Who's Coming to the Forum?

We're just six weeks out from the debut of GEO's National Equity Compensation Forum, and we're growing more excited with each passing day. GEO members truly understand the importance behind each of our events. Keith Pearce, Intel's Perceived Value Program Manager, explains his involvement, the relevance of this new event, and why he's attending the Forum.  We release videos about the Forum and GEO on a regular basis. Be sure to check out the latest on our YouTube channel or our website. We look forward to seeing you at the Forum!

[Audio] NECF Breakout Sessions Preview - Listen to the Speakers

Here's an exclusive preview of three breakout sessions available at the Forum in September. For more detailed descriptions, or to listen to a message from the presenters, click on the links below. 

Governance

Good Corporate Governance Best Practice in Design and Operation of Share-based Payment Programs  

There has been increased skepticism about stock options during the last decade as a result of the regulatory struggle over expensing, the debate over executive compensation, shareholder concern about dilution, a series of accounting and back-dating scandals, and concern over the role of incentives in financial crises. We will cite various polls and surveys as evidence ...more 

Compliance/Tax

Where U.S. Oversight of Equity Compensation for Executives Meets the Company's Business and Operational Considerations: The Collision that Is the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act  

As companies struggle to understand the legal requirements of say-on-pay, compensation committee independence, additional executive compensation disclosure, hedging restrictions for executives and recoupment of incentive-based compensation, they are at the same time trying to create equity programs that will ensure the retention of key executives who are necessary to drive businesses operations on a worldwide basis ... more 

457A - Not Going Away  

October 2008, the United States Congress adopted Internal Revenue Code Section 457A, which changed the rules for certain deferred compensation arrangements, especially those with a global reach. This code section impacts plans, employers and employees in unexpected ways, and the costs of noncompliance are problematic ... more

Appreciating the Complexities of Equity Compensation

Equity compensation strategies have reached new levels of complexities, and while it's imperative to stay up to speed with emerging issues and trends in a multitude of topics, it's equally important stay abreast of what solution providers can offer. That's where strategy meets execution and, as veteran members know, where GEO excels with its events.

It Takes Two

The Forum's content is so rich, consider bringing along a colleague and save $200 off the combined registration fees*. While one of you learns to address key challenges in managing equity programs, the other can discover a variety of solutions and services available to help successfully navigate those challenges. Together, you can network with peers and other industry professionals.

Learn

• Peer-driven educational agenda
• Outstanding plenary sessions help you consider the potential of equity in a new light
• 24+ quality breakout sessions addressing key issues and opportunities

Discover

• Explore our three-tiered discovery center, including ... 
• More than 25 solution providers in our Exhibit Hall
• Exclusive technology showcase with 17 in-depth demonstrations
• One-on-one conversations with a key providers in  hospitality suites.

*offer available only to issuer members

Forum Spotlight: A Preview of Breakout Sessions

Follow the links below for a quick description of each presentation. 

Governance 

The Next Generation of Performance Plans? Fixing Governance Ups and Downs 

While performance plans resolve some governance issues, they are creating new governance challenges which are not always apparent or easy to identify and measure ... find out more

Plan Design

Performance Metrics: Where One Size Does Not Fit All. Is TSR Right for You?

A dynamic discussion of whether or not TSR (Total Shareholder Return) is the right metric to choose for a corporation's performance based equity plans ... find out more 

Communications

Re-Imagining Grant Communications through Marketing Psychology 

Re-imagining grant agreements and other participant communications through the lens of marketing psychology, an offshoot of behavior economics that focuses on how information is presented and what impact different structures of documentation have on individuals ... find out more

At the Forum, we offer multiple topics in each of the six main categories of the event's breakout sessions. Our committee of senior equity professionals have identified presentations and panel discussions, led by experts in your field, that will give you new perspectives and opportunities for your equity compensation strategy. Join us. Break with Convention

Sneak Peek: Our July Workspan Ad for the Forum

Network, Network, Network

Let’s face it, we’re not all power-networkers. Last week, I was at WorldatWork’s Total Rewards 2011 Conference and Exhibition with Michael Bendorf and Wade Johnson. More often than not, while I tell myself that I’m going to a conference to make new contacts and grow my professional network and my organization, it’s much easier to find my colleagues and trade show friends to spend time with them instead. It’s a push to reach out and meet new people. Networking, while essential to work, can feel like a barrier to people at all career levels, and sometimes all it takes to get passed the anxiety is practice, practice, practice.

At the upcoming National Equity Compensation Forum we want to help you jumpstart your networking with ease and fun early on, so we’ve set aside some session time on the first day for Speed Networking. If you’ve tried it before, you know it’s worth the time. If you haven’t, think of it as “speed dating” for professionals—with less emphasis on romance.

Speed Networking is structured as a series of quick, time-limited connections with people. It gives you a chance to hone your own introduction to what’s essential about you and your work, while listening to others make theirs. It’s fun, mutually beneficial and you won’t stress, looking for the “out” of the conversation. It can help you set the tone for your experience for the rest of the Forum, filled with many opportunities to network.

Remember, the Forum is focused on topics and discussions for people of a high caliber, so you’ll want to meet them, exchange thoughts and ideas, and find ways to take your work and your organization to the next level.

The Strength of Chapter Meetings

We are less than four months out from the Forum, and preparations are well underway. There’s a fair amount of work to be done, debuting an entirely new conference, but after attending a few chapter meetings, it’s clear why Global Equity Organization is holding a domestic event. It’s because the Forum is a great fit for GEO’s North American members.

Case in point: Last week, more than 100 members came to Domenico Wines in San Carlos, California for a half-day regional event to reconnect with peers, make new contacts, and learn the latest news in equity compensation. This annual event grew from last year’s, largely due to the efforts of our Northern California Regional Planning Committee, led by Director Debbie Tsoi-A-Sue.

California GEO members attend their regional event, May 12, 2011.

Presenters included Christian Kimball of Fidelity Investments, Randy Murphy of Salesforce.com, and Christine McCarthy and Jennifer George of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. The event also featured a practitioners’ panel comprised of Veena Bhatia of Gilead Sciences, Rita Dickson of Oracle Corporation, and Jacobin Zorin and Tracy deSwiet of ISP Advisors.

Overall, the event provided robust information on global equity markets, as well as hot trends in worldwide employee share plans with topics including administrator one-off scenarios, SAFE registration, compensation/total rewards design, employee education, mergers & acquisitions, global regulatory changes and tax/mobility issues.

As a not-for-profit organization focused on equity compensation, GEO’s strength lies within its chapters, and the chapters show their strength with their ability to attract members with breadth and depth in experience across many industries. Here’s where you can help: To ensure the success of the Forum, we need to leverage the strength of our chapters. At chapter meetings in the coming weeks and months, make sure new and old GEO members alike are invited to this exclusive event where they can share the key challenges they face as equity practitioners in the United States. 

As always, GEO depends on its members and chapters to be the premier equity compensation organization and we sincerely appreciate your efforts. We hope to see you at an upcoming chapter event, or better yet, the Forum.

Registration Is Open for the Forum

It's time to set a new standard in equity compensation. Welcome to the right place with the right people: The National Equity Compensation Forum, September 14-16, 2011 at the Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Kierland Resort & Spa hosts NECF

Breaking with Convention

The Forum's theme "Breaking with Convention" is GEO's response to the demand of an unfilled niche. "After considerable feedback from our US-based chapter members, we decided to provide a place where experienced professionals can take a step back to reflect on their equity pay plans from a strategic perspective; where they can discuss topics surrounding the fast-paced and changing landscape of equity compensation among peers at their level," says Michael Bendorf, GEO's Executive Director. "We want them to walk away from the Forum with a better understanding of the role equity compensation plays in their organization's overall pay strategies and, more importantly, how it contributes to the overall success of the company."

Be First Among Peers

GEO itself is breaking with convention as it scores a number of "firsts" in our history as a leading worldwide resource for information on equity compensation. The Forum marks the first time GEO will hold an event of this size, targeted at high-level professionals within a single country. It is the first time the speaker selection team is comprised of senior professionals who will determine the content relevant to the Forum's audience, including issue-based plenary sessions and discussions with senior-level panels.

Also, strategic symposiums presented by WorldatWork and the National Center of Employee Ownership will examine the role of equity compensation within a total rewards perspective for public and private companies alike.

A Good Time to Network

The opportunity for attendees to meet peers of their caliber is one of the best-received features of our events. We also know it's too easy to gravitate toward the people we already know, so we've created the Forum schedule with an eye toward connecting people, including a quick session on how to effectively network.

Fees & Hotel Information
Issuers: $895 early registration before June 30
Providers: $1195 early registration before June 30

Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
6902 East Greenway Parkway
Scottsdale, Arizona

Forum Room Rate: $189 per night

Visit our site for more information and to register for the event. We'll see you in Scottsdale!

Peers Shaping the Forum

As I write, the Speaker Selection team is meeting to consider the presentation proposals sent to the Global Equity Organization for NECF. The proposals cover the areas of administration, plan design, compliance & tax, governance, international, communications as well as other relevant topics.

The team—Keith Pearce of Intel, Clinton Shoap of Cargill, Sandra Sussman of Gilead Sciences, and Ellen Swarthout of Silver Springs Network—has met with GEO's Carine Schneider, Michael Bendorf, and Jennifer Jolin in Foster City, California. All are experienced, senior HR compensation professionals who come to the table with different perspectives. I'm a fly on the wall, as the team takes a thorough look at each proposal to weigh its merit in the areas of subject matter, quality of content, timeliness, as well as the speaker, and throughout the process they keep coming back to the same question: Does the presentation offer strategic value?

We are setting a high standard for our content because we want to create a Forum on how companies can enhance their relationship with their employees using equity compensation as a tool. So we're taking step to ensure that we address the needs of senior professionals.

Our thanks to Sandra Sussman and Gilead Sciences for hosting our meeting, and thanks to the Speaker Selection team for taking time out to help GEO build a strong Forum. A very special thanks to all who submitted proposals. We'll release the agenda next week as registration opens for NECF May 9.

It Takes a Village ...

Although GEO is pleased to host the Forum, it's not something we can ever think about doing on our own. In addition to our very generous sponsors, we're fortunate to be working with three leading non-profit organizations as Association Partners for the Forum: WorldatWork, National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO) and, most recently, the Great Place to Work Institute®, publishers of the annual 'Best Places to Work Survey.' We're pleased to have the three associations involved and are happy to witness the added depth they'll provide to the Forum discussions.

Breaking with Convention: A Quick Look at the National Equity Compensation Forum

Executive Director Michael Bendorf gives a quick, informative rundown of what to expect at the upcoming NECF this fall in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Countdown Has Begun!

We are just days away from open registration for the upcoming Forum, September 14-16, 2011, and we've a countdown clock to the site. Just looking at it gets our engines revved. We are in full planning mode here at GEO. We have a strong list of founding sponsors, our staff is excited about our Forum host the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, and Executive Director Michael Bendorf will be meeting with the Speaker Selection Committee for NECF next week.

We're also preparing for GEO's appearance at Total Rewards 2011 Conference and Exhibition next month, where we're offering a few opportunities win our giveaway. It's very cool, and it'll be very useful at the Forum for what we have planned. We know you'll want one.

Our ad in the May issue of Workspan magazine is due to be out soon, but decided to preview it here. If you're planning to attend, drop by our booth #634. There's more news to come, so stay tuned!

Stay Connected with GEO

At Global Equity Organization, we constantly explore new and creative ways to support our local chapters. One of our main goals is to raise GEO’s profile among equity compensation professionals to increase our membership. Toward that end, we offer easier ways for active and prospective members to connect with GEO. Here’s what’s on tap:

Blogs

This month, GEO launches three new blogs. Whenever we have special announcements or exclusive news, you’ll hear it here first:

• The Exec Blog: Executive Director Michael Bendorf shares his insights and opinions regarding equity compensation and wants to hear your thoughts too. 
• The International Conference: We’ll keep you updated about the latest news on GEO’s 12th Annual International Conference in Amsterdam this summer. 
• The NECF 2011 Blog: Stay in touch with and get all of the details on what to expect at the Forum as we “break with convention” in Scottsdale, Arizona in the fall.

YouTube
Subscribe to GEO’s channel. Watch for us to post new videos that you can share with colleagues or embed on your personal or professional site.

LinkedIn
We have new discussion groups available. If you haven’t done so yet, ”Follow GEO”, and take part in discussions of the latest news in equity compensation and our upcoming events.

Facebook
If you’re on Facebook, ”Like” GEO’s page to see our updates as they happen.

Twitter
Spread the word! Follow geonecf. All the news that’s fit to print in 140 characters. :)

We'll see you on the social network!