James Polisson
About James G. Polisson
Independent Trustee of Allspring Income Opportunities Fund (EAD), born 1959; Trustee since 2018 and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee since 2024. Polisson has over 15 years of ETF industry experience, including senior leadership roles at Barclays Global Investors/iShares and Russell Investments; he is also an attorney with retired status in the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations . He oversaw 93 portfolios in the Fund Complex as of April 30, 2025 (99 in 2024; 127 in 2023; 137 in 2022), indicating broad oversight breadth across Allspring funds .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays Global Investors (BGI) / iShares | Managing Director; Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares and BGI | 1998–2010; CMO 2000–2010 | Led global marketing for iShares, shaping ETF distribution and growth |
| Russell Investments – Global Exchange Traded Funds | Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director | 2010–2012 | Built and led Russell’s global ETF business |
| Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust | Board member; Chairman, President & CEO | 2011–2012 | Governance and executive leadership for ETF trust |
| Source (ETF) UK Services, Ltd. | Chief Marketing Officer | 2015–2017 | Senior leadership at major European ETP provider |
| The Polisson Group, LLC | Principal | 2012–2015 | Management consulting, corporate advisory, principal investing |
| Allspring Income Opportunities Fund | Advisory Board Member | 2017 | Preceded Trustee appointment |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute (non-profit) | Trustee | 2013–2015 | Non-profit governance |
| Barclays Global Investors Holdings Deutschland GmbH | Director | 2006–2009 | International subsidiary governance |
| Public company boards (past 5 years) | None | N/A | No other public company directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board is composed entirely of Independent Trustees (not “interested persons”), underscoring independence from the adviser and affiliates .
- Committee leadership: Polisson serves as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee since 2024; the Committee consists exclusively of Independent Trustees per charter across the Allspring trusts including EAD .
- Board process/engagement: The Board typically holds four regular in-person meetings plus a fifth by video conference annually and engages independent legal counsel to assist Independent Trustees .
- Diversity considerations: The Nominating and Governance Committee considers overall Board diversity of skills and backgrounds when evaluating nominees .
- Tenure: Trustee since 2018; elevated to Committee Chair in 2024 .
- Attendance: Director-specific attendance rates are not disclosed in the proxy; meeting cadence is disclosed (see above) .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric ($USD) | FY 2018 | FY 2019 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation From EAD | $1,092 | $2,000 | $2,453 | $2,423 | $2,724 | $3,768 | $3,949 |
| Total Compensation From Fund Complex | $167,000 | $306,000 | $341,000 | $332,000 | $346,000 | $373,000 | $391,000 |
| Pension/Retirement Benefits | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
Notes:
- Trustees are reimbursed for expenses incurred attending Board meetings; principal executive officers receive no compensation from the Fund .
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based elements (bonus metrics, PSUs/RSUs, options) are disclosed for Trustees; proxy disclosures present cash compensation and expense reimbursement with no pension benefits .
- No vesting schedules, severance, or change-of-control provisions are disclosed for Trustees .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Public company boards (current, past 5 years) | None disclosed |
| Shared directorships with EAD competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed |
| Non-profit/academic/private boards (historical) | Mechanics’ Institute Trustee (2013–2015); various prior governance roles (see Past/External Roles) |
Insider Trades
| Date | Form | Summary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-04 | Form 4 | Filing by James G. Polisson in capacity as Director of EAD; transaction details not specified in proxy materials |
Expertise & Qualifications
- ETF and asset management leadership: Senior roles at iShares/Barclays Global Investors and Russell Investments’ ETF business .
- Marketing and distribution: Global Chief Marketing Officer for iShares (2000–2010) and CMO at Source (ETF) UK (2015–2017) .
- Legal training: Attorney with retired bar status in MA and DC .
- Fund complex oversight: Oversaw 93 portfolios in 2025, reflecting broad multi-fund governance exposure .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar Range of Equity Securities in EAD | $1–$10,000 | $1–$10,000 | $10,001–$50,000 | $1–$10,000 |
| Aggregate Dollar Range in Fund Complex | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
Notes:
- Ownership reported as dollar ranges per investment company proxy conventions; share counts and % outstanding are not disclosed .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths
- Independent Trustee with Chair role on Nominating & Governance Committee, enhancing board oversight of composition and independence .
- Board comprised entirely of Independent Trustees, meeting five times annually with independent legal counsel support, indicating robust governance process .
- Extensive ETF/asset management expertise directly relevant to EAD’s investment oversight .
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Potential Watch Items / Red Flags
- Beneficial ownership in EAD reported as $1–$10,000 in 2025 (after being $10,001–$50,000 in 2024), implying limited “skin in the game” at the Fund level though aggregate complex ownership remains over $100,000 .
- A late Section 16 filing occurred for “a Trustee” in FY 2023 (not specified by name), suggesting a need to monitor timeliness of insider reporting across the Board .
- Director-specific attendance rates are not disclosed; only meeting cadence is provided .
- No disclosure of equity-based or performance-linked compensation for Trustees; compensation is cash-based with expense reimbursement and no pension benefits—limited pay-for-performance alignment at the individual trustee level inherent to closed-end fund governance .
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Conflicts/Related Parties
- No related-party transactions or conflicts specific to Polisson are disclosed in EAD proxy materials; Committee charters require independence for membership .