Eileen Kamerick
About Eileen A. Kamerick
Independent Chair of the Board at BrandywineGLOBAL – Global Income Opportunities Fund Inc. (BWG). Born 1958; director since 2013; currently serves as Chair and sits on the Audit, Nominating, Compensation, and Pricing & Valuation Committees . Background includes CFO roles in public and private companies, NACD Board Leadership Fellow with Directorship Certification, and adjunct professorships at Georgetown Law, University of Chicago Law School, and University of Iowa College of Law .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press Ganey Associates (health care informatics) | Chief Financial Officer | 2012–2014 | Senior finance leadership; financial reporting experience |
| Houlihan Lokey (investment bank) & Houlihan Lokey Foundation | Managing Director & Chief Financial Officer; President, HL Foundation | 2010–2012 | Financial reporting, capital markets; philanthropic governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VALIC Company I | Director | Oct 2022 | Investment company board within broader fund complex |
| ACV Auctions Inc. | Director | 2021 | Public company board (automotive marketplace) |
| Hochschild Mining plc | Director | 2016 | Precious metals company board |
| Associated Banc-Corp | Director | 2007 | Financial services company board |
| AIG Funds and Anchor Series Trust | Trustee (former) | 2018–2021 | Former investment company board roles |
Board Governance
- Board composition: Eight directors; seven independent. Kamerick is an Independent Director and serves as Chair, leading executive sessions and acting as liaison between Independent Directors and management .
- Attendance: FY ended Oct 31, 2024 had four regular and one special Board meeting; each director attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings. No director attended the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders .
- Independence: All standing committees (Audit; Nominating; Compensation; Pricing & Valuation) are comprised solely of Independent Directors and chaired by Independent Directors .
- Leadership transition signal: Kamerick was Lead Independent Director in 2024 and became Chair by 2025, reinforcing independent board leadership .
| Committee | Kamerick Member? | Chair | Meetings (FY 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Yes | Nisha Kumar (Audit Committee Financial Expert) | 5 |
| Nominating | Yes | Hillary A. Sale | 7 |
| Compensation | Yes | Peter Mason | 1 |
| Pricing & Valuation | Yes | Carol L. Colman | 4 |
Risk Oversight: Board receives regular reports on investment, compliance, and valuation risks; assisted by the Audit Committee and advised by independent legal counsel .
Fixed Compensation
Notes: Directors receive cash compensation; the Fund provides no pension or retirement benefits to Directors. Amounts include service on BWG’s committees and on committees of other funds within the Franklin Templeton fund complex .
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from BWG ($) | $8,571 | $9,219 |
| Metric | CY 2023 | CY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Compensation from Fund & Fund Complex ($) | $457,000 | $506,000 |
- Year-over-year change: BWG aggregate compensation increased from $8,571 to $9,219; complex-wide compensation increased from $457,000 to $506,000, reflecting broader fund complex responsibilities .
Performance Compensation
| Performance Metric Category | Proxy Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Equity awards (RSUs/PSUs, options) | None disclosed for Directors; compensation presented as cash aggregates |
| Performance-based metrics (TSR, revenue/EBITDA targets, ESG) | None disclosed for Directors |
| Clawbacks / COI protections | Not applicable to Director compensation; committee independence and selection criteria disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Interlock/Conflict Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACV Auctions Inc. | Director | No interlocks disclosed with BWG service providers; independence affirmed |
| Associated Banc-Corp | Director | No adviser/affiliate interest; independence affirmed |
| Hochschild Mining plc | Director | No adviser/affiliate interest; independence affirmed |
| VALIC Company I | Director | Investment company role; no interest in FTFA or affiliates per proxy |
- Related-party / affiliate exposure: Proxy states no Director or immediate family had any interest in the Fund’s investment adviser or affiliates as of Dec 31, 2024 .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Finance and accounting: Extensive CFO and financial reporting experience; board experience in highly regulated financial services; supports effective agenda-setting and oversight .
- Governance credentials: NACD Board Leadership Fellow (since 2016), Directorship Certification (since 2019), NACD 2022 Directorship 100 honoree .
- Academic roles: Adjunct Professor at Georgetown Law (since 2021), University of Chicago Law School (since 2018), and University of Iowa College of Law (since 2007) .
Equity Ownership
| Holding | Dollar Range in BWG | Aggregate Dollar Range in Family of Investment Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Eileen A. Kamerick | B ($1–$10,000) | E (Over $100,000) |
- Group holdings: As of Feb 7, 2025, nominees, Directors, and officers as a group beneficially owned less than 1% of outstanding Common and Preferred Shares .
Insider Trades (Section 16)
| Period | Proxy Disclosure |
|---|---|
| FY ended Oct 31, 2024 | Fund believes all Section 16 filing requirements were met; proxy does not enumerate individual Form 4 transactions |
Governance Assessment
Positives
- Independent Chair with deep finance background; Chair leads executive sessions and serves as liaison, strengthening independent oversight .
- Comprehensive committee engagement; all key committees composed exclusively of Independent Directors and chaired by Independent Directors .
- Robust committee activity in FY 2024 (Audit: 5; Nominating: 7; Pricing & Valuation: 4; Compensation: 1), indicating active governance processes .
- Clear independence and COI language; no interests in adviser or affiliates for non-interested Directors as of Dec 31, 2024 .
Watch Items / RED FLAGS
- No Director attended the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, indicating weak visible shareholder engagement at the annual meeting .
- Low direct BWG ownership (B: $1–$10,000) suggests limited “skin-in-the-game” in the specific fund, though aggregate family holdings are >$100,000; alignment is more at the complex level than fund-specific .
- Heavy workload across the complex (17 fund directorships overseen) may dilute attention, though committee structures and meeting cadence mitigate this risk .
Committee Composition and Process
- Audit Committee chaired by a designated financial expert (Nisha Kumar); annual review with PwC confirms independence and oversight processes; Audit Committee met 5 times and recommended inclusion of audited financial statements in the annual report .
- Nominating Committee sets qualification limits (experience, board service limits, character/fitness) and may use search firms; met 7 times; considers independence and conflicts in candidate evaluation .
- Compensation Committee (Peter Mason, Chair) recommends Independent Director compensation; met once; operates under charter available on the Fund’s website .
Overall Signal
- Transition from Lead Independent Director (2024) to Independent Chair (2025) enhances investor confidence in board independence. Active committee oversight and clear independence disclosures are governance strengths; low fund-specific ownership and lack of annual meeting attendance are engagement red flags to monitor .