Jane Freeman
About Jane A. Freeman
Jane A. Freeman (year of birth: 1953) is an Independent Trustee of Allspring Income Opportunities Fund (EAD) since 2015 and serves as Chair of the Audit Committee beginning in 2025. She is a retired finance executive and inactive Chartered Financial Analyst, with prior CFO experience at Scientific Learning Corporation and earlier portfolio management roles at Rockefeller & Co. and Scudder, Stevens & Clark .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Learning Corporation | Chief Financial Officer | 2012–2014; 1999–2008 | Senior finance leadership; public company reporting |
| Rockefeller & Co.; Scudder, Stevens & Clark | Portfolio Manager | Prior to 1999 | Investment management experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harding Loevner Funds | Board Member; Lead Independent Director; Audit Committee Chair | 1996–2014 | Led board independence; chaired audit oversight |
| Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust | Board Member; Audit Committee Chair | 2011–2012 | ETF governance; audit oversight |
Board Governance
- Independence and board structure: EAD’s board is composed entirely of Independent Trustees under the 1940 Act; all Independent Trustees are members of both the Nominating & Governance Committee and the Audit Committee .
- Committee leadership: Freeman is Audit Committee Chair (appointed 2025); James G. Polisson chairs Nominating & Governance; Freeman previously served as Chair Liaison (2018–2024) .
- Meetings and attendance (FY ended Apr 30, 2025): Board regular meetings 8; special 2; Nominating & Governance 5; Audit 7. Each Trustee attended at least 75% of total Board and committee meetings .
| Governance Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Board Meetings (count) | 7 | 8 |
| Special Board Meetings (count) | 2 | 2 |
| Nominating & Governance Committee Meetings (count) | 4 | 5 |
| Audit Committee Meetings (count) | 6 | 7 |
| Freeman Attendance Compliance | ≥75% | ≥75% |
Fixed Compensation
Trustee compensation is cash-based; Trustees receive reimbursement of meeting expenses and do not receive pension or retirement benefits. Committee Chairs receive additional annual fees (amounts determined by Boards; specific figures not disclosed) .
| Compensation Item | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from EAD | $3,874 | $3,899 |
| Total Compensation from Fund Complex | $383,500 | $386,000 |
| Pension/Retirement Benefits | None | None |
| Chair Fee Eligibility (Audit Committee Chair) | Not applicable in FY24 | Eligible; amount not disclosed |
Performance Compensation
No performance-based compensation (bonuses, PSUs, options, or performance metric-linked pay) is disclosed for Independent Trustees of EAD; compensation is structured as cash fees for service and committee roles .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Current public company boards (past 5 years): None reported for Freeman .
- Prior boards: Harding Loevner Funds (Lead Independent Director; Audit Chair); Russell Exchange Traded Funds Trust (Audit Chair) .
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current Public Company Boards | None |
| Prior Boards (selected) | Harding Loevner Funds (1996–2014); Russell ETFs Trust (2011–2012) |
| Potential Interlocks | None identified with EAD’s adviser/sub-adviser; board fully independent |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial oversight and reporting: Former public company CFO; Audit Committee Chair at EAD; prior audit chair roles in fund complexes .
- Investment and capital markets: Former portfolio manager; inactive CFA credential .
- Board leadership: Chair Liaison (2018–2024), facilitating governance communications and responses .
Equity Ownership
Dollar ranges of beneficial ownership reflect alignment with shareholders at EAD and across the Allspring fund complex.
| Metric | As of Apr 30, 2024 | As of Apr 30, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar Range of Equity Securities in EAD | $1–$10,000 | $1–$10,000 |
| Aggregate Dollar Range in Fund Complex | Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and committee leadership: Freeman’s role as Audit Committee Chair and the board’s fully independent composition support robust financial reporting oversight and auditor independence (KPMG engaged; independence reviewed and affirmed) .
- Attendance and engagement: The board and committees met frequently, with all trustees meeting the ≥75% attendance threshold, indicating baseline engagement; Freeman also held the Chair Liaison role through 2024, signaling ongoing governance involvement .
- Compensation structure: Cash-only trustee fees, with additional chair fees for committee leadership; no equity grants or pensions disclosed—a conventional closed-end fund governance pay model that limits pay-for-performance linkage .
- Alignment signals: Freeman’s EAD beneficial ownership is in the $1–$10,000 range, while aggregate fund complex holdings exceed $100,000—adequate complex-level alignment but modest single-fund exposure; the Nominating & Governance Committee reviews share ownership policies, though specific guidelines are not disclosed .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No related-party transactions or conflicts identified in the proxy materials; all trustees are independent and committee memberships exclude “interested persons” per 1940 Act and exchange standards .
- RED FLAGS (monitoring): Limited direct EAD ownership ($1–$10,000) may be viewed as a modest alignment signal; otherwise, no pledging, option repricings, or related-party transactions are disclosed in the proxy materials .