Terrence Checki
About Terrence J. Checki
Terrence J. Checki (born 1945) is an Independent Trustee of Franklin Universal Trust (FT), serving since 2018; he oversees 115 portfolios across the Franklin Templeton fund complex and currently chairs FT’s Audit Committee, and serves on the Nominating Committee . He is a longtime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and held senior leadership at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, bringing deep macro, risk, and emerging markets expertise to FT’s board .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve Bank of New York | Executive Vice President; Head of Emerging Markets & Internal Affairs Group; Member of Management Committee | 1995–2014 | Senior leadership in risk and international markets oversight |
| Council on Foreign Relations | Visiting Fellow | 2014 | Policy research and engagement |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hess Corporation | Director | 2014–present | Public company (E&P); potential information flow interlock noted with FT Lead Independent Trustee Edith E. Holiday, also a Hess director since 1993 |
| Council on Foreign Relations | Member | 1996–present | Geopolitical and policy network |
| National Committee on U.S.-China Relations | Member | 1999–present | U.S.-China policy engagement |
| Economic Club of New York | Trustee | 2013–present | Economic policy forum |
| Foreign Policy Association | Trustee | 2005–present | Foreign policy advocacy |
| Council of the Americas | Director | 2007–present | Western Hemisphere business policy |
| Tallberg Foundation | Director | 2018–present | Global leadership network |
Board Governance
- Independence: Independent Trustee under 1940 Act and NYSE standards; serves on FT’s Nominating Committee (all members independent) and is Chair of the Audit Committee (all members independent) .
- Committees: Audit Committee Chair; Audit Committee members include Checki (Chair), Choksi, Holiday, Luttig, Thompson . Nominating Committee member alongside Ashton, Choksi, Holiday, Luttig, Thompson, Williams .
- Attendance: FY ended Aug 31, 2024 included 8 regular Board meetings, 1 special Board meeting, 10 Audit Committee meetings (including two joint), and 1 Nominating Committee meeting; all Trustees attended at least 75% of total Board and applicable committee meetings. No Trustees attended the March 7, 2024 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting .
- Board structure and risk oversight: 75%+ of Board are Independent Trustees; Board maintains structured risk, valuation, and compliance oversight; Audit Committee operates under a formal charter including QLCC responsibilities .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Scope/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (Independent Trustees) | $304,000 | Paid across Franklin Templeton complex; portion allocated to FT |
| Regular Board meeting fee | $7,000 per meeting | Portion allocated to FT |
| Audit Committee member retainer | $10,000 annually | Portion allocated to FT; superseded by chair fee for Checki |
| Audit Committee meeting fee | $3,000 per meeting | Portion allocated to FT |
| Audit Committee Chair fee (Checki) | $50,000 annually | In lieu of Audit Committee member retainer; portion allocated to FT |
| Lead Independent Trustee supplemental retainer | $50,000 annually | Applies to Lead Independent Trustee (Holiday), not Checki; portion allocated to FT |
| Aggregate compensation from FT (FY ended Aug 31, 2024) | $299 | FT-specific compensation to Checki |
| Total compensation from Franklin Templeton complex (CY 2024) | $759,849 | Complex-wide compensation; Checki serves on 34 boards in the complex |
FT does not accrue pension or retirement benefits as Fund expenses; officers’ salaries are paid by the Investment Manager/affiliates .
Performance Compensation
| Element | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus | Not disclosed | Independent Trustees are paid retainers and meeting fees; no bonus disclosed |
| Stock/Option awards (RSUs/PSUs/Options) | Not disclosed | Proxy details compensation as cash retainers/fees; no equity grants/options disclosed for Trustees |
| Performance metrics tied to pay | Not disclosed | No pay-for-performance constructs disclosed for Trustees |
| Clawbacks / Change-of-control / Severance | Not disclosed | No such provisions disclosed for Trustees |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Tenure | Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hess Corporation | Director | 2014–present | FT Lead Independent Trustee Edith E. Holiday is also a Hess director (1993–present), indicating an information-flow interlock with another FT Trustee |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Senior regulatory and macro risk experience as EVP at FRBNY, including emerging markets leadership and internal affairs oversight .
- Extensive governance and policy network engagements (CFR, Economic Club of NY, Foreign Policy Association, Council of the Americas) .
- Audit Committee charter requires independence and financial literacy for all members; at least one “audit committee financial expert” must be designated annually by the Board (charter requirement; individual designation not specified) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| FT fund holdings (dollar range) | None |
| Aggregate holdings across Franklin Templeton complex | Over $100,000 |
| Shares outstanding (FT) | 25,131,894 (as of Jan 10, 2025) |
| Officers/Trustees group ownership | Less than 1% of FT outstanding shares |
| Ownership guidelines/policy | Trustees must invest one-third of fees in Franklin/Templeton funds until holdings equal/exceed 5× annual retainer + regular meeting fees; three-year phase-in for new Trustees; existing holdings as of Feb 27, 1998 valued at that date, subsequent investments at cost |
| Pledging/Hedging | Not disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent Trustee since 2018; Chair of Audit Committee (central to financial reporting integrity and auditor oversight); member of Nominating Committee; prior FRBNY executive leadership; attendance ≥75% across Board/committee obligations in FY2024; robust complex-wide ownership policy encourages alignment .
- Alignment: No FT-specific fund holdings but “Over $100,000” aggregate across the complex; policy targets holdings ≥5× retainer+meeting fees over time .
- Interlocks/Conflicts: Dual Hess directorships (Checki and Holiday) could create information-flow interlocks; independence monitored via Nominating Committee processes and NYSE/1940 Act standards .
- Attendance signal: No Trustees attended the March 7, 2024 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting; FT lacks a formal attendance policy for the ASM .
- Compensation risk: Compensation is fixed cash retainers and meeting fees; no performance-conditioned pay disclosed—typical for investment company trustees but limits explicit pay-for-performance linkage .
Audit Committee scope includes appointment/oversight of PwC, non-audit service pre-approvals, QLCC duties, and periodic independence reviews, reinforcing financial reporting and compliance oversight under the charter .