Alan H. Howard
About Alan H. Howard
Alan H. Howard (65) is a nominee for Class II Trustee of BNY Mellon High Yield Strategies Fund (DHF) with a term expiring in 2028; he is not deemed an “interested person” under the 1940 Act, and DHF’s Board is entirely independent as of the proxy date . He is Managing Partner of Heathcote Advisors LLC (founded 2008), with a prior 20+ year investment banking career at Credit Suisse First Boston as Managing Director in Global Industrial & Services Investment Banking advising leading clients on M&A, corporate finance and capital raising . He serves externally as Movado Group’s lead independent director, chair of its Compensation & Human Capital Committee and member of its Audit Committee; he previously was Diamond Offshore Drilling’s lead independent director and Audit Committee chair (2020–April 2021) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Suisse First Boston LLC (CSFB) | Managing Director, Global Industrial & Services Investment Banking | 1985–2006 | Advised major clients on M&A, corporate finance, capital raising |
| S3 Strategic Advisors LLC | Managing Partner | 2008–2010 | Strategic advice to hedge funds/asset managers |
| Dynatech/MPX Holdings LLC | President; Board Member | 2012–2019 | CEO of Dynatech International LLC (2013–May 2019); boards of Dynatech International LLC & Military Parts Exchange LLC |
| Rossoff & Company LLC | Senior Advisor | 2013–June 2021 | M&A, corporate finance, restructurings advisory |
| Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. | Lead Independent Director; Audit Chair; Finance & Executive Committees | 2020–April 2021 | Led audit oversight; served on finance and executive committees |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movado Group, Inc. | Director; Lead Independent Director | 1997–Present | Chair, Compensation & Human Capital Committee; Audit Committee member |
| Siddhi Acquisition Corp | Director | Aug 2024–Present | Public SPAC; director appointment |
| New England Expert Technologies Corp (private) | Director | Apr 2022–Present | Manufacturer of precision parts |
| LSH Partners Securities LLC | Senior Advisor | Feb 2025–Present | Independent boutique investment bank |
| Heathcote Advisors LLC | Managing Partner | 2008–Present | Financial advisory and principal investments |
Board Governance
- DHF has standing Audit, Nominating, Compensation, and Litigation Committees; all are comprised of Independent Trustees (Joseph S. DiMartino does not serve on Compensation) .
- FY 2025 meeting cadence: 6 Board, 5 Audit, 1 Compensation, 1 Nominating; Litigation Committee did not meet .
- Attendance: All Continuing Trustees and Board Nominees attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and their committees in the last fiscal year .
- Independence: All trustees (including the Chair) are Independent; nominees (including Howard) are not “interested persons” under the 1940 Act .
- Audit Committee membership as of the FY2025 report included Francine J. Bovich (Chair), Joseph S. DiMartino, Andrew J. Donohue, Bradley J. Skapyak, Roslyn M. Watson, and Benaree Pratt Wiley (Howard was a nominee at the time) .
- Trustees did not attend last year’s annual meeting of shareholders (no formal policy requiring attendance) .
Fixed Compensation
- Structure: Annual retainer and meeting attendance fees allocated among DHF and other BNY Mellon Family of Funds based on net assets; the Board Chair receives an additional 25% of such compensation; travel/out-of-pocket reimbursement; no bonus, pension, profit-sharing, or retirement plan .
| Director | Compensation from DHF (FY ended Mar 31, 2025) | Aggregate Compensation from Fund Complex (2024) | Portfolios Served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alan H. Howard | N/A | $170,700 | 17 |
Performance Compensation
| Component | Status |
|---|---|
| Bonus Plan | None |
| Stock Awards/Deferred Units | None |
| Options | None |
| Performance Metrics (e.g., TSR/EBITDA) | Not applicable for DHF Trustees |
| Clawbacks/Change-of-Control/Severance | Not disclosed (Fund does not have such plans for Trustees) |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Sector | Role/Committees | Potential Interlocks/Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Movado Group, Inc. | Consumer (Watches) | Lead Independent Director; Chair Comp & Human Capital; Audit member | None disclosed with DHF/BNYIA; distinct industry from DHF’s adviser/sub-adviser |
| Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. | Energy (Offshore drilling) | Lead Independent Director; Audit Chair; Finance & Executive committees | Past role ended April 2021; no DHF-related transactions disclosed |
| Siddhi Acquisition Corp | SPAC | Director | No DHF-related transactions disclosed |
| New England Expert Technologies Corp | Industrial (Precision parts) | Director | Private company; no DHF-related transactions disclosed |
| LSH Partners Securities LLC | Financials (IB advisory) | Senior Advisor | No DHF-related engagements disclosed; DHF’s Litigation Committee exists to address potential conflicts with adviser holdings |
As of Aug 22, 2025, none of the Nominees or Continuing Trustees or their immediate family members owned securities of the Investment Adviser or any person (other than registered investment companies) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Investment Adviser .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Investment banking leadership and transactional expertise (M&A, corporate finance, capital markets) from CSFB MD role (1985–2006) .
- Governance experience as lead independent director and compensation committee chair; audit oversight experience via audit committee roles at Movado and Diamond Offshore .
- Operational and manufacturing exposure through Dynatech/MPX Holdings and New England Expert Technologies board service .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | DHF Fund Shares (as of Dec 31, 2024) | Aggregate Holdings of BNY Mellon Family of Funds |
|---|---|---|
| Alan H. Howard | None | Over $100,000 |
- Group beneficial ownership: Board Nominees, Continuing Trustees, and officers as a group owned less than 1% of DHF’s outstanding shares as of Aug 22, 2025 .
- 5%+ shareholders: First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P., and The Charger Corporation held 12,391,265 shares (17.04%) per a Schedule 13G (Sept 30, 2024) .
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independence: Board and nominees (including Howard) are independent; committee structure robust with Audit, Compensation, Nominating, and Litigation committees .
- Governance experience: Howard’s external roles include leading compensation oversight and participating in audit committees at public companies .
- Audit oversight: DHF’s Audit Committee operates under a formal charter and provided a detailed FY2025 report; KPMG selected as independent auditors for FY ending Mar 31, 2026 by majority of Independent Trustees .
-
Watch Items
- Alignment: Howard owned no DHF shares as of Dec 31, 2024, though he reported Over $100,000 aggregated holdings across the BNY Mellon fund family; DHF does not grant equity to Trustees (cash-only compensation) .
- Engagement optics: Trustees did not attend last year’s annual meeting of shareholders, though all nominees/continuing trustees met the ≥75% attendance threshold for Board/committee meetings .
- External advisory roles: Senior Advisor positions at investment banking firms (LSH Partners; prior Rossoff & Co.) warrant routine monitoring for any DHF-related engagements; no related-party transactions disclosed and the Litigation Committee exists to address conflicts if they arise .
No related-party transactions involving Howard are disclosed; no ownership of the Investment Adviser or its controlled affiliates by nominees/continuing trustees or their immediate family members as of Aug 22, 2025 .