GEO AWARD WINNERS

AIA’s Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP) won the 2025 GEO Award for Best Use of Equity in Emerging Markets for its exceptional reach, inclusive design, and standout results across 17 countries. With over 24,000 eligible employees and 12,000 participants, the plan achieved a remarkable 550% increase in engagement—driven by thoughtful localization and a clear commitment to financial empowerment.

AIA’s success stemmed from overcoming regulatory barriers in markets like Vietnam, providing clear, culturally relevant communications in local languages, and aligning the plan with its broader purpose of supporting long-term employee wellbeing.

Judges applauded the program’s creative problem-solving, its alignment with corporate values, and its impact across diverse and often challenging markets—setting a high bar for equity inclusion in emerging economies.

Brambles’ global employee share plan, MyShare, won the 2025 GEO Award for Best Use of Equity in Emerging Markets in recognition of its long-term commitment, inclusive design, and expansive global reach. Now offered in all 60 Brambles operating countries, the plan achieved a global participation rate of nearly 52%, with particularly strong results in emerging markets like South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Brazil.

Key to MyShare’s success was Brambles’ dedication to accessibility—introducing a Phantom Plan alternative for countries with legal or regulatory barriers and tailoring communications to local languages and cultures. The plan also addressed economic volatility by allowing low minimum contributions and pegging investments to the AUD, helping employees navigate unstable local currencies.

Judges commended Brambles for its persistence and broad reach, noting the company’s status as a top 15 shareholder through employee ownership. They praised its “excellent and interesting” success metrics, humble recognition of areas for improvement, and the remarkable growth achieved over more than a decade. The result is a globally inclusive plan that continues to foster a strong culture of ownership across diverse markets.

Bakkafrost’s Bonus Programme won the 2025 GEO Award for Best Use of Equity in Emerging Markets for its remarkable outreach, education efforts, and high participation among a uniquely hard-to-reach workforce. With 80% of eligible employees working in frontline roles—often on boats or remote salmon farms in the Faroe Islands and Scotland—the company overcame significant barriers to trust, access, and understanding around equity compensation.

Key to the programme’s success was the personal, hands-on approach taken by the HR team, who traveled across the islands and into rural Scotland—sometimes for weeks at a time—to speak directly with employees, help them set up email accounts, explain tax processes, and build confidence in share ownership. Participation in the Bonus Programme has reached an extraordinary 96%, with 99% take-up in the Faroe Islands, despite widespread technological and financial knowledge gaps.

Judges were deeply impressed by the commitment and creativity shown, calling it a “very impressive approach to a non-traditional employee base” and praising the team for “literally going out on boats” to connect with participants. One judge noted it was their “clear favourite in this category,” applauding the blend of bonus shares, personal support, and educational outreach that continues to drive engagement and build lasting financial literacy.

The Bonus Programme stands as a powerful example of how equity plans can be tailored to empower employees—even in the most remote and disconnected environments.

BAE Systems’ innovative International Share Incentive Plan (IntSIP) is meticulously crafted for regions like Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar. It offers enticing benefits such as free shares and partnership/matching shares, mirroring the UK SIP to ensure inclusivity and Sharia Law compliance.

A key driver of its success is the remarkably high participation rate, with nearly all eligible employees actively engaging in the plan. Multilingual communication and an intuitive administration portal further enhance accessibility and user experience.

The judges commended BAE Systems for its comprehensive approach and dedication to addressing challenges encountered by transitioning employees. Notably, the company's inclusive strategy in inviting local employees to participate in the IntSIP was highly regarded. Additionally, the judges recognized BAE Systems' proactive efforts in complying with Sharia Law and ensuring equitable participation among all eligible employees.

Launched in March 2023, Prysmian Group's BE IN plan exemplifies innovation and inclusivity in equity compensation strategies, with an aim to engaging non-managerial employees across various regions, including Argentina, India, Oman, Turkey, Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, and Romania.

The plan, an extension of Prysmian's Value4All program, seeks to involve all employees in the company's share ownership, aligning with the Social Ambition 2030 agenda to achieve at least 50% employee shareholding by 2030. BE IN provides blue-collar workers with access to equity compensation, a novel approach that diverges from traditional schemes targeting managerial staff.

Unique features include a 50% conversion premium to mitigate inflation and double shares within a year, promoting long-term employee ownership. Prysmian's collaboration with local trade unions ensures tailored solutions, fostering acceptance and understanding of the plan's benefits among diverse demographics.

Initial results are promising, with over 70% of participants opting to retain their shares by the end of the first year. BE IN's success signifies Prysmian's commitment to employee empowerment and equitable reward distribution, contributing to a stronger, more engaged workforce.

Prysmian's proactive approach to address inflation challenges and involve unions in plan design garnered praise from judges. While the plan's complexity and unique country dynamics pose challenges, its inclusive nature and focus on employee ownership make it a deserving recipient of the award.

The judges commended Prysmian's innovative approach to tackling inflation challenges and involving local trade unions in the plan's design. They applauded the impressive results and effective metrics of the BE IN plan, highlighting its alignment with the goal of increasing employee ownership. Overall, they praised the plan for its inclusivity and its ability to drive engagement and ownership among a diverse demographic in emerging markets.