Alan C. Bowser
About Alan C. Bowser
Alan C. Bowser (born 1962) is a noninterested Trustee (independent director) of Eaton Vance Senior Income Trust (EVF), first appointed in 2023 with a Class III term expiring in 2025. He has 25+ years of financial services leadership, including Partner-level roles at Bridgewater Associates, and previously served in senior positions at UBS Wealth Management Americas and Citibank Private Bank. He holds a B.S. in Economics, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and an M.Phil. in Politics from Oxford University. He has served on the Eaton Vance open-end fund boards since 2022 and the closed-end fund boards since 2023 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater Associates | Partner; Operating Committee Member; Co-Head of the Americas; Chief Diversity Officer | 2011–2023 | Senior operating leadership; diversity and regional leadership |
| UBS Wealth Management Americas | Managing Director, Head of Investment Services | 2007–2010 | Led investment services for wealth management clients |
| Citibank Private Bank (Latin America Division) | Managing Director, Head of Client Solutions | 1999–2007 | Led client solutions for LatAm private banking |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stout Risius Ross (SRR) | Independent Director | Since 2021 | Middle market professional services advisory firm (private) |
| Black Hedge Fund Professionals Network | Founding Board Member; Board Chair | Not disclosed | Industry network leadership |
| Robert Toigo Foundation; New York Urban League; University of Pennsylvania | Board service | Not disclosed | Non-profit/academic boards |
| Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Task Force on Ethics | Vice Chairman | Not disclosed | Ethics-focused civic role |
| Recognition | EMPower Ethnic Minority Executive Role Models (Top 100, 2020); Business Insider “Diversity Trailblazers” (2022) | 2020; 2022 | External recognition of leadership |
Board Governance
- Status and tenure: Noninterested Trustee (independent under 1940 Act/NYSE) since 2023; Class III term expiring 2025 .
- Committee assignments (FY2025):
- Governance Committee (member; all members independent under NYSE standards) .
- Contract Review Committee (member) .
- Compliance Reports & Regulatory Matters Committee (member) .
- Closed-End Fund Committee (member) .
- Committee assignments (FY2024): Governance Committee (member) .
- Meeting cadence and attendance (FY ended June 30, 2025): Board met 10 times; Audit 10; Contract Review 5; Governance 6; Portfolio Management 7; Compliance 8; Closed-End Fund Committee 4 (Ad Hoc predecessor met 5). Each Trustee attended at least 75% of Board and Committee meetings. None of the Trustees attended the Fund’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders .
- Trustee retirement policy: mandatory retirement on first July 1 after age 74 or by Dec 31 of the 20th year of service (with limited exceptions to maintain compliance) .
Fixed Compensation
Compensation schedule for noninterested Trustees (EV fund complex). EVF pays a pro rata share based on its relative net assets.
| Component | 2024 Schedule (Proxy dated Aug 23, 2024) | 2025 Schedule (Proxy dated Aug 22, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer | $315,000 | $325,000 |
| Chairperson of noninterested Trustees | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Committee service retainer | $82,500 | $82,500 |
| 4+ Committees (additional) | $15,000 (excludes Ad Hoc) | $15,000 |
| Committee Chair retainer | $35,000 (per Chair; split if co-chairs) | $35,000 (per Chair; split if co-chairs) |
| Ad Hoc Committee Chair | $5,000 per six-month period if in existence and meets | Not specified in 2025 schedule |
| Expenses | Out-of-pocket reimbursed | Out-of-pocket reimbursed |
Bowser’s actual compensation:
| Metric | 2023 (Calendar year) | 2024 (Calendar year) |
|---|---|---|
| Total compensation from EVF (single fund) | $975 | $975 |
| Total compensation from Fund Complex | $374,906 | $395,000 |
Notes:
- EVF pays only a small pro rata portion; most compensation is attributed across the EV fund complex (122+ funds/series as of July 29, 2025) . Trustees may elect to defer fees into EV funds via a Deferred Compensation Plan; the Fund has no pension plan for Trustees .
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based compensation (no stock/option awards or bonus metrics) is disclosed for Trustees; compensation is retainer- and committee-based cash with optional fee deferral into EV funds .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Overlap/Interlock Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stout Risius Ross | Private | Independent Director | Advisory firm; no disclosed EVF-related transactions |
- No public company directorships for Bowser are disclosed in EVF’s proxy statements .
Expertise & Qualifications
- 25+ years in financial services with leadership across asset management, wealth management, and private banking; regional and diversity leadership at Bridgewater .
- Governance and oversight experience across multiple EV fund committees (governance, compliance/regulatory, contract review, closed-end fund oversight) .
- Education: B.S. Economics, Wharton (summa cum laude); M.Phil. Politics, Oxford .
- Recognitions highlight DEI leadership and industry influence .
Equity Ownership
| Category | Position (as of stated date) |
|---|---|
| EVF (Fund) equity securities | None beneficially owned as of July 30, 2024 (only Trustee with EVF holdings was Quinton: $10,001–$50,000) . |
| Aggregate holdings across EV family of funds | “Over $100,000” beneficially owned (may include deferred compensation plan amounts) . |
| Deferred compensation | Trustees may defer fees into EV funds; payouts track selected fund performance (no pension plan) . |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness and engagement: Bowser serves across four key committees (Governance; Contract Review; Compliance & Regulatory; Closed-End Fund), signaling broad oversight exposure across nominations/compensation, service provider conflicts, compliance, and closed-end fund market structure. This breadth supports board effectiveness and checks on adviser/service-provider conflicts .
- Independence: Classified as a noninterested Trustee (independent) and specifically identified as independent under NYSE standards on the Governance Committee, supporting investor confidence in oversight .
- Attendance: All Trustees, including Bowser, met the ≥75% attendance threshold for FY2025 meetings; however, none attended the Fund’s 2024 Annual Meeting—an investor engagement optics issue to monitor, though not uncommon for fund boards .
- Pay structure: Compensation increased YoY in line with the schedule change (base retainer +$10k), with Bowser’s complex-level pay rising to $395k in 2024; compensation is cash-based with no performance linkage, a standard but less “pay-for-performance” aligned structure compared with operating companies. Optional deferral into fund shares partially aligns interests .
- Alignment via ownership: No EVF-specific share ownership as of July 30, 2024, but >$100k of aggregate EV fund holdings (including potential deferred amounts) suggests some exposure to fund outcomes at the complex level; lack of EVF-specific ownership may be viewed as a modest alignment gap by some investors .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: The Contract Review Committee mandate includes explicit oversight of service-provider conflicts (including Eaton Vance affiliates). No Bowser-specific related-party transactions or pledging/hedging disclosures were identified—no red flags surfaced in the proxy .
Red Flags to monitor:
- None of the Trustees attending the 2024 annual meeting (engagement optics) .
- Lack of EVF-specific share ownership (alignment optics), despite >$100k aggregate EV family holdings .