Robert Hepp
About Robert Hepp
Vice President (executive officer) of The India Fund, Inc. (IFN); officer since 2022. Year of Birth: 1986. Currently Senior Product Governance Manager—US at abrdn Inc.; joined abrdn in 2016 as a Senior Paralegal. IFN’s proxy does not provide officer compensation metrics because Fund officers are not paid by the Fund (they are abrdn employees; only reasonable out-of-pocket travel to Board meetings is reimbursed), and individual officer equity holdings are not broken out (the group of directors and executive officers held under 1% of shares as of April 1, 2025) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| The India Fund, Inc. (NYSE: IFN) | Vice President (executive officer) | Since 2022 | Supports fund governance/administration as part of abrdn’s product governance team |
| abrdn Inc. | Senior Product Governance Manager—US (current) | Current (as disclosed) | Product governance oversight for U.S. funds |
| abrdn Inc. | Senior Paralegal | Joined 2016 | Legal/product governance support foundation prior to current role |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | No external public company directorships disclosed in IFN proxy biography | — | — |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | FY 2024 Disclosure | FY 2025 Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary (from IFN) | Officers of the Fund do not receive any compensation directly from the Fund | Officers of the Fund do not receive any compensation directly from the Fund |
| Target/actual bonus (from IFN) | Not paid by the Fund (officers are abrdn employees) | Not paid by the Fund (officers are abrdn employees) |
| Other cash compensation (from IFN) | Not paid by the Fund | Not paid by the Fund |
| Travel expense reimbursement (from IFN) | Fund reimburses reasonable out‑of‑pocket travel for attending Board meetings | Fund reimburses reasonable out‑of‑pocket travel for attending Board meetings |
Performance Compensation
| Incentive element | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual/Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fund-level officer incentives | Not applicable—Fund officers are paid by abrdn; no Fund-linked bonus/PSU/option program disclosed | — | — | — | — |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Individual officer beneficial ownership detail | Proxy presents director-level ranges; officer-specific holdings not presented; as of Oct 31, 2023, no Director or executive officer >1% | Proxy presents director-level ranges; statement covers officers collectively (no individual officer >1%; group <1%) |
| Directors & executive officers as a group ownership | As of Oct 31, 2023, no Director or executive officer held >1% of IFN shares | As of Apr 1, 2025, directors and executive officers as a group held <1% of IFN shares |
| Section 16(a) filings | Reporting Persons timely filed required reports for FY 2023 | Reporting Persons timely filed required reports for FY 2024 |
Employment Terms
| Term | FY 2024 | FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Officer position | Vice President of IFN; officer since 2022 | Vice President of IFN; officer since 2022 |
| Appointment term | Officers are chosen annually to hold office until the next year and until successors are chosen and qualified | Officers are chosen annually to hold office until the next year and until successors are chosen and qualified |
| Employer/Primary role | abrdn Inc. – Senior Product Governance Manager—US | abrdn Inc. – Senior Product Governance Manager—US |
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance analysis at the Fund level is not applicable: IFN officers (including Hepp) receive no compensation directly from IFN; they are abrdn employees, and the proxy does not disclose abrdn salary/bonus/equity details or performance metric frameworks for these roles .
- Ownership alignment appears modest at the Fund level: as of April 1, 2025, the directors and executive officers as a group held under 1% of shares outstanding, and the proxy does not provide individual officer ownership detail beyond that statement and director ranges .
- Role-based influence and retention: Hepp is a non-portfolio, governance-focused officer (Product Governance at abrdn) serving as IFN Vice President since 2022; his remit centers on product/governance processes rather than investment decisions, implying limited direct linkage between personal incentives and IFN’s portfolio performance .
- Governance/controls signal: Section 16(a) ownership reports were timely for Reporting Persons in FY 2023 and FY 2024, suggesting a solid compliance posture that reduces governance red flags tied to insider reporting .