Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is one of the key issues facing industries today. Increasing numbers of companies are actively looking to create a more level playing field when it comes to pay and opportunity with particular attention being paid to the role equity compensation can play in promoting workplace fairness.

With close to three decades of experience in human resource management, Stefan Gaertner, Partner and Global People Analytics Lead with professional services specialists Aon, is ideally positioned to speak on how companies can best look to tackle DEI-related within their own organization, and he does that and more here in a wide-ranging conversation with hosts Chris Dohrmann, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships, and Lauren Jenkins, VP, Head of Executive Participant Servicing.

Among the topics discussed are:

• The importance of being data-driven
• What sectors show most awareness around DEI
• The role of CEOs and boards in driving initiatives
• The gender pay gap and the adjusted gender pay gap
• Employee equity compensation & DEI programs

Pay transparency is going mainstream, with legislation either already in place or soon to be introduced across the United States, Europe, and beyond. This trend brings with it far-reaching implications for companies in terms of the openness required on their employee compensation practices.

With that in mind, pay transparency specialist Nancy Romanyshyn, Senior Director, Total Rewards Strategy and Solutions with Seattle-based analytics software company Syndio, joins hosts and J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions’ own Chris Dohrmann, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships and Lauren Jenkins, VP, Head of Executive Participant Servicing, for a deep dive on where we are now, where we’re likely to go from here and how companies need to respond.

Among the topics addressed are:

· Pay transparency - it’s about more than posting salary ranges when advertising open positions

· Recognizing and embracing these new and continually evolving requirements

· How transparency is changing the design of pay programs

· How company size can impact on disclosure requirements

· The implications for employee equity compensation

· Operating in multiple US states and/or countries where different standards may apply

· Current rules in the US vs EU

Financial reporting requirements arising from employee equity compensation can be both demanding and time-consuming for companies, particularly for large concerns operating in multiple jurisdictions and likely facing different rules, regulations, and filing deadlines.

Sharing her experience and that of her company in staying on top of reporting as a large international business, Lily Anne Nueva Espana, Director of Global Accounting with Coupang, a South Korea-based e-commerce company with an international presence, joins hosts and J.P. Morgan Workplace Solutions’ own Chris Dohrmann, Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Lauren Jenkins, VP, Head of Executive Participant Servicing, for a wide-ranging conversation, focusing on several related issues, including:

· Adhering to dual accounting standards

· How reporting obligations change as a company goes from private to public

· Disclosures related to roll forward of shares

· Tracking garden leave, leave of absence and their impact on vesting awards

· Her three essentials for adding relevant data to the online system

· The importance of effective communication with stakeholders

What is financial wellness and how does it relate to equity compensation?

A common challenge facing companies launching an equity compensation plan is employees lacking sufficient financial knowledge to fully understand what is being proposed. So, when an organization such as Stanford sets up a program to offer Financial Education to students, it should be recognized.

In the latest episode of Own Up Chris Dohrmann and John Bagdonas are joined by special guest, Manager of the Mind Over Money Financial Wellness Program at Stanford University, Danial Khan, to tackle one of the most important financial skills you need to learn; how to ensure your own financial wellness.

Are you focused on how to get the best out of your employees and achieve your business objectives? If so, now may be the time for you to explore the possibilities around equity compensation in your workplace.

In the latest episode of Own Up, Chris Dohrmann is joined by guests Erin Fraser, VP of Business Development, Global Shares a J.P. Morgan company and Joanna Phillips, VP, ESOP Builders to take you through all you need to know about how employee ownership can help your company succeed and grow.

Are you considering granting equity awards to PEO employees?

Don’t miss the latest episode of Own Up with Christopher J. Dohrmann and guests Marlene Zobayan Partner Rutlen Associates LLC and Jon F. Doyle Managing Shareholder International Law Solutions as they discuss the pros and cons of granting equity awards to PEO employees.

Find out if engaging with a PEO could be the right move for your business, and, if so, how you can get started.

Extending an equity compensation package to executives in any company does not end with simply signing over shares. There are considerations such as insider trading liabilities, the handling of material non-public information and protecting against negative reputational damage that need to be taken into account. With strict regulation to be followed, for HR departments and Rewards & Benefits teams it is a complex situation, one that needs to be managed correctly.

Taking a look at the rules surrounding these topics and giving an introduction into the world of Executive Services, Ryan Shreero, Executive Director of Executive Services at JP Morgan, joins regular hosts and Global Shares colleagues Chris Dohrmann, SVP of Strategic Partnerships and John Bagdonas SVP of Business Development to discuss the biggest challenges faced by executives today, 10b5-1 plans and more.

The New Year is always a good time to take stock.

With some many interesting developments having happened across the equity compensation industry in recent years, including Pay versus Performance, and pay transparency, we thought it was the perfect time to get some of our most experienced Own Up commentators together to discuss their predictions for 2024, in terms of emerging trends and incoming regulatory changes to watch closely, including:

• Mergers and Acquisitions in 2024
• The end of the ‘Great Resignation’
• How AI could impact HR and total compensation
• Further calls for pay transparency in compensation
• Whether markets will continue to see volatility

Erin Fraser, VP Business Development for Global Shares, a J.P. Morgan company, leads a conversation with Global Shares colleagues Chris Dohrmann, SVP of Strategic Partnerships and John Bagdonas Senior Vice President of Business Development, to talk about the ever evolving space of equity compensation and their predictions for the 2024 market.