Optio Incentives

21/05/2025

Employee ownership at IPO scale - without the growing pains 🚀

Going public is a huge milestone, and for Norconsult, it was also a chance to expand their employee share program. But rolling out shares to 5,000+ employees across multiple countries - while ensuring full compliance - was no small task.

They needed a solution that made equity administration simple, compliant, and scalable.

With Optio, they:
✅ 70% employee participation - far above industry benchmarks
✅ Ensured full IFRS-2 compliance across multiple regions
✅ Streamlined administration so their team could focus on IPO priorities

🔗 Read the full story: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0k3pTL0

Big thanks to Dag Fladby and the Norconsult team for the collaboration! 🙌 We’re proud to help make employee ownership simple and scalable!

14/05/2025

Felix brings nearly 30 years of invaluable experience across European private and public markets and 17 years of highly specialized advice to CEOs and their teams, as well as business founders in negotiating their equity incentives with mid and large-cap private equity investors. Based in Frankfurt, he'll lead our new PE solutions business, helping firms replace manual processes with streamlined digital workflows.

Felix brings nearly 30 years of invaluable experience across European private and public markets and 17 years of highly specialized advice to CEOs and their teams, as well as business founders in negotiating their equity incentives with mid and large-cap private equity investors. Based in Frankfurt, he'll lead our new PE solutions business, helping firms replace manual processes with streamlined digital workflows.

"Felix brings an incredible depth of insight into how private equity firms operate and where they encounter friction," says our CEO & Co-founder, Christoffer Vikersveen Herheim.

This expansion builds on our mission to transform global equity management 🚀

Read the full announcement here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0k38HF0

16/04/2025

Employee ownership at IPO scale - without the growing pains 🚀

Going public is a huge milestone, and for Norconsult, it was also a chance to expand their employee share program. But rolling out shares to 5,000+ employees across multiple countries - while ensuring full compliance - was no small task.

They needed a solution that made equity administration simple, compliant, and scalable.

With Optio, they:
✅ 70% employee participation - far above industry benchmarks
✅ Ensured full IFRS-2 compliance across multiple regions
✅ Streamlined administration so their team could focus on IPO priorities

Big thanks to Dag Fladby and the Norconsult team for the collaboration! 🙌 We’re proud to help make employee ownership simple and scalable!

🔗Read the full story: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0hWPtG0

08/04/2025

📢 Exciting news for Norwegian startups!

Starting in March 2025, even more companies will qualify for tax-favored stock options, making equity incentives more attractive and tax-efficient than ever.

Here’s why this matters:
✔ No tax at grant, vesting, or exercise
✔ Tax is only due upon sale—and at a lower capital gains rate
✔ Startups can offer stronger, more competitive incentives to attract top talent

In our latest Stock n’ Roll episode, tax expert Sverre Hveding breaks down what these changes mean for employees, founders, and investors - and how to make the most of them✨

🎧 Tune in to learn more!

Stock 'N Roll · Episode

01/04/2025

What a morning! 🎉

We had a fantastic time hosting our event “How to ensure LTIP-success in 2025 LTIP-environment” in Stockholm today!

Stefan Sundell and Chakib Youcefi took us through everything you need to know about Long-Term Incentive Plans — from different LTIP instruments and all-employee programs to performance criteria and emerging settlement types.

Key topics covered included:
✔️ Program types – and their pros and cons
✔️ Different setups for investment programs and hedging alternatives for share delivery
✔️ New types of settlement worth exploring
✔️ The current market climate and how it’s impacting LTIPs
✔️ Trends around program types and sizes heading into 2025
✔️ Practical tips for building a successful LTIP in 2025

We loved seeing you there - thank you for being part of the event and for the great conversations throughout the morning.

And a special thank you to Stefan for offering your knowledge and experience so generously.

Missed the breakfast seminar or have questions? Feel free to reach out — we're happy to continue the conversation.

20/11/2024

🔄 Facing Challenges with Your Equity Compensation Program? Here’s How to Adapt

Equity compensation programs are designed with specific goals in mind, but what if circumstances change?

From high exercise prices to evolving project timelines, adjustments may be necessary to keep your program relevant and effective.

Our blog post explores how to navigate these changes, including potential impacts on your financial accounts under IFRS, the steps required for stakeholder approval, and the strategic considerations for maintaining program integrity.

We also provide practical advice on balancing the needs of employees and shareholders.⚖️

What strategies are you using to keep your equity compensation program on track? 🤔

🔗 Read more: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0dpYPH0

13/11/2024

Are you still using spreadsheets to track your cap table? 📊

While they may work for a while, spreadsheets quickly become a headache, and can lead to mistakes as your business grows.❌
Keeping track of equity ownership, fundraising, and employee stock options can be a lot to manage.

💡That’s why understanding cap table management is crucial. In our guide, you'll discover:
Why cap table management is important.
The common issues companies face.
Solutions that simplify the cap table process.

Upgrading to cap table software gives you the accuracy and simplicity you need to focus on what matters—growing your business.

✨ Read more https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0dpYPC0

06/11/2024

🇮🇹 Broad-Based Equity Plans (PADs): Transforming Employee Engagement in Italy

In 2024, Italy is witnessing a major shift in how FTSE MIB companies, like Eni and Unicredit, attract and retain talent. Beyond salaries and bonuses, employees are now becoming shareholders through Broad-Based Equity Plans (Piani di Azionariato Diffuso - PADs).

But have you ever wondered what this really means?🤔

Is it enough to give shares to create loyalty? Can a stock plan truly align everyone’s interests, or is it just a strategy to improve the company's image?💡

What we can tell you is that many leading Italian companies are betting on strong Broad-Based Equity Plans, supported by some tax exemptions that facilitate their implementation.

In this blog post, we will review Broad-Based Equity Plans and explore whether giving shares can transform employees into true allies of the company. We will also uncover hidden advantages and how to prevent your plan from becoming just an illusion of success.🌟

🔗 Read more: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0dpYJS0

24/05/2024

🌟Join the upcoming webinar - "Effective strategies for launching and communicating equity plans to employees". You will have the opportunity to listen to industry experts Christoffer Vikersveen Herheim from Optio Incentives, and Špela Prijon and Tamas Varkonyi from EquityPeople.

🔎You can expect insights on:
Design - Who should be included at what stage of the company journey
Launch - How to efficiently launch and administrate the program to avoid administration burden
Education and engagement- How do you keep employees engaged and motivated and making sure they understand the impact of the programs

🕐Date & Time: 5th June at 14.00 (CET)
Follow the link and register to secure your spot!
https://www.optioincentives.com/lp/optio-equitypeople-webinar

07/05/2024

💼 Who says we only excel in streamlining equity compensation management for our clients?

🏃‍♂️ Running is a shared favorite sport at our Oslo office, and this weekend our colleagues participated in one of their favorite traditions: Holmenkollstafetten

It was super fun to see our team's ability and will to adapt and overcome obstacles shine through during this event! 😄

A big shoutout to our teammates who not only encourage us to run faster but also to laugh louder and dream bigger 🚀