Stephanie Darling
About Stephanie Darling
Stephanie Darling is Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) of The Mexico Equity and Income Fund, Inc. (MXE), serving in this role since 2020; she was born in 1970 . Her core credentials include service as General Counsel and CCO of Bulldog Investors, LLP; CCO of Ryan Heritage, LLP; CCO roles with High Income Securities Fund, Total Return Securities Fund, and Special Opportunities Fund, Inc.; Principal of the Law Office of Stephanie Darling; and Editor-In-Chief of The Investment Lawyer . The fund’s proxy statements do not disclose officer compensation metrics (e.g., TSR, revenue, EBITDA) or any pay-for-performance frameworks for officers; compensation disclosure is limited to directors . MXE had 4,400,209 shares outstanding on the latest proxy record dates, providing context for ownership alignment analysis .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. | Chief Compliance Officer | Listed in 2023–2024 MXE proxies | Compliance oversight for a registered closed-end fund |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status/Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldog Investors, LLP | General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer | Current (past five years as disclosed) | Legal and compliance leadership for investment adviser |
| Ryan Heritage, LLP | Chief Compliance Officer | Current (past five years as disclosed) | Compliance leadership for SEC-registered investment adviser |
| High Income Securities Fund | Chief Compliance Officer | Current (past five years as disclosed) | Fund compliance oversight |
| Total Return Securities Fund | Chief Compliance Officer | Current (as of 2025 proxy) | Fund compliance oversight |
| Special Opportunities Fund, Inc. | Chief Compliance Officer | Current (past five years as disclosed) | Fund compliance oversight |
| The Law Office of Stephanie Darling | Principal | Current (past five years as disclosed) | Independent legal practice |
| The Investment Lawyer | Editor-In-Chief | Current (past five years as disclosed) | Industry publication leadership |
Fixed Compensation
The fund’s proxy statements disclose director compensation only; they do not include officer pay details (e.g., base salary, target bonus, pensions) for Stephanie Darling.
| Component | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed in MXE proxies | Not disclosed in MXE proxies | Not disclosed in MXE proxies |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed in MXE proxies | Not disclosed in MXE proxies | Not disclosed in MXE proxies |
| Actual bonus | Not disclosed in MXE proxies | Not disclosed in MXE proxies | Not disclosed in MXE proxies |
| Pensions/SERP | Fund states no director pension/retirement plan; officer plans not disclosed | Fund states no director pension/retirement plan; officer plans not disclosed | Fund states no director pension/retirement plan; officer plans not disclosed |
Performance Compensation
No officer incentive plan, performance metric targets, RSU/PSU structures, or option awards for Stephanie Darling are disclosed in MXE proxies.
| Metric/Instrument | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash incentive metrics (e.g., TSR, revenue, EBITDA) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| RSUs/PSUs | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Stock options | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership | Dollar range in MXE: None (no holdings reported) |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | Not disclosed numerically; MXE shares outstanding 4,400,209 on record date for proxies |
| Vested vs. unvested shares | Not disclosed |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed |
| Shares pledged as collateral | No pledging disclosed in beneficial ownership tables |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed |
| Compliance status with guidelines | Not disclosed |
| Code of Ethics (hedging/transactions) | Fund and Adviser codes restrict certain personal securities transactions under Rule 17j-1 and Advisers Act §204A/Rule 204A-1 |
| Section 16 filings | No late filings reported for covered persons in fiscal years ended July 31, 2025, 2024, 2023 |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employment start date | CCO “since 2020” |
| Years in current role | Not expressly quantified; role in place since 2020 |
| Contract term length/expiration | Not disclosed |
| Auto-renewal clauses | Not disclosed |
| Non-compete / geography / industry | Not disclosed |
| Non-solicit provisions | Not disclosed |
| Garden leave | Not disclosed |
| Post-termination consulting | Not disclosed |
Investment Implications
- Alignment and selling pressure: No reported MXE share ownership (dollar range “None”), implying minimal direct insider selling pressure or alignment via stock exposure for the CCO .
- Incentives: Proxies disclose director cash fees but provide no officer pay structures, performance metrics, equity awards, or severance/change-of-control terms for officers, limiting pay-for-performance visibility for Stephanie Darling .
- Governance and compliance signal: As CCO with extensive external compliance roles and with codes of ethics restricting personal transactions, the signal skews toward robust compliance oversight rather than trading catalysts; Section 16 reporting shows no late filings in recent years .
- Data gaps: Absence of officer compensation, equity awards, vesting schedules, and employment contract economics in proxies constrains analysis of retention risk, severance exposure, and change-of-control incentives; monitoring future Item 5.02 8-Ks and proxy updates is warranted .