2026 Global Benefits Forecast Survey
What principles and priorities are guiding your benefits programs?
For over five years, the Global Benefits Forecast Survey has offered valuable insights into the evolving priorities and perspectives of organizations around the world. This ongoing research captures how key aspects of employee benefits are shaped by changing trends and challenges over time.
The 2026 edition offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of global benefits strategies. The insights gathered will help inform critical discussions and decisions that will influence the future of employee benefits.
In 2026, global benefits will be shaped by the intersection of significant economic, technological, and workforce trends. The survey serves as a valuable tool for sparking reflection, benchmarking with peers, and planning for the future. Organizations will gain critical insights that will help shape their strategies and assist them in addressing future challenges.
Exploring the future of global benefits in 2026
The survey, which covers a range of critical topics for global benefits and total rewards leaders, is divided into three sections:
- Benefits Strategy & Priorities – including topics such as effective global benefits management, cost management, priority setting, and M&A processes
- Operational Challenges, Compliance & Risk Management – including topics such as benefits administration, staying abreast of legislative changes, and regulatory risk management
- Innovation, Technology & the Evolving Workforce – including topics such as AI and technology adoption, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and employee support
The survey is structured to take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will remain open until January 16, 2026.
Exclusive access to key findings
Participants of the 2026 survey will gain access to exclusive webinars in March, tailored to global time zones. These sessions will provide an early look at the survey’s key findings and offer insights into emerging trends and strategies.
The results of the survey will be shared throughout 2026, contributing to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in global benefits.
Contacts
John-Paul (JP) Augeri
Managing Director and Global EB Consulting Leader, Milliman
VIEW PROFILE
Email:
johnpaul.augeri@milliman.com
Tel: +1 347 541 1146
John-Paul (JP) Augeri
Managing Director and Global EB Consulting Leader, Milliman
A global human capital and risk management leader with wide-ranging technical and management experience.
JP joined Milliman to lead the Global Employee Benefits Consulting Practice, in partnership with MBWL. He has over twenty years’ experience helping multinational clients to design, deliver and manage programs globally across pensions, benefits and M&A. He specialises in solving complex global issues and delivering value and innovation to multinationals and their employees.
His expertise includes: global pensions and benefits; M&A; funding, investment, and derisking strategies; change management; total rewards and employee experience; global client management and business development.
He has also served as a board chair and senior advisor, as is a frequent external speaker who has helped lead several client roundtables.
JP is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in the UK, and he has lived and worked in the US, UK, Germany, and Austria.
Isabel Coles
Head of International Consulting, MBWL International
VIEW PROFILE
Email:
isabel.coles@mbwl-int.com
Tel: +44 20 3949 5710
Isabel Coles
Head of International Consulting, MBWL International
A multilingual expert in employee benefits for multinational corporates.
Isabel heads up MBWL International, advising multinational organisations on their employee benefits arrangements around the world, with a focus on corporate sales and purchases, accounting disclosures and the financing, risk management and design of benefit plans.
Her vast experience includes leading global accounting consolidations under international, UK and US accounting standards for multinational companies headquartered in the UK and overseas – with consolidations ranging in size from two to over 50 defined benefit plans.
She has advised both corporate and private equity buyers on the employee benefit considerations (including pension liabilities) associated with corporate sales and purchases in Europe and worldwide, from due diligence through to closing and subsequent integration work. Isabel has also undertaken many benefit audits and benchmarking exercises, including a 25-country audit for a company in the technology sector.
Other areas of Isabel’s expertise include reviewing and establishing international pension plans, advice on individual expatriate employee benefit packages and supporting multinationals in agreeing and implementing global governance approaches and policies for managing their employer benefit plans.
Isabel chairs the International Committee of the Association of Consulting Actuaries and is fluent in German and French.
Caroline Kok
Global Benefits Consultant - Asia Regional Leader
VIEW PROFILE
Email:
caroline.kok@milliman.com
Tel: +65 9010 1437
Caroline Kok
Global Benefits Consultant - Asia Regional Leader
Caroline is a Global Benefits Consultant and Asia Regional Leader for MBWL and is based in Singapore. For more than a decade, she worked at WTW advising large multinational companies in Asia on global benefits management (GBM) and other benefits-related projects. She has successfully led significant client relationships and teams, and was the diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) representative for Asia at WTW.
She brings extensive client consulting experience and expertise in employee benefits, including global benefits coordination and project management, plan design and benchmarking, strategy and governance, M&A (due diligence and strategy, through post-deal implementation), and special client projects on topics such as wellbeing and DE&I.
Caroline graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science/Finance and has lived and worked in the US and Southeast Asia. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Malay.
Contacts
John-Paul (JP) Augeri
Managing Director and Global EB Consulting Leader, Milliman
VIEW PROFILE
Email:
johnpaul.augeri@milliman.com
Tel: +1 347 541 1146
John-Paul (JP) Augeri
Managing Director and Global EB Consulting Leader, Milliman
A global human capital and risk management leader with wide-ranging technical and management experience.
JP joined Milliman to lead the Global Employee Benefits Consulting Practice, in partnership with MBWL. He has over twenty years’ experience helping multinational clients to design, deliver and manage programs globally across pensions, benefits and M&A. He specialises in solving complex global issues and delivering value and innovation to multinationals and their employees.
His expertise includes: global pensions and benefits; M&A; funding, investment, and derisking strategies; change management; total rewards and employee experience; global client management and business development.
He has also served as a board chair and senior advisor, as is a frequent external speaker who has helped lead several client roundtables.
JP is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in the UK, and he has lived and worked in the US, UK, Germany, and Austria.
Isabel Coles
Head of International Consulting, MBWL International
VIEW PROFILE
Email:
isabel.coles@mbwl-int.com
Tel: +44 20 3949 5710
Isabel Coles
Head of International Consulting, MBWL International
A multilingual expert in employee benefits for multinational corporates.
Isabel heads up MBWL International, advising multinational organisations on their employee benefits arrangements around the world, with a focus on corporate sales and purchases, accounting disclosures and the financing, risk management and design of benefit plans.
Her vast experience includes leading global accounting consolidations under international, UK and US accounting standards for multinational companies headquartered in the UK and overseas – with consolidations ranging in size from two to over 50 defined benefit plans.
She has advised both corporate and private equity buyers on the employee benefit considerations (including pension liabilities) associated with corporate sales and purchases in Europe and worldwide, from due diligence through to closing and subsequent integration work. Isabel has also undertaken many benefit audits and benchmarking exercises, including a 25-country audit for a company in the technology sector.
Other areas of Isabel’s expertise include reviewing and establishing international pension plans, advice on individual expatriate employee benefit packages and supporting multinationals in agreeing and implementing global governance approaches and policies for managing their employer benefit plans.
Isabel chairs the International Committee of the Association of Consulting Actuaries and is fluent in German and French.
Caroline Kok
Global Benefits Consultant - Asia Regional Leader
VIEW PROFILE
Email:
caroline.kok@milliman.com
Tel: +65 9010 1437
Caroline Kok
Global Benefits Consultant - Asia Regional Leader
Caroline is a Global Benefits Consultant and Asia Regional Leader for MBWL and is based in Singapore. For more than a decade, she worked at WTW advising large multinational companies in Asia on global benefits management (GBM) and other benefits-related projects. She has successfully led significant client relationships and teams, and was the diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) representative for Asia at WTW.
She brings extensive client consulting experience and expertise in employee benefits, including global benefits coordination and project management, plan design and benchmarking, strategy and governance, M&A (due diligence and strategy, through post-deal implementation), and special client projects on topics such as wellbeing and DE&I.
Caroline graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science/Finance and has lived and worked in the US and Southeast Asia. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Malay.