Laurie J. Thomsen
About Laurie J. Thomsen
Laurie J. Thomsen (age 67) is an Independent Trustee for MFS Government Markets Income Trust (MGF), serving since March 2005 and expected to retire effective December 31, 2025 under the Board’s retirement policy . She is a private investor with prior venture capital leadership experience and currently serves as a director at The Travelers Companies and Dycom Industries .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prism Venture Partners | Co-founding General Partner | Not disclosed | Venture financing expertise |
| New Profit, Inc. | Executive Partner | Not disclosed | Venture philanthropy leadership |
| HarbourVest Partners | General Partner | Not disclosed | Venture capital investing |
External Roles
| Company | Role | Tenure | Committees/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Travelers Companies | Director | Not disclosed | Public company board service |
| Dycom Industries, Inc. | Director | Since 2015 (as disclosed) | Public company board service |
Board Governance
- Independent Trustee; the Board has 12 Trustees, 11 Independent, and all seven standing Committees consist exclusively of Independent Trustees .
- Retirement policy: Independent Trustees retire at age 75, 15 years of service, or 20 years if joined before 2015; Thomsen will reach 20 years and retire December 31, 2025 .
- Chair of Trustees: John P. Kavanaugh .
- Independent Trustees meet separately with counsel at each regular meeting and regularly with the Trusts’ Chief Compliance Officer; Board oversees risk management reports from MFS .
- Attendance: During fiscal years ended Oct 31, 2024 and Nov 30, 2024, each Trust held six Board meetings and each Trustee attended at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings .
| Committee | Meetings (FY) | Functions | Thomsen’s Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Committee | 8 | Accounting/auditing oversight; auditor selection; complaint procedures | Not listed as member |
| Compliance Committee | 4 | Trust/MFS compliance oversight | Member |
| Contracts Review Committee | 4 | Advisory/underwriting/12b-1 renewal reviews | Member (All Independent Trustees) |
| Nomination & Compensation Committee | 2 | Trustee nominations; compensation standards | Member (All Independent Trustees) |
Fixed Compensation
- Trustee compensation is cash-only; interested Trustees receive no compensation from the Trusts .
- MGF-specific aggregate cash paid to Thomsen (FY ended Nov 30, 2024): $436 .
- Complex-wide total compensation to Thomsen (calendar 2024; 134 funds): $474,500 .
- Retirement benefits accrued as part of Trust expense: None .
| Metric | FY 2024 (MGF) | Calendar 2024 (Fund Complex) |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Cash Paid by MGF | $436 | — |
| Retirement Benefits Accrued | None | — |
| Total Trustee Compensation (Complex) | — | $474,500 |
Performance Compensation
- No performance-based equity or cash for Independent Trustees; no stock, options, PSUs/RSUs disclosed for directors of the Trusts .
| Element | Disclosure |
|---|---|
| Performance Metrics (TSR, EBITDA, ESG) | Not applicable for Independent Trustees |
| Equity Awards (RSUs/Options) | Not disclosed/not applicable |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Potential Interlock/Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| The Travelers Companies | Outside Director | No related-party transactions disclosed in Trust proxies; committee service at Trusts remains independent |
| Dycom Industries, Inc. | Outside Director | No related-party transactions disclosed in Trust proxies; committee service at Trusts remains independent |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Venture capital financing experience; senior roles at Prism, New Profit, HarbourVest .
- Ongoing public company board experience at Travelers and Dycom .
- Independent status with multi-committee oversight experience (compliance, nominations, contracts review) .
Equity Ownership
- Group holdings: Trustees and Officers of each Trust as a group owned less than 1% of outstanding shares as of July 31, 2025 .
- Ownership guideline: Each Independent Trustee must invest, within two years of Board membership, an amount equal to prior year base retainer + meeting fees in shares of MFS Funds .
- Historical ranges (2016): Thomsen—Trust (MGF): None; Aggregate in all MFS Funds overseen: Over $100,000 .
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Group beneficial ownership (as of Jul 31, 2025) | <1% of any Trust |
| Director ownership guideline | Prior year cash retainer + meeting fees, within 2 years |
| Thomsen ownership (2016, MGF) | None |
| Thomsen aggregate (2016, all MFS Funds) | Over $100,000 |
Insider Trades
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Section 16(a) reporting compliance (latest historical disclosure) | All transactions reported on a timely basis (2016 disclosure) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent Trustee with long tenure; multiple governance committee roles (Compliance, Nomination & Compensation, Contracts Review) reinforce board oversight; independent-only committee composition and regular executive sessions indicate robust board processes .
- Alignment: Mandatory ownership guideline for Independent Trustees supports skin-in-the-game; Thomsen had over $100,000 aggregate holdings across MFS Funds (historical disclosure) .
- Transitions: Planned retirement Dec 31, 2025 mitigates entrenchment risk and prompts succession planning; Nomination & Compensation Committee has formal charter and process for candidates .
- Compensation: Cash-only structure with modest per-trust fees and no equity/options reduces pay-related conflicts; no retirement benefits accrued at Trust level .
- RED FLAGS: None disclosed regarding related-party transactions, hedging/pledging, tax gross-ups, or option repricing; attendance meets ≥75% threshold across Trustees .