Alan Goodson
About Alan Goodson
Alan Goodson serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of the abrdn Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. (“AEF”) since 2024 and has been a Fund officer since 2009; year of birth: 1974 . He is Executive Director, Vice President, and Head of Product & Client Solutions—Americas for abrdn Inc., overseeing Product Management and Governance, Product Development, and Client Solutions for registered and unregistered investment companies in the U.S., Brazil, and Canada; he joined abrdn Inc. in 2000 and also serves as a Director and Vice President of abrdn Inc. . As of April 1, 2025, Mr. Goodson did not own any shares of AEF common stock; in aggregate, the Fund’s Directors and officers owned less than 1% of outstanding equity securities . AEF discloses that Fund officers are employees of—and compensated by—abrdn Inc., the Investment Adviser, or an affiliate; none received compensation from the Fund, and the Fund does not have bonus, profit sharing, pension, or retirement plans; performance metrics such as TSR/NAV outcomes are reported via annual reports available on the Fund’s website rather than detailed in the proxy .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Inc. | Executive Director; Vice President; Head of Product & Client Solutions—Americas | 2000–present | Oversees product management and governance, product development, and client solutions across registered/unregistered investment companies in U.S., Brazil, and Canada . |
| abrdn Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. (AEF) | Fund Officer (Vice President) | 2009–2024 | Long-standing officer supporting product governance and Fund operations within the abrdn fund complex . |
| abrdn Emerging Markets Equity Income Fund, Inc. (AEF) | Chief Executive Officer and President | 2024–present | Executive leadership of the Fund following appointment; officers hold office until successors are elected and qualify; elected annually by the Board . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Inc. | Director and Vice President | 2000–present | Senior corporate role within the Fund’s administrator and abrdn group affiliate . |
Fixed Compensation
- AEF states all officers are employees of and compensated by abrdn Inc., the Investment Adviser, or an affiliate; none of the Fund’s executive officers who are also officers/directors of abrdn entities received compensation from the Fund .
- The Fund does not maintain bonus, profit sharing, pension, or retirement plans for directors/officers; no base salary, target bonus, or actual bonus is disclosed at the Fund level for Mr. Goodson .
Performance Compensation
- No RSU/PSU grants, option awards, vesting schedules, performance metric weightings, or payout details are disclosed for Fund officers; compensation is determined and paid by abrdn affiliates rather than the Fund .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | As of Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shares owned (AEF common) | April 1, 2025 | Mr. Goodson did not own shares of the Fund’s common stock . |
| Aggregate insider ownership | April 1, 2025 | Directors and officers, in aggregate, owned less than 1% of outstanding equity securities . |
| Section 16(a) compliance | FY 2024 | Officers/directors and >10% holders timely filed required ownership reports; no delinquencies noted . |
Note: The proxy discloses director dollar ownership ranges but does not present officer share counts beyond stating that Mr. Goodson held none; no pledging/hedging policy disclosures for officers are presented in the proxy .
Employment Terms
| Term | Provision |
|---|---|
| Officer election/term | Officers hold positions until a successor is duly elected and qualifies; officers are elected annually by the Board . |
| Role start dates | Fund officer since 2009; CEO and President since 2024 . |
| Compensation source | Paid by abrdn Inc., the Investment Adviser, or an affiliate; no Fund-paid officer compensation . |
Investment Implications
- Alignment risk: Mr. Goodson held no AEF shares as of April 1, 2025, and insiders collectively owned <1%, reducing direct financial alignment with common shareholders at the Fund level .
- Pay-for-performance visibility: AEF does not disclose officer compensation structures or performance metrics (e.g., TSR, NAV hurdles) at the Fund level because officers are compensated by abrdn affiliates; this limits investor insight into incentive levers tied to Fund outcomes .
- Insider selling pressure: With no disclosed Fund share ownership for Mr. Goodson, near-term insider selling pressure is not indicated by Section 16 filings; the Fund reported timely ownership filings for FY 2024 and did not note delinquencies .
- Governance and tenure: Officer roles are elected annually, with Goodson in post as CEO/President since 2024 and a long-standing Fund officer since 2009, signaling continuity in administration and product governance under the abrdn complex model .
For Fund-level performance analysis (TSR/NAV, discount/premium trends), consult AEF’s annual and more recent reports available via the Fund’s website noted in proxy materials .