Providing a Robust Onboarding Strategy Resulting in Migration Success in Record Time

• EQ's Relationship Management teams in Transfer Agent and Equity Plan Solutions collectively worked together to resolve client’s immediate need for a new equity plan platform within their tight timeframe.
• EQ’s onboarding team efficiently migrated the client’s data onto the EQ platform in record time.
• To minimize impact or interruptions to client’s executive team, our Executive Service team was able to manage and trade several shares for key participants of this client until they were live on the EQ platform.
  
  

An EQ Transfer Agent client of 16 years reached out to their trusted Relationship Manager indicating that they had a situation that needed immediate attention. The client needed Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) management guidance as they were being asked by their current equity plan administrator/broker to move their equity plans business to another platform, as their broker at the time would stop trading for them.

The broker intended to remove the client from their platform within a four-week timeframe, resulting in the client’s need for a new Equity Plan Solutions provider. The client expressed their fear, that this migration to a new provider would impact their employees’ ability to sell shares during a sensitive period.

Upon receiving this news, the client’s EQ Transfer Agent relationship manager immediately sought the expertise of one of EQ’s Equity Plan Solutions relationship managers, so they could collaborate to understand the client's need and provide a solution.

Since the onboarding process had to be done in such a short timeframe, EQ had to find a short-term solution for this client that allowed their participants to continue to be able to sell their shares whilst the team determined a long-term solution that allowed for a full data implementation onto our platform.

As an existing Transfer Agent and Equity Stock Purchase Plans client, EQ already had a strong relationship and knowledge of this client’s needs. EQ’s Transfer Agent and Equity Plan Solutions teams were able to quickly collaborate to create an onboarding team. Alongside the Equity Plan Solutions Relationship Manager, teams collaborated and worked together across Operations, Onboarding, Executive Services and Client Service teams to provide a short-term solution to ensure their participants were able to sell their shares in a timely manner and to continue to receive their proceeds.

In phase one of this process, EQ met the immediate need to move the client’s employee data from the broker onto EQ’s EquiTrax™ platform that included stock options and restricted stock units from their LTIP plan. EQ was able to swiftly and successfully move their shareholders to our enhanced equity plan solutions platform without interruptions to their employees’ ability to sell their non-qualified stock options.

In phase two, EQ onboarded the client’s entire plan that included their restricted awards as well as provide for their financial reporting needs. The migration of all their employee participants’ data onto the EquiTrax platform was done seamlessly and efficiently, within a third of the normal required onboarding time.

For most of this client’s participants, this was the first time they were viewing their awards on a software platform. EQ therefore conducted several participant training webinars as well as a customized training session for the client’s executive and board members.

Due to EQ’s ability to devise a short-term, customized onboarding process in record time, this allowed the client to keep their equity plans program running smoothly and provide a seamless experience for their participants. The client was very satisfied with EQ's efforts to find a quick solution, implement that solution and provide excellent service throughout the process. The client views EQ as a trusted advisor and values EQ’s ideas, input and direction.