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It is now well-accepted that companies’ responsibility to their employees extends beyond the implementation of a share plan, with the best employers increasingly taking a holistic view of their role in supporting their workforce’s financial, physical and mental health. Providing participants with access to financial education  is seen as one of the key features of successful global share plans and increasingly as a component of a well thought out strategy around companies’ employment proposition.

The award for Best in Financial Education is granted to companies who have implemented a financial education or wellbeing program that best meets the challenge of providing independent and objective information to employees without infringing on compliance or other regulatory constraints, and demonstrates how equity fits within their overall portfolio or rewards package.

An effective communication program is key to the success of any share plan program. Operating plans globally present unique geographic, linguistic, and cultural challenges that complicate even the best communication programs. This award category looks for the most effective and appropriate communication methods and materials used in plan communications, including written, internet/web-based and virtual communication methods including video technology regardless of where a plan is offered. Judges will consider a company's size and number of participants to whom the company must communicate with regarding their share plans.

Awards are not based on the amount of money spent on a communications program—rather they are based on content, coherency, and style of the message delivered, including the cohesiveness of the media employed to accomplish the organization’s defined goals.

Note that in previous years, the awards process considered video technology as a separate awards category, however, due to the fact that video media is commonly deployed as part of a comprehensive campaign, all communication mechanisms will be considered within the Best Plan Communication category.

Outstanding executive and board-level compensation strategies play a pivotal role in retaining, attracting, and nurturing top-tier leadership talent, all while nurturing growth and innovation to drive an organization toward its strategic vision.

This prestigious award recognizes companies that invest substantially in the art of designing executive compensation plans that seamlessly align with their corporate mission and strategy, incorporate effective performance metrics (such as ESG), and make significant contributions to core corporate objectives.

Assessment criteria include the depth of alignment between these compensation plans and the overarching strategic course of the company as part of an overall total rewards programs and structure, the fostering of active engagement and steadfast commitment among executives, and the presentation of well-established, resilient measurement techniques designed to monitor and substantiate progress toward defined objectives.

Share plans help companies achieve their corporate mission and goals. This award category is designed to highlight companies that have spent time and resources developing share plans that work well towards meeting key corporate objectives. The criteria for this category are based on the assessment of plan participation and other ways of involving employees in the successful operation of the company.

An essential component of assessing effectiveness is a clear statement of the goals of the plan in addition to a demonstrated measurement technique to gauge progress in achieving those goals.

Equity ownership helps companies achieve their corporate mission and goals. This award category highlights private companies that have spent time and energy developing equity ownership models for their workforce that support the achievement of key corporate objectives while remaining a privately-held company.

The criteria for this category are based on the assessment of effective private company plan design, challenges overcome, overall participation and other unique ways of facilitating employee participation in the ownership of the company.

An essential component of assessing share plan excellence in the private company environment is a clear statement of the goals of the plan in addition to a demonstrated measurement technique to gauge progress in achieving those goals.

The challenges of spreading share plan wealth globally can be particularly complex in emerging markets. Developing legislation, introducing share plans to an unfamiliar population and/or dealing with complex or less certain governance structures are a few among a myriad of challenges in a developing economy.

This award category is designed to highlight companies that have developed and successfully deployed a global share plan program, including or focused on an emerging market. Successful candidates in this category will demonstrate the ability to address particular economic, social, political or even religious challenges faced in deploying in a developing economy.

The winning company will address and even incorporate these aspects in their plan to be successful for their company and their employees. We recognize that measuring success in this context may be different than what we have defined historically.

Share plan programs are increasingly viewed as a strategic tool in preparing for and executing mergers, acquisitions, reorganization or divestitures. This award recognizes excellence in the use of share plans in support of specific objectives furthering a corporate action.

Measurements include fair or enhanced treatment for impacted participants, effective communication of implications to share plan participants, and demonstrated commitment to share plans after the conclusion of the corporate action. Qualified corporate actions include mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, divestitures and similar actions.

The best designed and communicated global share plans can be prohibitively expensive and time consuming if not properly managed and operated. Corporate stock plan departments have thus found websites, intranets, electronic tools and other virtual technologies invaluable and cost effective in managing, communicating, and administering global share plans. Companies are now embracing the opportunities and challenges that AI brings, to varying degrees, at enterprise level, business unit level and increasingly, within the operations of teams operating employee share plans. 

The Best Use of Technology award is granted to companies that develop and/or implement innovative, appropriate, and comprehensive technological solutions to share plan administration, communication, and internal project management.

Companies regularly face a range of internal and external challenges in the operation of their share plans. The Most Creative Solution award is granted to companies who have implemented proven, effective, and creative solutions that solve a company's needs and reduce workload and scale processes. This award allows applicants to demonstrate how creative they are in the efficiency and administration of their share plans while still maintaining a high level of service to plan participants. 

Awards in this category are granted to companies who offer ground-breaking solutions to unique challenges and set new industry standards.

Share plans are typically designed to meet a multitude of corporate objectives which must be balanced with the legal, regulatory, and tax issues, both in the company’s headquarters country as well as in other jurisdictions. An equally important  aspect of design is to create a global plan that maintains the core corporate philosophy while adapting to local cultural practices.

This award category allows applicants to demonstrate how creative they are in working around potential stumbling blocks in developing and implementing global share plans. Measurements in this category include how well the plan was creatively adapted to local tax and regulatory laws, creative ways to increase employee participation and excitement and how the plan’s design and operation differs from competitors or industry norms.

Although formal nominations will not be solicited for the optional Judges' Award, GEO welcomes meritorious suggestions from the equity community via email to Gabbi Stopp.

The Judges’ Award is awarded to a company, organization, or individual that has made an exceptional contribution towards promoting global employee share ownership.

This award is intended to be granted to a company, organization, or individual that needs no application – a winner that is recognized as a leader in the field. If the award is given to a company or organization, the Judges will evaluate the overall impact of the equity plan, or promotion of equity plans, has had on its employees, shareholders, community, and the business environment. Individual awards will be based on the contribution of that person to the equity compensation profession over their lifetime.

The prestigious Pioneer Award is awarded each year to an individual that has demonstrated energetic and unflagging dedication to the development and ensured success of the Global Equity Organization.

The award is designed to recognize prolonged service to the employee share ownership industry and to acknowledge those that act as an ambassador for GEO throughout their daily activities.

The GEO Star Award recognizes the exceptional contributions of dedicated volunteers who selflessly gift their time, expertise, and efforts to support GEO's mission. As a non-profit organization, GEO is grateful for the tireless efforts of these committed contributors, some of whom have been supporting GEO for more than a decade. By providing members with the resources they need to bring outstanding examples of share participation to their companies, GEO Stars go above and beyond to ensure GEO's success. GEO proudly honors the winners of this award for their outstanding commitment to building a strong and engaged community of share plan professionals.

The GEO Chapter Awards recognize outstanding local chapters that foster community and promote knowledge sharing among industry colleagues.

Run by senior industry figures with demanding workloads, chapter meetings provide approachable and supportive learning environments that cultivate a sense of belonging and connection with GEO at the core. With local content tailored to attendees' needs, these events enhance member value and strengthen the industry while promoting broader share ownership.

GEO applauds the winners of this award for their exceptional contributions to building a strong and engaged community of share plan professionals.