Mastercard: Boosting Employee Engagement with a Global ESPP

As one of the world’s most iconic brands, Mastercard is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. Understanding how equity compensation increases shareholder value by motivating performance, the company turned to Morgan Stanley at Work for help in launching a global employee stock purchase plan (ESPP).

The Search for Answers

Following conversations with the company’s board and executive committee, Mastercard’s equity team received approval to move forward with a strategy to create a more effective ownership culture. Their first order of business was to conduct an in-depth employee survey geared specifically to their employee experience and rewards. In late 2021, roughly 34,000 global employees were asked to identify their reward preferences. Over 70% chose an ESPP as either the first or second item in their personal perception of value. Guided by these results, Mastercard launched an ambitious multiyear and multiphase initiative to implement a global ESPP on Morgan Stanley at Work’s Shareworks platform. 

Aligning Outcomes with Intentions

Implementing a global ESPP of this size in two years is a massive undertaking—and Mastercard credits the hard work of both their internal and external teams for making it possible. For instance, after receiving board and shareholder approval, Mastercard’s Total Rewards organization—which tackles rewards priorities each year—made the ESPP rollout their #1 leadership priority for 2024. Similarly, a strong focus on education, bolstered by Morgan Stanley at Work, resulted in higher enrollment than anticipated. Most critically, this ESPP has enhanced Mastercard’s ability to attract, retain and reward the talented employees needed for their success. It is also helping to align the interests of employees with stockholders by encouraging them to own shares—fostering a true and pervasive ownership mentality.