James F. Kirchner
About James F. Kirchner
James F. Kirchner (born 1967) serves as Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer of Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Global Buy-Write Opportunities Fund (ETW), an officer role he has held since 2007. He is a Vice President of Eaton Vance and Boston Management and Research (BMR), and also a Vice President of Calvert Research Management (CRM), reflecting deep fund administration and financial control credentials across the Eaton Vance fund complex . As Principal Financial Officer, he signs Section 302 and Section 906 certifications, indicating responsibility for disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting for ETW . Fund performance context: ETW’s average annual total returns at NAV were 12.03% (1-year), 10.05% (5-year), and 7.09% (10-year) in the semiannual report through June 30, 2025, with total distributions of $0.40 per share for the period and a distribution rate at NAV of 8.40% .
Fund Performance Snapshot
| Metric | Period | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average annual total return at NAV | One Year (to 6/30/2025) | 12.03% | |
| Average annual total return at NAV | Five Years (to 6/30/2025) | 10.05% | |
| Average annual total return at NAV | Ten Years (to 6/30/2025) | 7.09% | |
| Total distributions per share | Six months ended 6/30/2025 | $0.40 | |
| Distribution rate at NAV | As of 6/30/2025 | 8.40% |
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton Vance Management and Boston Management and Research (BMR) | Vice President | Past five years (disclosed), Officer of 123 registered investment companies | Senior finance and administration leadership across Eaton Vance fund complex |
| ETW | Treasurer (Fund Officer) | Officer since 2007 | Fund-level treasury oversight; financial controls; reporting responsibilities |
| ETW | Principal Financial Officer | Current | Section 302/906 certifications; disclosure controls; ICFR accountability |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvert Research Management (CRM) | Vice President | Since 2016; officer of 45 registered investment companies | Expands governance/oversight scope across additional fund platforms |
Fixed Compensation
- Officers are affiliated with Eaton Vance and, due to their positions at Eaton Vance and ownership of Morgan Stanley stock, will benefit from advisory and/or administration fees paid by ETW to Eaton Vance; specific salary, bonus, or perquisites for fund officers are not disclosed at the ETW fund level .
- Trustee compensation is disclosed, but executive officer (fund officer) cash compensation is not provided in the proxy; therefore base salary, target bonus, and bonus paid for Mr. Kirchner are not disclosed at the fund level .
Performance Compensation
- ETW does not disclose officer-specific performance metrics, weightings, targets, or payouts for fund officers (e.g., RSUs/PSUs/options) in the proxy; Item 18 “Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation” is noted as “Not applicable” in the semiannual report .
- No vesting schedules, performance share structures, or option grants tied to Mr. Kirchner are disclosed at the fund level .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares outstanding | 108,597,786 (as of June 30, 2025) | |
| Trustees and executive officers as a group beneficial ownership | Less than 1% of ETW outstanding Common Shares (as of January 28, 2025) | |
| Trustee share ownership (fund-specific) | As of January 28, 2025, no Trustee beneficially owned ETW equity securities | |
| Individual officer ownership (Kirchner) | Not individually disclosed; included in group total <1% | |
| Pledging/Hedging of ETW shares | Not disclosed |
Interpretation:
- Direct “skin-in-the-game” alignment via ETW share ownership appears limited (<1% group ownership), reducing insider-driven trading signals at the fund level . No pledging data is disclosed . Stock ownership guidelines for officers are not presented in ETW filings .
Employment Terms
- Officer term: Officers of the Funds hold indefinite terms of office; Mr. Kirchner has served as Treasurer since 2007 .
- Employment contracts, severance, and change-of-control terms: Not disclosed at the ETW fund level .
- Non-compete, non-solicit, garden leave, and post-termination arrangements: Not disclosed at the ETW fund level .
- Compliance responsibilities: Mr. Kirchner signs Section 302 and 906 certifications for ETW’s N-CSR filings (Principal Financial Officer), reinforcing accountability for disclosure controls and ICFR .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance assessment is constrained: ETW does not disclose officer-level compensation components, metrics, or payouts for fund officers; officers benefit indirectly via Eaton Vance advisory/administration fees, which may dilute direct alignment with ETW trading performance .
- Ownership alignment/trading signals: Group beneficial ownership <1% and no trustee holdings suggests limited insider alignment signals at ETW; no pledging or hedging disclosures reduce visibility into potential red flags .
- Retention risk: Tenure as Treasurer since 2007 and cross-platform roles at Eaton Vance/BMR and CRM indicate institutional continuity; lack of disclosed severance/change-of-control provisions at the fund level means retention incentives are not observable in ETW filings .
- Execution risk and performance context: ETW operates a buy-write strategy with option overlay; returns and distributions are managed relative to advisory mandates. Recent performance at NAV shows positive 1-, 5-, and 10-year average annual returns, supporting fund-level execution while advisory economics accrue to Eaton Vance; investors should evaluate ETW’s distribution coverage, option strategy risk, and discount/premium dynamics alongside governance oversight rather than officer incentives .