Paul E. Tramontano
About Paul E. Tramontano
Independent Director at Eagle Point Credit Company Inc. (ECC) since May 2014; age 63. Executive Managing Director and Board Member at Cresset Asset Management since April 2023; previously Senior Managing Director and Wealth Manager at First Republic Investment Management (Oct 2015–Apr 2023). Holds a B.S. from Villanova University and attended the Certified Investment Management program at Wharton. Serves in ECC’s Class II (term to 2028 if elected) under the April 2025 proxy, and is designated Class III with 2028 term under the trust conversion plan adopted in October 2025 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cresset Asset Management | Executive Managing Director; Board Member | Since Apr 2023 | Current principal occupation |
| First Republic Investment Management | Senior Managing Director; Wealth Manager | Oct 2015–Apr 2023 | Prior role before Cresset |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Point Credit Company Inc. (ECC) | Independent Director (Class II in 2025 proxy; later Class III trustee under conversion) | Member, Audit Committee; Member, Nominating Committee |
| Eagle Point Income Company Inc. | Independent Director | Member, Audit & Nominating Committees (fund complex) |
| Eagle Point Institutional Income Fund | Independent Trustee | Member, Audit & Nominating Committees (fund complex) |
| Eagle Point Enhanced Income Trust | Independent Trustee | Member, Audit & Nominating Committees (fund complex) |
| Eagle Point Defensive Income Trust | Independent Trustee | Member, Audit & Nominating Committees (fund complex) |
Board Governance
- Independence: Qualifies as an Independent Director under the 1940 Act and NYSE standards .
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee (Weiss, Chair) and Nominating Committee (Appleby, Chair); Tramontano is a member of both .
- Lead Independent Director: Jeffrey L. Weiss .
- Attendance and engagement: In FY2024, Board met 5 times; Audit 5; Nominating 3; each Director attended ≥75% of meetings; all six Directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | ECC Amount (FY2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (Independent Directors) | $95,000 | Paid in cash; reimbursement of reasonable out‑of‑pocket expenses |
| Committee chair fees | N/A (member only) | Audit Chair $12,500; Nominating Chair $5,000; Tramontano not a chair |
| Aggregate ECC compensation (FY2024) | $95,000 | Director-level compensation |
| Aggregate Fund Complex compensation (FY2024) | $180,000 | Across ECC and affiliated registered funds |
ECC has no separate compensation committee; the Nominating Committee reviews/sets Independent Director compensation .
Performance Compensation
- No equity awards, options, or performance-based metrics disclosed for Directors; compensation is fixed cash retainers, with additional fees only for committee chairs .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Type | Potential Interlock/Context |
|---|---|---|
| ECC fund complex boards listed above | Registered closed-end funds | Shared governance across funds; consistent committee membership |
| Stone Point Capital affiliation via ECC Chair (James R. Matthews) | Adviser affiliate governance context | Adviser (Eagle Point Credit Management) primarily owned by Trident Funds managed by Stone Point; Matthews is an “interested” director and Chair, indicating adviser/board ties (context for governance, not Tramontano) |
Expertise & Qualifications
- 30+ years wealth/investment management experience across Cresset, First Republic, and prior leadership at Constellation Wealth Advisors and Citi Smith Barney; skilled in oversight and investment committee work .
- Financial literacy; serves on Audit and Nominating Committees across multiple registered funds .
- Education: B.S., Villanova; Wharton CIM program .
Equity Ownership
| Security | Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECC Common Stock | 30,187 shares | <1.0% (asterisk) | As of Oct 24, 2025 record date |
| ECC Preferred Stock | — | — | No preferred holdings disclosed |
Insider trades (historical reference):
- Form 4 (Apr 17, 2020): Reported ECC holdings including shares acquired through dividend reinvestment; last open-market acquisition noted in third-party tracker as 10,000 shares on Apr 17, 2020 .
No pledging or hedging of ECC stock disclosed; no options or RSUs disclosed for Directors .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; dual committee membership on core oversight (Audit and Nominating); documented ≥75% attendance; consistent governance roles across the ECC fund complex; personal share ownership provides some alignment .
- Risks/Red Flags (contextual): Limited personal ownership (<1%); no equity-based director compensation (reduced long-term alignment versus performance structures); absence of a separate compensation committee (Nominating sets director pay); board-level adviser interlocks via Stone Point and the Chair’s “interested” status; and governance changes under Delaware statutory trust conversion (e.g., unlimited share authorization, derivative action thresholds, control share provisions) that may reduce shareholder rights—though these are company-structural and not Tramontano-specific .
Related Party Transactions (Conflict context)
- Adviser fees: Base and incentive fees to Eagle Point Credit Management totaled ~$42.9 million for FY2024 .
- Administrator fees: ~$1.4 million for FY2024 .
- Adviser ownership/control: Adviser primarily owned by Trident Funds managed by Stone Point; ECC Chair (Matthews) is a Stone Point Managing Director; Tramontano is not affiliated with the Adviser and is independent .
Compensation Committee Analysis
| Topic | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Committee composition | No separate compensation committee; Nominating Committee (all Independent Directors) recommends Independent Director compensation |
| Consultant use | Not disclosed |
| Pay structure | Fixed cash retainers; additional fees limited to committee chairs; no equity; no performance metrics |
| Say-on-pay | Not applicable/not disclosed for this registered closed-end fund |
Board Meeting Attendance (FY2024)
| Body | Meetings Held | Attendance (Director-level) |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 5 | Each Director attended ≥75% |
| Audit Committee | 5 | Each Director attended ≥75% |
| Nominating Committee | 3 | Each Director attended ≥75% |
Director Compensation Summary (FY2024)
| Item | ECC | Fund Complex |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate compensation to Tramontano | $95,000 | $180,000 |
| Structure | Cash retainer; no equity; chair fees not applicable to Tramontano | Cash across multiple boards |
Tenure and Classification
- ECC Board service since May 2014; Class II director with term expiring at 2025 annual meeting and 2028 if re-elected; preferred stockholders separately vote for Tramontano; under October 2025 conversion declaration, Trustees classified with Tramontano in Class III, term to 2028 .
Overall, Tramontano’s independent status, audit/nominating roles, and consistent attendance support board effectiveness; alignment via share ownership exists but is modest, and the cash-only pay structure plus adviser-board interlocks and conversion-related governance shifts warrant investor monitoring for potential conflicts and reduced shareholder rights .