David Schachter
About David Schachter
David I. Schachter (born 1953) serves as Vice President and Ombudsman of GDV and other closed‑end funds within the Gabelli Fund Complex; he has held the GDV officer role since 2011. He is also Senior Vice President of G.research, LLC (since 2015), and previously served as Vice President at G.research (1999–2015) . GDV’s proxy statements do not disclose his education, individual performance metrics (TSR, revenue or EBITDA growth), or investment decision responsibilities .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.research, LLC | Vice President | 1999–2015 | Long‑tenured research leadership within Gabelli ecosystem |
| G.research, LLC | Senior Vice President | 2015–present | Senior role supporting research and fund complex operations |
| Gabelli Fund Complex (closed‑end funds including GDV) | Vice President and/or Ombudsman | 2011–present | Ombudsman/VP across closed‑end funds; continuity of fund governance operations |
External Roles
GDV proxy statements list no outside public company directorships or external board roles for David Schachter .
Fixed Compensation
- GDV reports cash compensation for Trustees and, when applicable, certain officers paid directly by the Fund; in 2024 the only officer compensated by GDV was the Vice President and Ombudsman Carter W. Austin ($92,894). There is no individual compensation disclosure for David Schachter (no salary/bonus line items) in GDV proxies reviewed (2019, 2024, 2025) .
- Trustees’ standard fees (retainer and meeting fees) are disclosed, but do not apply to Schachter, who is an officer rather than a Trustee .
Performance Compensation
- GDV’s proxy statements do not disclose any performance‑based incentives (RSUs/PSUs/options, targets, weightings, payout formulas, vesting schedules) for David Schachter .
- No equity award grants, repricings, or discretionary bonus provisions are reported for him in the reviewed proxies .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Beneficial ownership tables in GDV’s proxies enumerate Trustees and designated “executive officers.” David Schachter does not appear in these beneficial ownership tables in 2019, 2024, or 2025; GDV therefore provides no reported share count, percentage ownership, or pledged shares for him .
- GDV reports Section 16(a) compliance for insiders; the 2025 proxy notes one late Form 3 by Trustee Astorino and no reporting exceptions for Schachter .
Employment Terms
- GDV’s proxy statements do not disclose an employment agreement, severance/change‑of‑control terms, non‑compete/non‑solicit provisions, garden leave, or post‑termination consulting arrangements for David Schachter .
Investment Implications
- Transparency: Absence of disclosed salary/bonus/equity awards and ownership data limits pay‑for‑performance and alignment analysis for Schachter. This is typical for externally managed closed‑end funds where many officers are employees of the adviser rather than the fund itself .
- Retention/continuity: Long tenure since 2011 and senior role at G.research suggest operational continuity in fund governance processes, but no contract or retention bonus disclosures to assess retention risk triggers .
- Trading signals: With no reported equity holdings or option awards and no insider trade exceptions cited for Schachter, there are no observable insider‑selling pressures or pledging red flags from GDV’s disclosures .
- Governance context: Compensation and voting structures at GDV center on Trustees and the adviser relationship; executive officer incentives are not granularly disclosed, reinforcing a focus on fund‑level distribution policy, NAV/discount management, and Board actions rather than individual officer incentives .