Investor and market pressures that highlight stock-based compensation expense and dilution
  
  

• Accounting standard updates on income statement disaggregation and segment reporting, with a focus on why human capital costs will come further under the spotlight

  
  

• SEC rule-making that continues the trend of the proxy becoming a more quantitative and risk-based document
  
  

• Analytics that companies can run internally to better understand the flows and changes in stock compensation amounts
  
  

• How visualization can enhance communication with the C-suite
  
  

• Macroeconomic updates and how these impact equity compensation
  
  

• Share pool management strategies in a volatile or uncertain market

Speakers

• Radostin Kanev, Equity Methods

• Siddharth Thaker, Equity Methods

Location: Topaz 2

Delve into the intricacies of crafting and adhering to a multi-channel communications plan, essential for lasting engagement. Explore the imperative need for equity award recipients to have accessible and knowledgeable advisors, fluent in the language of equity compensation and well-versed in country-specific rules. In this session, witness the impact of providing digital tools that enable participants to contextualize equity awards within their broader financial context. Additionally, discover the art of setting meaningful benchmarks to gauge the success of your efforts and identify shifts in employee engagement and participation.

Speakers

• Chris Schomp, UBS

• Tommy Swindle, UBS

Location: Topaz 3

Location: Topaz Foyer