Glenn McWhinnie
About Glenn McWhinnie
Glenn McWhinnie serves as Assistant Treasurer of Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (GOF) and other funds in the complex, a role he has held since 2016; he is also Vice President at Guggenheim Investments since 2009, and previously was a Tax Compliance Manager at Ernst & Young LLP from 1996–2009 (Year of birth: 1969) . Fund officers receive no compensation from the Funds (compensation is paid by Guggenheim Investments or affiliates), and the proxy does not present officer-specific performance metrics such as TSR, revenue growth, or EBITDA growth .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guggenheim Investments | Vice President | 2009–present | Not disclosed in fund filings |
| Guggenheim Strategic Opportunities Fund (and other Funds in complex) | Assistant Treasurer | Since 2016 | Not disclosed in fund filings |
| Ernst & Young LLP | Tax Compliance Manager | 1996–2009 | Not disclosed in fund filings |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst & Young LLP | Tax Compliance Manager | 1996–2009 | Prior external employer before joining Guggenheim Investments |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Disclosure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed in GOF proxy; officers receive no compensation from the Funds | Compensation paid by Adviser/Sub-Adviser or affiliates (not detailed in fund filings) |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed | — |
| Actual bonus paid | Not disclosed | — |
| Cash retainer | Not applicable at the Fund level for officers | Officers are not paid by the Funds |
Performance Compensation
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not disclosed for fund officers | — | — | — | — | — |
- The Board does not have a standing compensation committee, and fund proxies do not provide officer pay-for-performance structures .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership (individual) | Not disclosed for individual officers in proxy |
| Group ownership | Trustees and officers as a group owned less than 1% of outstanding Shares of each Fund as of December 31, 2024 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding (individual) | Not disclosed |
| Vested vs. unvested shares | Not disclosed |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for officers |
Additional fund context:
- GOF Shares Outstanding: 162,405,961 as of February 14, 2025 (record date) .
- Section 16(a) reporting compliance: Fund believes all required insider ownership filings were timely for the most recent fiscal year .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment start date (Guggenheim Investments) | Vice President since 2009 |
| Years in current role | Assistant Treasurer since 2016 |
| Contract length/expiration | Officers serve at the pleasure of the Board; specific contract terms not disclosed |
| Compensation source | Officers receive no compensation from the Funds; may receive compensation from Adviser/Sub-Adviser or affiliates |
| Non-compete/non-solicit/garden leave | Not disclosed |
| Severance and change-of-control | Not disclosed |
| Clawbacks/tax gross-ups | Not disclosed |
| Deferred compensation/pensions/perquisites | Not disclosed |
Board governance context (for compensation oversight):
- The Board has standing committees (Executive, Audit, Nominating & Governance, Contracts Review, Valuation Oversight); no standing compensation committee .
Investment Implications
- Limited visibility into incentive alignment: Officer compensation is paid by the Adviser and is not disclosed in fund proxies; the Fund lacks a standing compensation committee, constraining pay-for-performance analysis and direct linkage to GOF outcomes from public filings .
- Retention risk appears low on tenure signals: McWhinnie’s long tenure (VP since 2009; Assistant Treasurer since 2016) suggests operational continuity in fund administration and treasury functions .
- Insider selling pressure likely limited at the Fund level: Trustees and officers as a group own less than 1% of outstanding shares, indicating modest direct equity exposure; however, individual officer stakes are not disclosed, so conclusions should be cautious .
- Governance/controls: Section 16(a) compliance is affirmed for the most recent fiscal year, indicating timely insider reporting and standard governance hygiene; risk oversight and valuation functions are chaired by independent trustees, with no compensation committee coverage for officers .
Bottom line: From fund filings, McWhinnie’s compensation mechanics, equity alignment, and severance economics are not disclosed at the Fund level; tenure stability is a positive for continuity, but lack of disclosure limits use of his personal incentives as a trading or compensation-alignment signal .