Christopher Kings
About Christopher Kings
Christopher Kings (year of birth: 1974) serves as Chief Executive Officer – Finance and Administration of Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust (FTF) and is an officer across the Franklin Templeton fund complex; his principal occupation for at least the last five years is Senior Vice President at Franklin Templeton Services, LLC . He assumed the CEO – Finance and Administration role at FTF in 2024, after serving as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer beginning in 2022 . Officers of the Fund are appointed by the Trustees and “serve at the pleasure of the Board,” and the Investment Manager (Franklin Advisers, Inc.) or its affiliates pay officer salaries and expenses (i.e., officer compensation is not borne by the Fund) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust (FTF) | Chief Executive Officer – Finance and Administration | Since 2024 | Fund officer role overseeing finance and administration; officer of certain Franklin Templeton funds . |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust (FTF) | Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer | Since 2022 (prior role) | Fund finance leadership; officer of certain Franklin Templeton funds . |
| Franklin Templeton Services, LLC | Senior Vice President | Not disclosed (described as principal occupation during at least the past 5 years) | Corporate services affiliate providing administration; Kings’ principal occupation . |
External Roles
Not disclosed in the FTF proxy statements reviewed for 2023–2025; Kings’ biographies reference Franklin Templeton roles and do not list outside directorships or external public roles .
Fixed Compensation
Officer compensation is not reported by the Fund; salaries and expenses of officers are paid by the Investment Manager or its affiliates (not Fund expenses) .
| Component | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Paid by Investment Manager or affiliates; not borne by FTF . |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | No officer cash comp tables in FTF proxy . |
| Actual bonus paid | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not in Fund expenses or proxy tables . |
| Perquisites/pension | No pension or retirement benefits accrued as Fund expenses | No pension or retirement benefits accrued as Fund expenses | No pension or retirement benefits accrued as Fund expenses | Pension expense explicitly not borne by FTF . |
Performance Compensation
No performance-based cash metrics or equity incentive details for Fund officers are disclosed in FTF’s proxy; officer compensation is handled by the Investment Manager/affiliates and not itemized by the Fund .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed for Fund officers | — | — | — | — | — |
| Note: Officer compensation/incentives, if any, are administered by Franklin Advisers, Inc. or its affiliates and not reported by the Fund . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shares outstanding (as of Aug 4, 2025) | 40,405,374 Common Shares . |
| Principal shareholder | First Trust Portfolios L.P./affiliates: 3,756,224 shares (9.30%) as of Jan 17, 2024 filing; shared dispositive power . |
| Officer/Trustee ownership disclosure | Individual officer ownership (including Kings) is not itemized; Trustees disclose dollar ranges; Officers and Trustees as a group owned less than 1% of outstanding Common Shares as of Aug 4, 2025 . |
| Pledging/hedging | No pledging or hedging disclosure specific to Fund officers in the proxy statements reviewed . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Appointment & term | Officers are appointed by the Trustees and serve at the pleasure of the Board . |
| Employment agreement | Not disclosed in FTF proxy statements; no officer contracts presented . |
| Severance / change-of-control | Not disclosed in FTF proxy statements . |
| Clawback | Not disclosed in FTF proxy statements . |
| Non-compete / non-solicit | Not disclosed in FTF proxy statements . |
Investment Implications
- Compensation transparency: Because officer salaries/expenses are paid by Franklin Advisers, Inc. or affiliates and not reported by the Fund, there is no visibility into Kings’ pay mix, targets, or performance linkage in FTF’s proxy—limiting pay-for-performance assessment at the Fund level .
- Equity alignment: Individual officer ownership in FTF is not itemized and the Officers and Trustees as a group held less than 1% of outstanding shares as of Aug 4, 2025, implying minimal direct alignment signals from Fund-level equity and limited scope to infer insider selling pressure from vesting schedules (which are undisclosed) .
- Retention/continuity: Kings’ progression from CFO/CAO/Treasurer (since 2022) to CEO – Finance & Administration (since 2024) suggests internal continuity and expanding responsibility within Franklin Templeton’s fund complex; retention dynamics are primarily tied to Franklin Templeton corporate policies rather than Fund-level contracts .
- Monitoring: Given limited proxy disclosure for Fund officers, monitor future proxies for any changes to officer roles and any Form 4 filings or 8-Ks at the Fund level that could indicate transitions; the Fund confirms officers serve at the pleasure of the Board, underscoring Board-driven governance rather than contractual terms .
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