Jeffrey L. Weiss
About Jeffrey L. Weiss
Jeffrey L. Weiss, age 64, is an Independent Director of Eagle Point Credit Company Inc. (ECC) since May 2014. He is ECC’s Lead Independent Director and chairs the Audit Committee; he also serves on the Nominating Committee. Weiss is Managing Partner of Colter Lewis Investment Partners LLC (since Jan 2018), and previously held senior roles at Lehman Brothers and Barclays, including Global Head of Financial Institutions at Barclays (2008–2012). He holds a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colter Lewis Investment Partners LLC | Managing Partner | Jan 2018–Present | Private investing leadership; strategic oversight |
| Private Investor | Principal | 2012–Present | Active capital allocation; industry engagement |
| Barclays | Global Head of Financial Institutions; Managing Director | 2008–2012 | Led global FIG; senior leadership position |
| Lehman Brothers | Managing Director; Management Committee member; Head of Financial Institutions Group | ~1983–2008; 2005–2008 management committee; 2007–2008 FIG leadership | Senior operating leadership; risk and strategy |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Point Income Company Inc. | Independent Director | Since Oct 2018 | Audit Committee Chair; Nominating Committee member |
| Eagle Point Institutional Income Fund | Independent Trustee | Since Jan 2022 | Audit Committee Chair; Nominating Committee member |
| Eagle Point Enhanced Income Trust | Independent Trustee | Since Aug 2023 | Audit Committee Chair; Nominating Committee member |
| Eagle Point Defensive Income Trust | Independent Trustee | Since Feb 2024 | Audit Committee Chair; Nominating Committee member |
Board Governance
- Independence: Weiss qualifies as an Independent Director under the 1940 Act, SEC Rule 10A-3, and NYSE rules; he is designated Lead Independent Director at ECC.
- Committee Assignments: Audit Committee Chair; Nominating Committee member (ECC).
- Board Structure and Engagement: ECC’s Board has six directors (four independent). Independent Directors meet outside management. In FY2024, the Board met 5 times; Audit Committee 5; Nominating Committee 3. Each Director attended ≥75% of meetings.
- Term/Class: Weiss is a Class I Director at ECC with term expiring at the 2027 annual meeting.
Fixed Compensation
ECC’s independent director pay is cash-only with no equity grants disclosed. Weiss’s FY2024 company-level compensation reflects his chair role.
| Component | FY 2024 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Retainer (Independent Directors) | $95,000 | Policy amount per ECC; cash fee |
| Audit Committee Chair Fee | $12,500 | Additional annual fee for the chair |
| Nominating Committee Chair Fee | $5,000 | Not applicable to Weiss (member, not chair) |
| Aggregate Compensation from ECC (Weiss) | $107,500 | Amount paid for FY2024; timing detail included in proxy |
| Aggregate Compensation from Fund Complex (Weiss) | $207,500 | FY2024 total across ECC and affiliated funds |
Directors affiliated with the Adviser or its affiliates (interested persons) receive no compensation from ECC.
Performance Compensation
| Metric/Instrument | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Stock awards (RSUs/PSUs) | None disclosed | No director equity grant disclosure in proxy |
| Option awards | None disclosed | No director options disclosed in proxy |
| Annual/long-term performance metrics (e.g., TSR, EBITDA) | None disclosed | Director pay is fixed cash retainer/chair fees |
| Clawbacks/COC/severance | None disclosed | Not addressed for directors in proxy |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Role | Potential Interlock/Conflict Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| ECC-affiliated funds (EIC, Institutional Income, Enhanced Income, Defensive Income) | Independent director/trustee; Audit Chair; Nominating member | Common governance across Eagle Point fund complex, fostering consistent oversight but shared service provider exposure |
| Stone Point affiliations (context) | N/A for Weiss | ECC Chair James R. Matthews is a Stone Point MD; Adviser is primarily owned by Trident Funds affiliated with Stone Point—Weiss remains independent. |
Proxy states Independent Directors (including Weiss) and their immediate families did not own securities of the Adviser or its control affiliates, supporting independence.
Expertise & Qualifications
- Deep financial institutions expertise from senior leadership roles at Barclays and Lehman; experienced audit committee financial oversight.
- Lead Independent Director responsibilities include liaison role between independent directors and management, agenda input, and oversight continuity.
- Education: B.S., University of Wisconsin.
Equity Ownership
| Metric | 2025-03-31 (Record Date) | 2025-10-24 (Record Date) |
|---|---|---|
| Common Shares Beneficially Owned (Weiss) | 12,500 | 12,500 |
| Ownership % of Common Shares | <1.0% | <1.0% |
| Preferred Shares Beneficially Owned (Weiss) | — | — |
| Dollar Range of ECC equity (Weiss) | Over $100,000 | — |
No pledging/hedging, vested/unvested, or options detail is disclosed for directors; only beneficial ownership is reported.
Governance Assessment
-
Strengths
- Independent leadership: Weiss as Lead Independent Director and Audit Chair enhances oversight, auditor independence, and financial reporting rigor.
- Engagement: Board and committees met regularly; all directors met the ≥75% attendance threshold in FY2024.
- Alignment: Personal ownership of 12,500 ECC shares and “Over $100,000” dollar range supports skin-in-the-game without Adviser equity ties.
- Clear independence: Proxy confirms Independent Directors and immediate families do not own Adviser or affiliate securities.
-
Watch items / potential conflicts
- External management model: Significant fees paid to the Adviser ($42.9 million in FY2024) and to the Administrator ($1.4 million) require continued robust audit/committee oversight to protect stockholders.
- Fund complex interlocks: Shared boards across Eagle Point vehicles can concentrate governance and service-provider exposure; continued monitoring for independence and performance is warranted.
- Structural features post-conversion: The 2025 special proxy proposes conversion to a Delaware statutory trust with provisions including control share voting restrictions, holdover trustees, and derivative action thresholds—these may affect shareholder rights and should be monitored for investor impact.
Overall, Weiss’s roles and experience support board effectiveness and investor confidence, with primary governance risk centered on the external manager relationship and fund-complex interlocks—areas where his audit leadership is directly relevant.
Notes
- Insider trades: ECC proxy materials present beneficial ownership but do not include Form 4 trading disclosures; no insider trading transactions for Weiss are disclosed in the proxy.