Alan Goodson
About Alan Goodson
Alan Goodson (Year of Birth: 1974) serves as Director and President of The India Fund, Inc. (IFN) and is classified as an “interested” Director due to his officer role at abrdn Inc., the Fund’s administrator . He is Executive Director and Head of Product & Client Solutions—Americas at abrdn Inc., overseeing Product Management & Governance, Product Development, and Client Solutions for registered and unregistered investment companies in the U.S., Brazil, and Canada; he joined abrdn in 2000 . As President, he signs Fund shareholder communications, including the Semi-Annual Report; over the periods ended June 30, 2024, IFN delivered NAV total returns of 9.34% (10-year), 10.09% (5-year), 8.81% (3-year), 31.19% (1-year), and 17.03% (6 months), versus the MSCI India Index’s 9.45% (10-year), 13.62% (5-year), 13.45% (3-year), 34.36% (1-year), and 16.90% (6 months) . In FY 2024, the Board held five regular and two special meetings; each Director attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Inc. | Executive Director; Head of Product & Client Solutions—Americas | Joined 2000; current | Oversees Product Management & Governance, Product Development, and Client Solutions for U.S., Brazil, Canada investment companies . |
| The India Fund, Inc. | President | Officer since 2011 | Fund officer leadership; signs shareholder letters and implements Board actions (e.g., rights offering process support) . |
| abrdn Inc. | Director and Vice President | Current | Corporate leadership roles within abrdn Inc. . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other public companies / registered investment companies (outside abrdn Fund Complex) | None | N/A | No other board memberships disclosed . |
| abrdn Fund Complex | Director across registrants | Current | Oversees 3 Registrants consisting of 3 Portfolios within the Fund Complex . |
Fixed Compensation
- Officers of the Fund and Directors who are interested persons do not receive compensation directly from the Fund (they may be reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses to attend Board meetings) .
- FY 2024 Director compensation: Goodson received $0 from IFN and $0 aggregate from the Fund Complex .
| Fiscal Year | Aggregate Compensation from IFN | Total Compensation from Fund and Fund Complex |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2024 | $0 | $0 |
The Fund does not provide any pension or retirement benefits to Directors .
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based or equity compensation is disclosed as paid by IFN to “interested” Directors or Fund officers; Goodson received no director compensation from IFN in FY 2024 .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| As of Date | Dollar Range of IFN Equity Securities | Aggregate Dollar Range in Aberdeen Family of Investment Companies |
|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | $10,001 — $50,000 | $50,001 — $100,000 |
- No Director or executive officer, individually or as a group, held ≥1% of IFN’s outstanding shares as of April 1, 2025 .
- Late Section 16(a) Form 4: a late filing was submitted for Alan Goodson regarding an open-market purchase of IFN shares (fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2022), indicating at least one disclosed purchase; timing was late but subsequently reported .
- No disclosures found regarding pledging or hedging of IFN stock by Goodson in IFN’s filings searched [Search performed across DEF 14A, N-CSRS, 8-K; no match returned].
Employment Terms
- Employment terms (base salary, bonus targets, severance, change-of-control provisions, non-compete) for Goodson are not disclosed in IFN filings; as an officer of abrdn Inc., compensation and contractual terms would be governed by abrdn Inc., not IFN .
Board Governance
- Board service: Director (Class I) since 2021; term expires in 2027 . President of the Fund (officer) since 2011 .
- Independence: “Interested Director” due to affiliation with abrdn Inc., the Fund’s administrator .
- Committee roles: Independent-only Audit and Nominating Committees; Goodson is not listed as a member .
- Audit Committee chair changes:
- June 2024: Nisha Kumar appointed Audit Committee Chair .
- FY 2024 proxy (April 14, 2025): Rahn K. Porter listed as Audit Committee Chair; members include Rubio and Yao .
- Board activity: Five regular and two special meetings in FY 2024; each Director attended ≥75% of Board/committee meetings .
- Annual meeting attendance: No Directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
| Governance Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Director Class/Term | Class I; term to 2027 | |
| Officer Tenure | President since 2011 | |
| Independence | Interested Director | |
| Audit Committee (FY 2024 proxy) | Chair: Porter; Members: Rubio, Yao | |
| Audit Committee (June 2024) | Chair: Nisha Kumar | |
| Board Meetings FY 2024 | 5 regular; 2 special | |
| Attendance Threshold | Each Director ≥75% | |
| Annual Meeting Attendance (2024) | None attended |
Performance Context (Fund Returns)
| Periods (oldest → newest) | NAV Total Return | Market Price Return | MSCI India Index (Net) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Years (ended 6/30/2024) | 9.34% | 9.21% | 9.45% |
| 5 Years (ended 6/30/2024) | 10.09% | 10.04% | 13.62% |
| 3 Years (ended 6/30/2024) | 8.81% | 7.60% | 13.45% |
| 1 Year (ended 6/30/2024) | 31.19% | 18.41% | 34.36% |
| 6 Months (ended 6/30/2024) | 17.03% | 2.47% | 16.90% |
Additional Board actions during 2024 included a transferable rights offering (subscription price at 93% of NAV on expiration; 6,442,659 shares subscribed; gross proceeds ≈$110 million) and appointment of Nancy Yao as Chair of the Board, reflecting active capital and governance management under the Board and President’s oversight . Rights certificates and related documents were executed by President Alan Goodson (signature) .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Goodson receives no compensation from IFN as an “interested” Director/officer; thus, IFN-specific pay-for-performance levers are limited. Alignment comes primarily via share ownership ($10k–$50k in IFN; $50k–$100k across Aberdeen family) and abrdn Inc. roles, but detailed abrdn compensation metrics are not disclosed in IFN filings .
- Retention risk: Long tenure at abrdn Inc. since 2000 and ongoing leadership as President of IFN suggest stability; however, employment terms (severance/COC) are not disclosed in IFN filings, limiting visibility into contractual retention protections .
- Trading signals: Documented open-market purchase (late Form 4 filed) indicates at least one instance of personal capital commitment; ongoing managed distributions and 2024 rights offering reflect proactive capital policy which can influence discount/premium dynamics, but causality to executive actions cannot be inferred from filings alone .
- Governance and dual-role implications: Goodson’s dual role (President + Director) and “interested” status heighten potential conflict-of-interest considerations; mitigating factors include independent-only committees (Audit/Nominating), changing Audit leadership, and disclosed Board oversight of fees, performance, and conflicts across abrdn affiliates .