Claudia A. Brandon
About Claudia A. Brandon
Claudia A. Brandon (born 1956) serves as Executive Vice President (since 2008) and Secretary (since 2021) of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc. (NBXG), and is a Senior Vice President at Neuberger Berman and NBIA with continuous fund-complex service dating back to 1984 . As Secretary, she is the designated contact for stockholder communications and director nomination submissions for the Funds . Officers employed by NBIA serve without compensation from the Funds; no fund-level TSR/financial performance-based compensation is disclosed for officers .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC (NBIA) | Employee; Vice President | 1984–1999; 1986–1999 | Long-tenured fund governance and administration experience supporting registered investment companies . |
| NBIA | Vice President – Mutual Fund Board Relations | 2000–2008 | Board liaison and governance process management across the fund complex . |
| Neuberger Berman | Senior Vice President | Since 2007 | Senior leadership supporting fund operations and governance . |
| NBIA | Senior Vice President; Assistant Secretary | Since 2008; since 2004 | Executive-level oversight and secretarial duties across registered funds . |
| NBIA/Neuberger Berman fund complex | Executive Vice President and Secretary (multiple registered investment companies) | Current | Executive and corporate secretary roles for 28 registered investment companies managed/administered by NBIA . |
External Roles
No external directorships or outside board roles are disclosed for Ms. Brandon in the NBXG proxy officer table .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fund-paid cash compensation (salary/retainer/meeting fees) | $0 | Officers and NBIA employees serve without any compensation from the Funds . |
| Adviser (NBIA) compensation | Not disclosed | Officer compensation is paid by NBIA and not reported at the fund level . |
Performance Compensation
No fund-level performance-based compensation structure (bonus metrics, PSUs/RSUs/options) is disclosed for Ms. Brandon; officers are NBIA employees, and NBXG does not report officer performance pay .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Detail | Date/Period |
|---|---|---|
| Initial beneficial ownership (Form 3) | 0 shares of NBXG common stock | 2021-05-25 |
| Aggregate holdings by Directors and officers | Less than 1% of each class outstanding | As of 2025-05-31 |
| Shares outstanding (NBXG common) | 78,761,496 | Record date 2025-04-23 |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for officers | — |
| Pledging/hedging | Not disclosed; Code of Ethics restricts personal securities transactions | Ongoing |
Additional alignment context: Independent Directors disclose personal holdings (e.g., one Director holds 1,000 NBXG shares), but officer-level individual holdings beyond Form 3 are not provided; Directors/officers collectively own <1% .
Employment Terms
| Term | Provision | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment and tenure | Officers are appointed by Directors; serve at the pleasure of the Board | |
| Removal | May be removed at any time with or without cause | |
| Office continuation | Officers hold office until a successor is elected/qualified or earlier death, inability, or resignation | |
| Current NBXG roles | Executive Vice President (since 2008); Secretary (since 2021) | |
| Governance responsibilities | Secretary is the designated recipient for stockholder communications and director nominations |
Change-of-control, severance, non-compete, non-solicit, garden leave, clawbacks, tax gross-ups, deferred compensation, pensions/SERP, and perquisites are not disclosed for fund officers .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: No fund-paid compensation reduces direct pay-for-performance misalignment risk at NBXG; officer pay resides at NBIA and is not disclosed at the fund level, limiting transparency for pay-for-performance analyses .
- Trading signals and selling pressure: With initial Form 3 showing 0 shares and aggregate officer/director ownership <1%, insider selling pressure and pledging risk appear low; no pledging disclosures are present, and a Code of Ethics restricts personal trading .
- Retention and execution risk: Decades of continuous service across the fund complex and current dual EVP/Secretary roles suggest low near-term retention risk; officers can be removed by the Board, but tenure implies institutional continuity in governance processes .
- Governance process: As Secretary, Ms. Brandon is central to stockholder communications and nomination logistics, supporting board oversight across multiple committees that manage audit, contracts, closed-end fund issues, compliance, and performance review—enhancing process rigor though not tied to personal compensation metrics .
- Context on ownership landscape: Activist and institutional holders (e.g., Saba Capital, Morgan Stanley, Karpus) are material NBXG owners, shaping governance dynamics; however, these relate to fund-level ownership and not to officer compensation or holdings .
Overall, Ms. Brandon’s investor signals center on governance continuity and minimal direct fund-paid compensation or insider ownership—suggesting low direct selling pressure and stable fund-secretarial operations, while leaving adviser-level incentives outside fund disclosures .