John Sievwright
About John Sievwright
Independent Class I Trustee of abrdn Global Dynamic Dividend Fund (AGD) since 2018; term expires in 2027. Year of birth: 1955. Background includes extensive banking and accounting experience, with board roles at public companies; currently Chair of the Audit Committee and designated as an “audit committee financial expert.” Outside roles include Chairman and Director at Burford Capital Ltd and Director at Revolut Ltd, with prior non‑executive directorships at FirstGroup plc, ICAP plc, and NEX Group plc .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| FirstGroup plc (UK) | Non‑Executive Director | 2017–2018 | Governance/oversight in transport; adds operating risk perspective |
| ICAP plc (UK) | Non‑Executive Director | 2017–2018 | Market infrastructure oversight; financial controls exposure |
| NEX Group plc (UK) | Non‑Executive Director | 2017–2018 | Post‑ICAP transition; trading platforms governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burford Capital Ltd | Chairman (since May 2024); Director (since 2020) | 2020–present | Provider of legal finance and related services; current chair enhances audit/risk oversight credibility |
| Revolut Limited | Director | Aug 2021–present | UK‑based digital banking firm; adds fintech/regulatory experience |
| Burford Capital Ltd (Other Directorships listing) | Non‑Executive Director | Since May 2020 | Listed as “other directorship” in Fund materials |
Board Governance
- Board composition: five Trustees; four Independent Trustees; Independent Chair (P. Gerald Malone). Independent Trustees meet in executive session at least quarterly and retain separate independent counsel .
- Committees: Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees, each comprised entirely of Independent Trustees and NYSE “independent” members .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee members are Yao, Malone, and Sievwright; Sievwright serves as Audit Chair and is designated an “audit committee financial expert.” Nominating Committee members are Yao, Malone (Chair), and Sievwright .
- Meetings & attendance: FY ended Oct 31, 2024 — Board met 5 times; Audit Committees met 2 times; Nominating Committees met 2 times. Each incumbent Director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and applicable Committee meetings .
- Shareholder meeting attendance policy: Funds have not established a policy for Trustee attendance at annual shareholder meetings .
Fixed Compensation
| Item | FY Ended Oct 31, 2024 | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from AGD | $20,942 | |
| Aggregate Compensation from AOD | $39,662 | |
| Aggregate Compensation from AWP | $22,062 | |
| Total Compensation from Fund Complex (Funds overseen) | $311,350 | |
| Notes on structure | Funds disclose no bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plans |
Officers receive no compensation from the Funds; director compensation is fund-paid. Committee chair/member fees and meeting fees are not itemized in the proxy text; amounts above reflect aggregate compensation by fund and total across the fund complex .
Performance Compensation
| Performance-linked element | Status | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Annual bonus | Not used by Funds | |
| Profit sharing | Not used by Funds | |
| Pension/retirement plans | Not used by Funds | |
| Equity grants (RSUs/DSUs/options) | Not disclosed in proxy compensation section |
No performance metrics (TSR, EBITDA, ESG goals) are tied to director pay in the 2025 proxy; compensation appears fixed cash-based at the fund/committee level, with no disclosed at‑risk elements .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Relationship to AGD | Potential Interlock/Conflict Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Burford Capital Ltd | Unrelated external company | Legal finance exposure; not a service provider to AGD per disclosures; no adviser/underwriter equity ties by Independent Trustees noted, mitigating related‑party risk |
| Revolut Limited | Unrelated external company | Fintech oversight; potential “time commitment” consideration addressed by abrdn policy on overboarding thresholds (contextual governance standard) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit and financial expertise: Board determined Sievwright is an Audit Committee financial expert; background in banking and accounting .
- Public company governance: Prior NED roles at UK public companies; current chairmanship of Burford Capital evidences oversight capability in complex finance .
- Fund complex oversight: Oversees 6 registrants consisting of 8 portfolios within the abrdn Fund Complex, indicating breadth of fund governance experience .
Equity Ownership
| Holding | Dollar Range as of Apr 1, 2025 | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| AGD | $1 — $10,000 | |
| AOD | $10,001 — $50,000 | |
| AWP | $1 — $10,000 | |
| Aggregate Dollar Range in all Funds Overseen (Family of Investment Companies) | $50,001 — $100,000 | |
| Group ownership (Trustees & officers, aggregate) | <1% of each Fund’s outstanding shares | |
| Independent Trustees/Immediate family ownership in Adviser/Underwriter | None, as of Sept 30, 2025 |
These are personal investments; no disclosure of pledged shares or hedging; section 16 compliance applies to trustees generally .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Serves as Audit Committee Chair and SEC-defined financial expert; reinforces financial reporting and auditor oversight quality .
- Independent trustee within a board structure featuring super‑majority independence and an Independent Chair; committees entirely independent with executive sessions at least quarterly .
- Attendance threshold met (≥75%); committee cadence (2+2 meetings) suggests regular oversight engagement .
- No independent trustee ownership of adviser/principal underwriter equity; reduces related‑party exposure perception .
-
Watch items
- Time commitments: Concurrent roles at Burford Capital (Chair/Director), Revolut, and multiple funds (6 registrants/8 portfolios) — monitor for “overboarding” consistent with abrdn’s stated voting policy if attendance or engagement declines .
- Compensation disclosure lacks granularity on committee chair/member fee differentials and any equity components; consider requesting enhanced disclosure for pay mix clarity in future proxies .
-
Audit oversight context
- Audit firm (KPMG) selected for FY ending Oct 31, 2025; Audit Committee reviewed independence and recommended inclusion of audited financials in annual reports .
- Audit fees for AGD: $39,000 (2024) vs $50,000 (2023) — downward change; all non‑audit services to adviser/covered providers pre‑approved and independence assessed .
Overall signal: Governance quality appears solid given independent leadership structure, Audit Chair role, and financial expert designation. Key investor focus should remain on director time commitments and continued high attendance/engagement to sustain confidence .