Christian Pittard
About Christian Pittard
Christian Pittard serves as an Interested Class A Trustee of abrdn World Healthcare Fund (THW) and has been a Trustee of each Fund in the complex since 2024; his THW term expires in 2025 and, if elected, will run through 2028 . He is abrdn’s Head of Closed-End Funds overseeing US and UK businesses, and a Managing Director of Corporate Finance; he previously led abrdn’s Americas/North American Funds business and joined abrdn in 1999 from KPMG . Year of birth: 1973 (derived age ~52) . As an Interested Trustee due to his abrdn affiliation, he is not independent; THW’s Board is chaired by an Independent Trustee, and all Board committees are comprised solely of Independent Trustees . As of April 1, 2025, Mr. Pittard reported no beneficial ownership in THW (and HQH, HQL, THQ), and Trustees/officers collectively owned less than 1% of each Fund’s outstanding equity securities .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn | Head of Closed-End Funds (US & UK) | Not disclosed; current | Leads closed-end fund franchise; significant US/UK transaction execution |
| abrdn | Managing Director, Corporate Finance | Not disclosed; current | Executed significant closed-end fund transactions in US/UK |
| abrdn | Head of the Americas & North American Funds | Prior to current | Led regional funds business from US base |
| abrdn plc | Group Head of Product Opportunities; Director | Since 2010 | Senior product leadership; board-level responsibilities at abrdn plc |
| abrdn | Joined abrdn from KPMG | 1999 | Entry into abrdn; foundation of long-tenured career in listed funds |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| KPMG | Prior employer (pre-abrdn) | Through 1999 | Professional services training; corporate finance grounding |
| Other directorships | None disclosed | N/A | No other public company board roles disclosed |
Fixed Compensation
- THW pays no compensation to Trustees who are officers/directors of abrdn Inc. or its affiliates; Mr. Pittard received no compensation from THW for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 .
- All officers of the Funds are employees of abrdn Inc. or its affiliates and are compensated by abrdn, not the Funds .
| Component | FY2024 THW Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cash retainer (Trustee) | N/A | Interested Trustee; compensated by abrdn, not the Fund |
| Committee fees | N/A | Committees comprised solely of Independent Trustees; Mr. Pittard not a member |
| Meeting fees | N/A | No Fund-paid compensation for abrdn-affiliated trustees |
| Perquisites | Not disclosed | No Fund-paid perquisites disclosed for abrdn-affiliated trustees |
Performance Compensation
- THW does not disclose performance-based compensation, equity awards, or options for Mr. Pittard; as an abrdn-affiliated Trustee, he receives no Fund compensation .
- Independent Trustees are compensated in cash; no Fund-level RSUs/PSUs/options are disclosed for Trustees .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed for THW Trustees | — | — | — | — | — |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value | Date/Period |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial ownership in THW | None | As of April 1, 2025 |
| Beneficial ownership in HQH/HQL/THQ | None | As of April 1, 2025 |
| Aggregate dollar range in abrdn Family of Investment Companies | None | As of April 1, 2025 |
| Trustees/officers aggregate ownership of each Fund | <1% | As of April 1, 2025 |
| Pledging/hedging of THW shares | Not disclosed | — |
| Stock ownership guidelines (Trustees) | Not disclosed | — |
| Compliance status vs guidelines | Not disclosed | — |
Employment Terms
| Term | Disclosure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| THW Board appointment date | Appointed to each Fund’s Board effective June 30, 2024 | Class A Trustee for THW; term to 2028 if elected |
| Independence status | Interested Trustee due to abrdn affiliation | Not independent under 1940 Act |
| Contract term, renewal, non-compete, non-solicit | Not disclosed | THW proxy does not disclose abrdn employment contract terms |
| Severance/change-of-control (Fund-level) | Not disclosed | Trustees are not employees of the Fund; no Fund severance terms disclosed |
| Clawbacks/tax gross-ups | Not disclosed | — |
Board Governance
- Class A Trustee for THW; nominated to serve a three-year term ending 2028 if elected .
- Board committees (Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance; Private Venture Valuation) are comprised solely of Independent Trustees; current members listed exclude Mr. Pittard .
- Board/committee cadence FY2024: THW Board held 8 meetings; Audit Committee 3; Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee 1; PV Valuation Committee 4; incumbent Trustees attended at least 75% of meetings (aggregate) .
Investment Implications
- Alignment: No beneficial ownership in THW and no Fund-level pay suggests limited direct economic alignment with THW shareholders; trustees/officers collectively own <1% of Fund equity, and Mr. Pittard reported “None” for all Funds overseen .
- Independence: Dual role as abrdn Head of Closed-End Funds and THW Interested Trustee introduces potential conflicts; mitigants include independent Board Chair and committees comprised solely of Independent Trustees .
- Insider selling pressure: With no Fund equity holdings disclosed and no Fund-based equity awards, near-term selling pressure from Mr. Pittard is unlikely at the Fund level .
- Retention risk: THW disclosures do not include employment contracts, severance, or change-of-control terms for Mr. Pittard; as an abrdn executive, retention dynamics are driven by abrdn corporate policies not disclosed in THW filings .
- Execution risk: Mr. Pittard’s long-tenured abrdn leadership in closed-end funds and transaction experience supports operational continuity for THW’s sponsor model, though performance-linked pay or Fund equity alignment is not present in THW disclosures .