Anthony Grillo
About Anthony Grillo
Anthony Grillo (birth year 1955) is an Independent Director of Western Asset Global High Income Fund Inc. (EHI), appointed effective November 15, 2024. He is a retired private equity and credit investor and investment banker, with prior senior roles at American Securities Opportunity Funds (Founder/Managing Director/Partner, 2006–2018), Evercore Partners (Senior Managing Director, 2001–2004), Joseph Littlejohn & Levy (Senior Managing Director, 1999–2001), and The Blackstone Group (Senior Managing Director, 1991–1999) . As of December 31, 2024, he reported “A” dollar range (none) for EHI holdings; he subsequently purchased 2,000 EHI shares on May 27, 2025 via Form 4, indicating initial ownership alignment following his board appointment .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Securities Opportunity Funds | Founder, Managing Director & Partner | 2006–2018 | PE/credit investing experience |
| Evercore Partners Inc. | Senior Managing Director | 2001–2004 | Investment banking expertise |
| Joseph Littlejohn & Levy, Inc. | Senior Managing Director | 1999–2001 | Private equity experience |
| The Blackstone Group L.P. | Senior Managing Director | 1991–1999 | Private equity/credit experience |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Littelfuse, Inc. | Director | Since 1991 | Electronics manufacturing |
| Oaktree Acquisition Corp. | Director (former) | 2019–2021 | SPAC |
| Oaktree Acquisition Corp. II | Director (former) | 2020–2022 | SPAC |
Board Governance
- Independence: Non-interested Director; serves on committees composed entirely of Independent Directors under NYSE standards .
- Committee assignments (FY ended May 31, 2025):
- Audit Committee: Member; committee met 6 times; chaired by Nisha Kumar; audit committee financial experts designated (Kumar, Kamerick) .
- Nominating Committee: Member; committee met 5 times; chaired by Hillary A. Sale .
- Compensation Committee: Member; committee met 3 times; chaired by Peter Mason .
- Pricing & Valuation Committee: Member; committee met 4 times; chaired by Carol L. Colman .
- Attendance: Board held 4 regular and 4 special meetings; each Director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings for which eligible (FY ended May 31, 2025) .
- Board leadership: Eight Directors, seven Independent; Eileen A. Kamerick serves as Chair and leads executive sessions of Independent Directors; Independent Directors meet without management and are advised by independent legal counsel .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | FY Ended 05/31/2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from EHI | $6,102 | Cash compensation; Fund provides no pension/retirement benefits |
| Total Compensation from Fund Complex (calendar 2024) | $32,989 | Oversight of 21 investment company boards in complex |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based compensation, stock awards (RSUs/PSUs), or options disclosed for Directors of EHI; compensation discussion references cash paid for Board and committee service across the complex and explicitly notes no pension/retirement benefits .
- No disclosed performance metrics, vesting schedules, clawbacks, severance/change-of-control provisions, or tax gross-ups for Directors in the proxy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Entity | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| Littelfuse, Inc. | Public company directorship | None disclosed with EHI’s adviser/service providers |
| Oaktree Acquisition Corp.; Oaktree Acquisition Corp. II | Former public SPAC directorships | Former roles; no ongoing related-party ties disclosed |
The proxy states no Independent Director or immediate family members had interests in EHI’s investment adviser or affiliates as of December 31, 2024, mitigating related-party concerns .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Private equity and credit investing; investment banking; senior leadership experience; the Board cites his PE/credit and banking background among director attributes .
Equity Ownership
| Date/Source | Holding Detail | Amount/Range |
|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2024 (Proxy) | Dollar Range of EHI equity | “A” (None) |
| 12/31/2024 (Proxy) | Aggregate dollar range across family of funds | “A” (None) |
| 05/27/2025 (Form 4) | Common shares purchased | 2,000 shares at $6.38; Direct ownership established |
- Group ownership of nominees, Directors and officers was less than 1% of outstanding common stock as of August 29, 2025 .
Insider Trades
| File Date | Trade Date | Form | Insider | Transaction | Units | Price | Resulting Holding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-28 | 2025-05-27 | Form 4 | Anthony Grillo | Purchase (P) | 2,000 | $6.38 | 2,000 shares direct |
Governance Assessment
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Positives:
- Independent Director with strong financial markets background; serves on all key committees comprised solely of Independent Directors .
- Documented meeting engagement (≥75% attendance; active committees with defined oversight roles and multiple meetings in FY 2025) .
- Initial personal share purchase in 2025 (2,000 shares) supports alignment signaling post-appointment .
- No related-party interests disclosed with the adviser or affiliates; no hedging/pledging or loans disclosed .
-
Watch items / potential risks:
- Very low direct ownership relative to the Fund (none as of 12/31/2024; 2,000 shares purchased in 2025), which may limit financial alignment vs. investors in a closed-end structure .
- High governance load across the Franklin Templeton fund complex (21 investment company directorships), which can raise time-commitment concerns even with documented attendance .
- No disclosure of equity-based director compensation or ownership guidelines at the Fund level; compensation appears primarily cash-based, limiting long-term, at-risk alignment mechanisms .
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Overall: Grillo’s independence, extensive transaction and valuation experience, and broad committee participation are constructive for board effectiveness at EHI. The insider purchase modestly improves alignment, but overall equity exposure remains limited, and multi-board workload should continue to be monitored for sustained engagement quality .