Susan Watson Laughlin
About Susan Watson Laughlin
Independent director of The Gabelli Multimedia Trust Inc. (GGT) since February 13, 2024; term continues until the 2027 Annual Meeting. Born 1952; CFA charterholder. Background spans executive search (Spencer Stuart, 2010–2016), investor relations leadership (past President of the Investor Relations Association), and prior roles across IR, sell-side research, and corporate finance/media analytics. Education: BA, University of Southern California; MA, City College of New York .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Stuart (Global Executive Search) | Executive Search Associate (board placements) | 2010–2016 | Board candidate research (governance exposure) |
| Investor Relations Association | President | 1998–2000 | Led professional body for IR executives |
| MCI, Inc.; Interpublic Group; PepsiCo, Inc.; Nielsen Media Research; Gannett Co. | Investor Relations Executive (various companies) | Not disclosed | Corporate IR and capital markets interface |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. | Senior Media Analyst | Not disclosed | Sell-side/media coverage |
| EF Hutton & Co. | Senior Media Analyst and Assistant Vice President | Not disclosed | Sell-side research |
| Metromedia, Inc. | Vice President (Financial Relations) | Not disclosed | Financial relations leadership |
| Scudder, Stevens & Clark | Vice President (Research) | Not disclosed | Buy-side research |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure/Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PMV Consumer Acquisition Corp. | Director | Current (as of 2025 proxy) | External public company directorship; see interlocks below |
Board Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Board service start date | February 13, 2024 |
| Term expiration | 2027 Annual Meeting (or until successor elected) |
| Independence status | Independent Director under 1940 Act (not an “interested person”) |
| Committees (GGT) | None disclosed for Ms. Laughlin. Audit Committee: Birch (Chair), Roeder, Zizza. Nominating Committee: Fahrenkopf (Chair), Zizza. Lead Independent Director: James P. Conn. Ad hoc committees include Proxy Voting (Conn), Pricing (selected members), and multi-fund Compensation Committees (Roeder, Zizza) . |
| Board meetings (FY2024) | 4 meetings; each Director then serving attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings . |
| Annual shareholder meeting attendance (2024) | The Fund does not expect attendance; none of the Directors/nominees attended the May 13, 2024 annual meeting . |
| Executive sessions | Independent Directors meet regularly in executive session; Lead Independent Director presides . |
| Portfolios overseen in Fund Complex | 2 . |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (Independent Directors) | $6,000 | Paid by GGT |
| Board meeting fee | $500 per meeting | Paid by GGT |
| Committee member fee | $1,000 per meeting | Paid by GGT |
| Audit Committee Chair fee | $3,000 annual | Paid by GGT |
| Nominating Committee Chair fee | $2,000 annual | Paid by GGT |
| Lead Independent Director fee | $2,000 annual | Paid by GGT |
| Ms. Laughlin – Aggregate compensation from GGT (FY2024) | $7,291 | Fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2024 |
| Ms. Laughlin – Aggregate compensation from Fund Complex (FY2024) | $33,291 | Across funds in the complex; (2) portfolios |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Disclosure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RSUs/PSUs | None disclosed | GGT director pay comprised of cash retainers/meeting fees; proxy table shows cash only . |
| Stock options | None disclosed | No option awards indicated . |
| Performance metrics (revenue, EBITDA, TSR, ESG) | None disclosed | No performance-conditioned equity or cash for Independent Directors . |
| Clawbacks/COC/severance (director) | Not disclosed | Typical for fund directors to have fee-based compensation only; no provisions disclosed in proxy . |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Interlock Detail |
|---|---|---|
| PMV Consumer Acquisition Corp. | Ms. Laughlin: Director | Daniel E. Zucchi (GGT Independent Director) also Director of PMV Consumer Acquisition Corp; James P. Conn (GGT Lead Independent Director) holds PMV Consumer Acquisition Corp warrants (value $3 as of 12/31/2024) . |
| Gabelli Fund Complex (registered funds) | All GGT Directors also serve on other funds in the complex | Common adviser affiliation; Ms. Laughlin oversees 2 portfolios in the complex . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- CFA charterholder; governance/executive search experience (board placements), extensive IR leadership, and prior sell-side and buy-side research roles .
- Education: BA (University of Southern California) and MA (City College of New York) .
- Past President, Investor Relations Association (1998–2000) .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares beneficially owned | 5,072 shares | December 31, 2024 . |
| Percent of shares outstanding | <1% | Based on proxy asterisk convention . |
| Dollar range of equity in GGT | “C” = $10,001 – $50,000 | December 31, 2024 . |
| Aggregate dollar range in Fund Complex | “E” = Over $100,000 | December 31, 2024 . |
| Preferred shares | Not indicated for Ms. Laughlin | Table lists only common for Ms. Laughlin . |
| Shares pledged/hedged | Not disclosed | No pledging/hedging disclosures for Ms. Laughlin in proxy . |
Insider Trading and Section 16 Compliance
| Period | Filings/Notes |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | Fund states Section 16(a) compliance for covered insiders during 2024, except one late Form 4 by Mr. Birch; no exceptions cited for Ms. Laughlin . |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and credentials: Independent director since 2/13/2024 with CFA and deep IR/executive search background; strengthens investor communications and board composition oversight .
- Engagement and attendance: Board held 4 meetings in FY2024; each Director then serving met at least the 75% attendance threshold; independent directors meet regularly in executive session led by the Lead Independent Director .
- Compensation alignment: Cash-only fees with modest fund-level pay ($7,291 at GGT; $33,291 across the complex in 2024), no equity or performance-conditioned awards—limits pay-for-performance risk and potential entrenchment concerns .
- Ownership alignment: 5,072 GGT shares; dollar range C ($10,001–$50,000) in GGT and E (> $100,000) across the fund complex—demonstrates some skin-in-the-game though <1% ownership, as expected for a closed-end fund director .
- Interlocks/conflicts: External directorship at PMV Consumer Acquisition Corp with interlocks to fellow GGT directors (Zucchi as director; Conn with PMV warrants); not per se a related-party transaction but worth monitoring for information flow and overlapping commitments .
- Committees: No GGT committee assignments disclosed for Ms. Laughlin to date, which may limit direct influence over audit/nomination processes until assignments evolve with tenure .
- Shareholder meeting attendance: None of the Directors/nominees attended the May 13, 2024 annual meeting; the fund does not expect attendance, mitigating the interpretive risk of disengagement .
RED FLAGS/watch items for investors:
- Multiple interlocks around PMV Consumer Acquisition Corp across GGT independent directors (monitor for potential perceived conflicts or coordination risks) .
- No committee assignments disclosed for Ms. Laughlin yet (early tenure; reassess as roles are assigned) .