Suppose your company offers a broad-based stock option plan for all full-time employees. Your company’s stock is publicly traded and has enjoyed growth above industry peer group levels over the last ten years. Institutional shareholders, however, have questioned the usefulness of such option plans and have raised the question with your CEO. He has asked you to prepare a list of talking points he might use with the shareholder group to justify this employee benefit. What would be on your list and how would you use data and metrics to support your conclusions?