John Nelson
About John K. Nelson
John K. Nelson (born 1962) is an Independent Board Member of Nuveen Core Plus Impact Fund (NPCT) serving as a Class II trustee with a term expiring at the 2026 annual meeting; he has served on Nuveen fund boards since 2013 and is designated an “audit committee financial expert.” He previously held senior leadership roles at ABN AMRO (CEO North America; Global Head, Financial Markets) and served as a senior external advisor to Deloitte Consulting; he holds a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABN AMRO Bank N.V. | CEO, North America; Global Head, Financial Markets Division | 2007–2008; various exec roles 1996–2007 | Led Currency, Commodity, Fixed Income, Emerging Markets, Derivatives businesses; represented the bank on committees of Bank of Canada, ECB, BoE; member of U.S. Fed FX Committee |
| Deloitte Consulting LLP | Senior External Advisor, Financial Services practice | 2012–2014 | Advisory work to FS practice |
| Core12 LLC (private) | Director | 2008–2023 | Branding/marketing firm governance |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordham University | President’s Council | 2010–2019 | Advisory role to university leadership |
| Curran Center for Catholic American Studies | Director | 2009–2018 | Board/center governance |
| Marian University | Trustee; Board Chair | 2011–2013 | Board leadership |
Board Governance
- Independence: All nominees and continuing trustees, including Mr. Nelson, are “Independent Board Members” (not “interested persons” under the 1940 Act) .
- Committee leadership: Audit Committee Chair; designated an SEC-defined “audit committee financial expert” .
- Committee memberships:
- Executive Committee (member)
- Dividend Committee (member)
- Audit Committee (Chair)
- Nominating and Governance Committee (member)
- Investment Committee (member)
- Closed-End Fund Committee (member)
- Attendance: Each Board Member attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings in the last fiscal year .
- NPCT meeting cadence (last fiscal year): 5 regular Board, 9 special Board, 5 Executive, 10 Dividend, 5 Compliance, 14 Audit, 5 Nominating & Governance, 4 Investment, 4 Closed-End Fund Committee meetings .
Fixed Compensation
Structure and annual retainers (effective dates noted):
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Board annual retainer | $350,000 | Effective Jan 1, 2024 |
| Audit Committee membership retainer | $30,000 → $35,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Compliance, Risk Mgmt & Regulatory Oversight membership retainer | $30,000 → $35,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Investment Committee membership retainer | $20,000 → $30,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Dividend Committee membership retainer | $20,000 → $25,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Nominating & Governance membership retainer | $20,000 → $25,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Closed-End Fund Committee membership retainer | $20,000 → $25,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Board Chair additional retainer | $140,000 → $150,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 (Chair/Co-Chair) |
| Audit/Compliance Committee Chair retainer | $30,000 → $35,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Investment Committee Chair retainer | $20,000 → $30,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Dividend/Nominating/Closed-End Chair retainer | $20,000 → $25,000 | Increased Jan 1, 2025 |
| Ad hoc meeting fees | $1,000 or $2,500 | Based on length/immediacy |
| Special assignment committees | Chair quarterly fee ≥ $1,250; Members ≥ $5,000 |
Actual amounts paid last fiscal year:
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| NPCT aggregate compensation paid to John K. Nelson | $1,513 |
| Total compensation from funds across Nuveen Fund Complex (paid to John K. Nelson) | $483,250 |
Additional features:
- Deferred Compensation Plan available; distributions elective; no Fund pension/retirement plans; officers not compensated by Funds .
Performance Compensation
- No equity or option awards for Independent Board Members are described; compensation is cash retainers and committee fees with optional deferral via the Deferred Compensation Plan .
- Deferred fees table shows no deferred amounts attributed to Mr. Nelson across the listed funds in the most recent year (entries shown as none/“—”) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public company boards | None disclosed for Mr. Nelson in the past five years section |
| Prior boards/roles (past five years) | Core12 LLC (private) Director; Fordham President’s Council; Curran Center Director; Marian University Trustee/Chair |
| Shared directorships with competitors/suppliers/customers | None disclosed |
| Related-party holdings/adviser-affiliate transactions | Mr. Nelson not listed among board members owning securities in companies advised by affiliates; table lists Mr. Kenny, not Mr. Nelson . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Financial markets leadership (FX, commodities, fixed income, derivatives), prior bank CEO and global markets head experience; SEC “audit committee financial expert” designation .
- Degrees: BA Economics; MBA Finance (Fordham University) .
- Extensive governance experience across non-profit boards and advisory councils .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | NPCT (Core Plus Impact) | Fund Complex Aggregate |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial shares owned | 0 | Aggregate dollar range “Over $100,000” in family of investment companies |
| Ownership % of outstanding | <1% (all board members individually <1%) | N/A |
| Board ownership guideline | Expectation to invest at least one year of compensation in Nuveen/TIAA fund complex (directly or on a deferred basis) |
Note: Mr. Nelson’s NPCT-specific holdings are zero; the aggregate range suggests holdings elsewhere in the broader fund family. The Deferred Compensation Plan provides an alternative means of alignment; Mr. Nelson shows no deferred amounts in the latest fund-level schedule .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent trustee; Audit Committee Chair and SEC-defined financial expert; broad committee engagement (Executive, Dividend, Nominating & Governance, Investment, Closed-End), and attendance >=75% in the last fiscal year; unitary board structure enhances cross-fund oversight and standardization of controls (valuation, compliance, risk) .
- Alignment watchpoint: NPCT-specific beneficial ownership is zero while the board’s governance principle expects at least one year of compensation invested across the complex; aggregate “Over $100,000” holdings indicate broader exposure but not NPCT-specific alignment .
- Conflicts: No related-party transactions or adviser-affiliate security holdings disclosed for Mr. Nelson; Section 16(a) filings were timely for board and officers in the last fiscal year .
- Workload/engagement: NPCT had 14 Audit Committee meetings and an active schedule across committees; Mr. Nelson’s chair role places him at the center of valuation oversight and audit pre-approval processes, supporting investor confidence in financial reporting and leverage valuation practices .