John C. Ball
About John C. Ball
John C. Ball is the President, Treasurer, and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer of The Gabelli Healthcare & WellnessRx Trust (GRX), serving since 2017; his officer term is indefinite until resignation/retirement or successor election . He was born in 1976 and also holds external roles as Senior Vice President of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (since 2018) and Chief Executive Officer of G.distributors, LLC (since 2020) . The 2025 proxy lists his titles and tenure but does not disclose education, TSR, revenue, or EBITDA performance metrics for GRX officers . As of December 31, 2024, Ball beneficially owned 26 GRX common shares (<1% of outstanding), indicating limited direct economic exposure; the Fund reported that Section 16(a) filers complied during 2024 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Fund Complex (registered investment companies) | Officer | Since 2017 | Not disclosed |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAMCO Investors, Inc. | Senior Vice President | Since 2018 | Not disclosed |
| G.distributors, LLC | Chief Executive Officer | Since 2020 | Not disclosed |
Fixed Compensation
- The proxy’s compensation table covers Trustees and officers “if any, who were compensated by the Fund rather than the Adviser” for FY2024; John C. Ball is not listed, indicating no GRX-paid compensation disclosed for him in 2024 (compensation paid by the Adviser is not disclosed in this proxy) .
- Trustee retainers and meeting fees are specified, but officer cash compensation beyond the one listed (Bethany Uhlein) is not provided; no base salary, target bonus, or actual bonus for Ball are disclosed in the proxy .
Performance Compensation
- No disclosure for Ball’s incentive design (metrics, weighting, targets/actuals, payout, or vesting) in the GRX proxy .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Common Shares Beneficially Owned | 26 shares |
| Percent of Shares Outstanding | <1% (asterisk denoting less than 1%) |
| Preferred Shares Beneficially Owned | None disclosed for Ball |
| Vested vs. Unvested Shares | Not disclosed |
| Options (Exercisable/Unexercisable, ITM Value) | Not disclosed |
| Shares Pledged as Collateral | Not disclosed |
| Stock Ownership Guidelines (officers) | Not disclosed in the proxy |
Context: On the record date, GRX had 15,498,074 common shares outstanding; the proxy uses coded dollar ranges and asterisks for percentage disclosure, with Ball disclosed at 26 shares and “*” denoting less than 1% .
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Officer Titles | President, Treasurer, Principal Financial and Accounting Officer |
| Start Date / Tenure | Since 2017; officer service listed as “Since 2017” |
| Term Length | Indefinite; holds office until resignation/retirement or successor is elected and qualified |
| Employment Agreement | Not disclosed |
| Severance | Not disclosed |
| Change-of-Control | Not disclosed |
| Clawbacks | Not disclosed |
| Non-compete / Non-solicit | Not disclosed |
| Deferred Compensation / Pension / SERP | Not disclosed |
| Perquisites | Not disclosed |
Risk Indicators & Governance Notes
- Section 16(a) compliance: Based solely on Forms 3/4 reviews, the Fund believes covered persons complied with filing requirements during FY2024 .
- Control share statute: The proxy provides extensive context on Delaware Statutory Trust Act control share acquisition provisions applicable to GRX; although governance-relevant, no officer-specific restrictions or pledging/hedging disclosures for Ball are provided .
- Meeting attendance and governance processes are described at the Board level, but Ball is not a Trustee and thus not tied to committee roles in this proxy .
Investment Implications
- Limited skin-in-the-game: Ball’s direct beneficial ownership is 26 GRX common shares (<1%), suggesting modest personal alignment with common shareholders; the proxy does not disclose officer ownership guidelines or pledging for Ball, constraining alignment assessment .
- Pay transparency gap: GRX’s proxy reports trustee compensation and notes officers “if any” paid by the Fund, but provides no cash or equity compensation detail for Ball—reducing visibility into pay-for-performance linkages and potential vesting-related selling pressure .
- Retention risk appears low from governance mechanics alone: Ball’s officer term is indefinite until resignation/retirement or successor election, and there are no disclosed severance/change‑of‑control terms that might create departure incentives; however, absence of disclosures limits a definitive view on retention economics .
- Trading signals: No Form 4 activity, option grants, or vesting schedules disclosed in this proxy for Ball; without insider trading data, there are no document‑based indicators of near‑term selling pressure .