Bill Cohen

Why did you start working at Deloitte?

I saw an exciting opportunity to create an offering that hadn’t been fully developed. Bear in mind that when I started working in the employee share plan field around 1990 no one would have known what you meant if you said you were a ‘share plan practitioner’. They do now!

What are the best features of your job?

The people I work with, the huge variety of work, and the intellectual challenge.

In what ways does employee share ownership serve a useful purpose?

It helps employees to relate with their companies, engage with them and to better understand their dynamics. Importantly, it also means they benefit from the fruits of their labour.

How can we widen and deepen the adoption and use of employee share ownership?

By shouting from the rooftops about its great successes, all too often knowledge of which seems to remain within the industry. I’m thinking of the fantastic BT story, but there are also many, many more.

What is the single greatest obstacle to wider and deeper employee share ownership?

It’s complexity – in legislation and administration, both perceived and actual.

What has been the most important development in employee share ownership during your career?

Coming out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Businesses are aware of employee share plans in a way they just weren’t when I started out in the industry.

What is your favourite sport?

Golf

Which book has most changed your life?

Employee share schemes by David Pett!

Which living person would you most like to meet?

Bill Clinton

Closing comments (‘can I just add’)

When I started off as a share plan practitioner, around 1990, I attended a Centre conference – in the south of France I think. That Esop Centre conference was a seminal moment in my career, all the “big guns” of the day were there and they welcomed me into the share plan community.