nudge CEO and Microsoft share a leadership playbook for global financial wellness at Silicon Valley Employers Forum

September 2026, nudge, the financial health platform used by employers across 160-plus countries, joined the Silicon Valley Employers Forum (SVEF) 2026 Employee Benefits Conference in San Jose on September 15 and 16.

SVEF is the only association focused on global benefits within high technology. Its members have been shaping global benefits design since 1994. This year's theme was Transformative Leadership: Shaping the Future of Employee Benefits and Wellbeing.

A playbook built on a real global rollout

Tim Perkins, CEO and Co-Founder of nudge, was joined on stage by Pam Hembrow, Director of Financial Programs at Microsoft. Together they shared a leadership playbook for financial wellness, drawn from Microsoft's rollout of nudge across 80 countries.

The session focused on three things every global program needs:

1) An evidence-led strategy. Start with what employees actually need, then measure what changes.

2) Organizational buy-in. Win support from leadership, HR, reward, and local teams early.

3) Global framework, local relevance. Keep one consistent program, while making guidance feel right in every market.

Attendees heard practical, real-life examples they could take straight back to their own organizations.

Leadership is what makes it work

The session matched the conference theme closely. Financial wellness programs succeed when leaders treat them as strategy, not a perk.

Tim Perkins, CEO and Co-Founder of nudge, said:

"Microsoft shows what's possible when a global employer leads with evidence and designs for every market. Pam and her team have built a program that's consistent everywhere and still feels local. That's the blueprint we want every employer to see."

Want to build a program that works across every market? Explore nudge for international employees.