Eileen Kamerick
About Eileen A. Kamerick
Independent director of DMO (Western Asset Mortgage Opportunity Fund Inc.) since 2013; birth year 1958. Recognized financial governance expert (Board Leadership Fellow and NACD Directorship Certification), former CFO, and adjunct law professor; designated by the Board as an audit committee financial expert and served as Lead Independent Director in 2023, underscoring board independence and governance experience .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Governance Partners, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | Since 2015 | NACD Board Leadership Fellow (since 2016; Directorship Certification since 2019) |
| Press Ganey Associates | Chief Financial Officer | 2012–2014 | Senior finance leadership; financial reporting oversight |
| Houlihan Lokey | Managing Director & Chief Financial Officer; President, Houlihan Lokey Foundation | 2010–2012 | Capital markets and governance experience |
| Georgetown University Law Center | Adjunct Professor | Since 2021 | Corporate governance and leadership teaching |
| University of Chicago Law School | Adjunct Professor | Since 2018 | Corporate law instruction |
| University of Iowa College of Law | Adjunct Professor | Since 2007 | Corporate law instruction |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VALIC Company I | Director | Since Oct 2022 | Mutual fund governance experience |
| ACV Auctions Inc. | Director | Since 2021 | Public company board service |
| Associated Banc-Corp | Director | Since 2007 | Financial services board experience |
| Hochschild Mining plc | Director (former) | 2017–2023 | International issuer governance |
| AIG Funds and Anchor Series Trust | Trustee (former) | 2018–2021 | Investment company governance |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Non-interested director under the 1940 Act; committees composed entirely of Independent Directors under NYSE standards |
| Lead Independent Director | Served as LID in 2023: chairs executive sessions, liaison to management, agenda input |
| Committee Memberships (FY2024) | Audit (member; audit committee financial expert), Nominating (member), Pricing & Valuation (member), Compensation (member) |
| Committee Chairs (FY2024) | Audit: Nisha Kumar (Chair); Nominating: Hillary A. Sale (Chair); Pricing & Valuation: Carol L. Colman (Chair); Compensation: Peter Mason (Chair) |
| Committee Meetings (FY2024) | Audit: 6; Nominating: 5; Pricing & Valuation: 4; Compensation: 2 |
| Board Meetings & Attendance | FY2022: 4 regular, 2 special; each Director attended ≥75% of eligible meetings; FY2023: 4 regular; each Director attended ≥75% |
| Risk Oversight | Board receives regular reports on investment, compliance, valuation risks; Independent Directors meet in executive session; advised by independent counsel |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from DMO ($) | $8,047 | $7,726 | $9,089 |
| Total Compensation from Fund Complex ($) | $333,778 | $457,000 | $506,000 |
| Fund Complex Directorships (#) | 19 | 16 | 21 |
| Pension/Retirement Benefits | None disclosed for Directors |
- Director compensation for DMO and the Franklin Templeton fund complex is cash-based as shown; no pension/retirement benefits are provided to Directors .
Performance Compensation
- No stock awards, option awards, or performance-based compensation metrics are disclosed for non-employee Directors; director compensation tables present only cash amounts and committee service context .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Sector | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Associated Banc-Corp | Financial Services | Financial institution board; no interest in DMO’s adviser or affiliates noted |
| ACV Auctions Inc. | Technology/Auto Marketplace | No related-party exposure disclosed |
| VALIC Company I | Investment Company | Investment company governance; typical fund complex interlocks |
| Hochschild Mining plc (former) | Materials/Mining | Former directorship; no current conflict |
| AIG Funds, Anchor Series Trust (former) | Investment Company | Former trustee roles |
- The proxy states no Director had any interest in the Fund’s investment adviser or entities under common control with Franklin Resources as of Dec 31, 2024, mitigating adviser-related conflicts .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Audit committee financial expert designation; deep finance and reporting expertise .
- Prior CFO roles and investment banking background, enhancing oversight of financial statements and valuation .
- Governance thought leadership and academic roles (Georgetown, Chicago, Iowa) strengthen compliance and board process rigor .
- Experience serving on highly regulated financial services company boards .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Value | As Of |
|---|---|---|
| DMO fund-level dollar range | C ($10,001–$50,000) | Dec 31, 2024 |
| Aggregate dollar range across fund family | E (> $100,000) | Dec 31, 2024 |
| Group beneficial ownership (Directors & officers) | <1% of outstanding common shares | Aug 29, 2025 |
| Interest in adviser/affiliates | None for Directors as of Dec 31, 2024 | Dec 31, 2024 |
- Ownership is disclosed in dollar ranges; pledged shares, hedging, and detailed share counts/vesting are not disclosed in the proxy .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status and prior Lead Independent Director role; designated audit committee financial expert; broad committee participation across Audit, Nominating, Compensation, and Pricing & Valuation; consistent attendance at or above the 75% threshold; clear risk oversight framework and use of independent counsel .
- Alignment: Personal investment in DMO ($10k–$50k range) and >$100k across the fund family supports investor-alignment optics; no adviser-related interests disclosed .
- Workload signals: Increase to 21 fund complex directorships may raise time-commitment considerations; however, attendance metrics remain adequate and committees met frequently in FY2024 (Audit 6; Nominating 5; Pricing & Valuation 4; Compensation 2) .
- Conflicts/RED FLAGS: No related-party transactions or adviser interests disclosed; no performance-compensation, equity awards, or tax gross-ups for Directors; no low say-on-pay disclosures applicable to the fund context .