Daniel Hughes
About Daniel Hughes
Daniel Hughes serves as Vice President and Ombudsman of The Gabelli Global Small and Mid Cap Value Trust (GGZ); year of birth 1996; in role since 2022. His recent professional background is within the Gabelli closed‑end fund complex, with prior analyst roles at G.research (2018–2019) and GAMCO Investors (2019–2021) . Fund filings do not disclose education, TSR or operating performance metrics tied to his compensation; GGZ is a closed‑end fund and officer compensation is governed at the fund complex level, with multi‑fund ad hoc Compensation Committees overseeing compensation of certain closed‑end fund officers .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.research, LLC | Analyst | 2018–2019 | Sell-side/issuer research experience feeding Gabelli complex investment processes |
| GAMCO Investors, Inc. | Analyst | 2019–2021 | Buy-side research within Gabelli complex; relevant to fund governance/ombudsman function |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed in GGZ filings | — | — | — |
Fixed Compensation
| Metric (USD) | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation Paid by GGZ to Daniel Hughes | $69,375 | $73,750 |
Notes:
- Amounts reflect compensation paid by GGZ; additional compensation may be paid by other funds in the Gabelli Fund Complex but is not itemized for Daniel in GGZ’s proxy .
Performance Compensation
- GGZ’s proxy does not disclose any performance‑based incentive plan details (targets, metrics, weighting, payout formulas, or vesting schedules) for Daniel Hughes; the fund references multi‑fund ad hoc Compensation Committees overseeing compensation for certain closed‑end fund officers but provides no metric‑level disclosure for Daniel .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership in GGZ (shares) | Not disclosed for Daniel Hughes; he does not appear in GGZ’s beneficial ownership table listing trustees/nominees and executive officers . |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Not disclosed . |
| Vested vs. unvested equity | Not disclosed (no RSU/PSU detail provided) . |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed . |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed . |
| Stock ownership guidelines & compliance | Not disclosed for officers; guidelines in GGZ filings pertain to trustees, not fund officers . |
| Section 16(a) reporting | Fund states such persons complied with filing requirements for FY 2024; no late filings noted for Daniel Hughes . For FY 2023, one late Form 4 was noted for Kevin V. Dreyer; none for Daniel . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | Officer since 2022 (Vice President & Ombudsman) . |
| Contract term, auto‑renewal | Not disclosed in GGZ filings . |
| Severance provisions (salary/bonus multiples) | Not disclosed . |
| Change‑of‑control (single/double trigger; vesting) | Not disclosed . |
| Clawback provisions | Not disclosed . |
| Non‑compete / non‑solicit | Not disclosed . |
| Governance of officer compensation | Overseen at the fund complex via multi‑fund ad hoc Compensation Committees (CCO and certain closed‑end fund officers) . |
Board Governance
- Daniel Hughes is not a trustee; GGZ lists him among officers (Vice President and Ombudsman). Board leadership and committee responsibilities are held by trustees; the fund’s independent trustees chair all committees .
Say‑on‑Pay & Shareholder Feedback
- GGZ does not present say‑on‑pay votes typical of operating companies; trustee compensation and officer compensation summaries are disclosed, but no shareholder advisory vote on compensation is provided .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Officer compensation disclosed for Daniel is modest at the fund level and lacks performance‑metric detail, limiting pay‑for‑performance analysis; no equity awards or fund share ownership are disclosed, reducing observable “skin‑in‑the‑game” alignment .
- Retention/pressure signals: Absence of disclosed equity grants, options, vesting schedules, or pledging reduces near‑term insider‑selling pressure signals; Section 16(a) compliance suggests routine governance hygiene, with no red‑flag filings for Daniel .
- Governance context: Compensation oversight occurs via multi‑fund ad hoc Compensation Committees for closed‑end fund officers; without severance/change‑of‑control disclosures, investors lack visibility into exit economics and incentive levers for Daniel’s role .
- Overall: For trading or governance signals tied to Daniel specifically, current GGZ disclosures are limited to cash compensation totals and officer role history; monitoring future proxies and any Item 5.02 8‑Ks would be necessary to detect changes in incentives, employment terms, or ownership that could affect alignment and retention .