Trent Walker
About Trent Walker
Trent Walker is Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust (BDJ) and was born in 1974; he has served as CFO since 2021 and is a Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2019, with prior experience as an Executive Vice President at PIMCO from 2016 to 2019 . He signs BDJ’s Sarbanes‑Oxley Section 302 and 906 certifications for Form N‑CSR, evidencing responsibility for disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting (e.g., signed August 23, 2024 and August 25, 2023) . As context for his tenure, BDJ’s average annual 5‑year NAV total return was 10.08% through May 31, 2024, with an annualized current distribution rate of 7.28% as of that date, and a fiscal‑year‑to‑date cumulative NAV return of 8.79% through May 31, 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Trust (BDJ) | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) | Since 2021 | Signs SOX Section 302/906 certifications; responsible for disclosure controls and internal control attestations (e.g., Aug 23, 2024; Aug 25, 2023) |
| BlackRock, Inc. | Managing Director | Since 2019 | Senior leadership role at BDJ’s advisor; executive officers are “interested persons” by virtue of BlackRock positions |
| PIMCO | Executive Vice President | 2016–2019 | Senior executive experience at a leading asset manager prior to joining BlackRock |
External Roles
- BDJ’s proxy discloses positions and principal occupations for executive officers but does not list external public company directorships for Trent Walker in the executive officer section; no external roles are listed for him in that table .
Fixed Compensation
With the exception of the Chief Compliance Officer, executive officers receive no compensation from the Funds; the Funds compensate the CCO for services as CCO .
| Component | Amount/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fund cash salary (CFO) | Not applicable | Executive officers receive no compensation from the Funds |
| Fund cash bonus (CFO) | Not applicable | Executive officers receive no compensation from the Funds |
| Fund equity grants (CFO) | Not applicable | Executive officers receive no compensation from the Funds |
| CCO compensation | Fund‑paid (CCO only) | The Funds compensate the CCO; other executive officers do not receive Fund compensation |
Performance Compensation
- No fund‑level incentive compensation (RSUs/PSUs/options, performance metric weightings, payout formulas, or vesting schedules) is disclosed for the CFO, as executive officers do not receive compensation from the Funds .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership (executive officers) | Not disclosed for executive officers in BDJ’s proxy; Appendix C presents equity holdings for Board Members/Nominees, not executive officers |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed for Trent Walker in BDJ filings |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for executive officers in BDJ’s proxy |
| Board alignment reference | Independent Board Member Cynthia L. Egan held 10,870 BDJ shares as of April 30, 2022, illustrating board‑level alignment |
Employment Terms
| Term Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Term of office | Annual; serving as CFO since 2021 |
| Address of executive officers | c/o BlackRock, Inc., 50 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001 |
| Status (interested person) | Executive officers are “interested persons” by virtue of positions with BlackRock or affiliates |
| Severance provisions | Not disclosed for executive officers in BDJ’s proxy |
| Change‑of‑control terms | Not disclosed for executive officers in BDJ’s proxy |
| Clawback provisions | Not disclosed for executive officers in BDJ’s proxy |
| Non‑compete/Non‑solicit/Garden leave | Not disclosed for executive officers in BDJ’s proxy |
Fund Performance Context During Tenure
| Metric | May 31, 2024 | June 30, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Average annual total return (NAV, 5‑year) | 10.08% | 8.64% |
| Annualized current distribution rate (as % of NAV) | 7.28% | 7.39% |
| Cumulative total return (NAV, fiscal year to date) | 8.79% | 7.88% |
| Cumulative fiscal‑year distributions (as % of NAV) | 3.03% | 3.69% |
| Recent monthly distribution per share | $0.0562 (Record: Jun 14, 2024; Pay: Jun 28, 2024) | $0.0562 (Record: Jul 15, 2024; Pay: Jul 31, 2024) |
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Because BDJ’s executive officers (including the CFO) receive no fund‑level compensation, there are no disclosed pay‑for‑performance levers, vesting schedules, or severance/change‑of‑control economics at the Fund level; compensation occurs at the advisor (BlackRock), limiting direct fund‑level alignment analysis .
- Insider selling pressure: BDJ filings do not disclose executive officer beneficial ownership, pledging, or hedging, so potential selling pressure or alignment via personal holdings cannot be assessed from fund documents .
- Execution confidence: Continuous CFO tenure since 2021 and recurring SOX certifications indicate stable financial reporting processes and oversight; no governance red flags (legal proceedings or restatements) are disclosed in the cited filings .
- Performance backdrop: BDJ’s 5‑year NAV total return and sustained distribution rates during Walker’s tenure provide a supportive operating context; however, incentive alignment cannot be tied to fund‑level metrics given compensation is not paid by the Fund .
Overall, monitoring advisor‑level disclosures (BlackRock employment policies and compensation frameworks) would be necessary to evaluate Walker’s personal incentives, while fund‑level documents support confidence in reporting quality and provide favorable performance context during his tenure .