Designing Global Benefits as Strategic Value

Discussion with Sam Sultan

With more than two decades of experience, from UK pensions to insurance distribution in the Gulf and global benefits advisory for high-growth tech and biotech firms, Sam Sultan has seen the full spectrum of employee care. Along the way, he has led insurance teams, supported social enterprises in India, and even managed restaurants in London, experiences that sharpened both his business acumen and people skills. Today, as Global Benefits Manager at Engage Health, he helps multinationals cut through the complexity of compliance, cost, and engagement. In this article, Sultan explains why benefits have shifted from a back-office detail to a board-level priority.

Governance and Compliance as Strategic Anchors

For leaders navigating global benefits, compliance is more than paperwork, it is the foundation of credibility in global benefits. Regulations differ widely, and what works in one market can be entirely unsuitable in another. This complexity makes compliance a strategic necessity rather than an afterthought. 

Rather than constraining innovation, compliance defines the safe boundaries within which leaders can adapt and experiment. Without it, even the best-designed program risks failure or reputational damage. Leaders who integrate compliance into strategy avoid costly missteps and create space for sustainable innovation.

“Compliance is not red tape, it is the guardrail that makes global benefits workable”, Sultan emphasizes. In this way, compliance becomes a strategic enabler that allows programs to scale effectively while reinforcing both confidence and credibility.

Duty of Care as a Corporate Imperative

Duty of care has evolved into a defining measure of leadership responsibility. For smaller firms, duty of care may be as tangible as securing global medical coverage for a single employee, even with pre-existing conditions, a gesture that signals foresight and genuine concern. For employees, such actions are deeply personal, reinforcing trust in their employer.

For larger organizations, duty of care demands a forward-looking approach. Political instability, medical emergencies, and family-related crises can destabilize operations if ignored. Preparing for these challenges in advance prevents disruption and builds resilience across the workforce.

As Sultan explains: “Duty of care has moved from a human resources policy to a board responsibility”. Beyond protecting individuals, proactive duty of care, whether for a single employee or an entire global workforce, strengthens loyalty, one of the most effective defenses against disruption in volatile markets.

Cost Efficiency and Administrative Relief

“Cost efficiency is not only about saving money, it is about saving time”, Sultan explains. Too often, HR leaders spend hours each week juggling multiple insurers, renewal cycles, and claim escalations, time taken away from building culture and supporting people. A dual model, global where scale matters, local where context matters, ensures organizations balance efficiency with fit.

Consolidating policies into global plans delivers predictable costs and typical savings of 10% to 15%, often reducing renewal costs by millions for multinationals depending on workforce size.

At the same time, it provides HR leaders with relief: instead of firefighting across five or more different providers, they deal with a single account manager and gain back hours each week to focus on culture and engagement. In cost-sensitive markets, local broking ensures relevance while maintaining efficiency, giving leaders the best of both global scale and local context.

Building Engagement and Community Through Benefits

Benefits have long been measured by utilization, but true engagement goes deeper. Companies now recognize that benefits are ongoing commitments, not one-off contracts. When benefits are consistently visible and easy to access, they shift from transactional perks to a source of ongoing support and connection.

Engagement works on two levels. First, the relationship: clear touchpoints, responsive escalation processes, and proactive account management that show employees they have an advocate. Second, the content: wellness calendars, stress management programs, and resilience training that integrate benefits into daily life. Together, these elements transform benefits into part of the company culture.

Leaders who align benefits with mission and values ensure engagement strengthens both morale and retention. “Engagement is not only about utilisation, it is about culture”, Sultan notes.

Mental Health as a Must-Have, Not a Tick Box

Mental health has become a defining factor in how employees judge employers. Programs that sit unused or hard to access offer little value. What makes the difference is activation, embedding mental health support into daily work life through digital platforms, on-demand resources, and coaching as well as counseling.

When accessible and integrated, usage rates rise dramatically. This creates healthier employees and stronger organizations, with measurable impacts on productivity and resilience. Companies that treat mental health as an investment, not a cost, find it strengthens performance across the board.

As Sultan shares: “We have seen employee assistance program usage rise from 3% to over 30% when it is integrated into daily life”. Accessible, integrated programs strengthen both resilience and performance, turning mental health into a driver of loyalty and competitive advantage.

Adapting Benefits to a Multi-Generational Workforce

Workforces now span multiple generations with distinct needs. Younger employees prioritize flexibility and digital-first delivery, while older employees seek security and comprehensive coverage. Addressing this diversity requires balance, equity over uniformity.

The most effective models blend universal protections with flexible allowances employees can adapt to their own priorities. This could mean lifestyle spending, wellness programs, or extended family coverage. By letting employees choose what matters most, companies build trust across generations.

According to Sultan, the right answer is not one or the other, but a combination of both.  “Benefits design is a balancing act”, he explains. A balanced approach reduces attrition and creates workplaces where every generation feels acknowledged.

Measuring ROI and Convincing the CFO

“Finance leaders want numbers, but return on investment in benefits is not a single metric”, Sultan annotates. Rather than seeking a single figure, leaders should consider a mix of indicators, reduced sick leave, improved employee survey results, and stronger engagement with preventive care. When viewed as risk management, these measures highlight how benefits protect employees while reinforcing the overall stability of the business.

Retention, however, remains the strongest case. Companies with robust benefits outperform peers in keeping and attracting talent, saving significant recruitment and churn costs. In competitive markets, benefits can be the deciding factor in talent acquisition.

Future Trends in Global Employee Benefits

The landscape of employee benefits is shifting rapidly, driven by three emerging trends. The first is AI-driven personalization, where insurers and platforms use data to recommend benefits tailored to employees’ health, lifestyle, and financial profiles. As Sultan observes, “Artificial intelligence driven personalisation will take engagement to the next level”.

Second, financial wellbeing is becoming central. With living costs rising, employers are starting to provide financial coaching, savings tools, and allowances that help employees feel secure beyond healthcare. Sultan points out, “With the cost of living rising everywhere, employers are starting to extend benefits into financial coaching, savings tools, and allowances”.

Finally, benefits are increasingly tied to ESG commitments. From green commuting incentives to family-inclusive policies, companies are using benefits to signal responsibility and align with broader values.

At Engage Health, Sultan and his team position themselves not just as navigators of these trends, but as shapers. Companies that thrive will be those that treat benefits as part of their promise to employees, a promise that spans compliance, care, and culture.

Key Takeaways for Leaders

Three principles stand out for leaders looking to future-proof their benefits strategy:

• Engagement: Design benefits as ongoing commitments, not annual contracts. Build strong relationships and provide content that keeps programs visible year-round.
• Compliance: Treat compliance as a strategic guardrail that enables sustainable innovation and credible programs.
• Coherence: Prioritize benefits strategies that are practical, simple, and trusted across all markets.

Sultan distills it simply: “Benefits are not perks; they are part of the promise an employer makes to its people”.

‍