Jason Akus
About Jason Akus
Jason Akus (year of birth: 1974) is Vice President of abrdn World Healthcare Fund (THW) and a Senior Investment Director at abrdn, having joined in October 2023 from Tekla Capital Management where he was a Senior Vice President of Research . He was appointed co‑lead portfolio manager on March 21, 2024 and became lead portfolio manager effective June 1, 2024; Dr. Daniel Omstead transitioned to an advisory role through September 30, 2024 . Fund performance in the six months ended March 31, 2024 was strong: total shareholder return (market price) 19.73%, NAV return 13.30% vs the blended benchmark at 12.77% . Education is not disclosed in the fund’s filings.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tekla Capital Management | Senior Vice President of Research | 20+ years (served on Omstead’s investment team) | Long‑tenured healthcare investing and research leadership that underpins current THW portfolio management |
Fixed Compensation
- Officers of the Fund are employees of, and compensated by, abrdn Inc. or an affiliate; none of the Funds’ executive officers or Directors who are also officers/directors of abrdn Inc., the Investment Adviser or an affiliate received any compensation from any Fund for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 .
- The Funds report no bonus, profit‑sharing, pension or retirement plans at the Fund level .
Performance Compensation
- The proxy does not disclose officer incentive metrics (e.g., revenue, EBITDA, TSR hurdles) for Fund officers; compensation is paid by abrdn, not by THW .
Fund performance context (during Akus’ co‑lead/lead PM transition):
| Metric | Six months ended 3/31/2024 |
|---|---|
| NAV Total Return | 13.30% |
| Market Price Total Return (TSR) | 19.73% |
| Benchmark (80% S&P Global 1200 Healthcare, 15% S&P 500 HealthCare Corporate Bond, 5% S&P Composite 1500 Health Care REITs) | 12.77% |
Premium/Discount evolution:
| Date (Oldest → Newest) | NAV | Market Price | Premium(+)/Discount(-) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/30/2023 | $11.73 | $11.72 | -0.09% |
| 3/31/2024 | $12.53 | $13.23 | +5.59% |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- As of April 1, 2025, Trustees and officers, in aggregate, owned less than 1% of THW’s outstanding equity securities .
- Multiple THW officers filed Form 3 indicating “No securities are beneficially owned” (examples: Katie Gebauer, Andrew Kim, Michael Marsico, Robert Hepp) . We did not find a Form 3/4 for Jason Akus in THW filings; officer holdings for Akus are not disclosed in Fund documents .
- Officer stock ownership guidelines, pledging/hedging policies, and compliance status are not disclosed in Fund materials .
Employment Terms
- Officers hold their positions with the Fund until a successor has been duly elected and qualifies; officers are appointed annually at a meeting of the Fund Board .
- Portfolio management transition: co‑lead appointment announced March 21, 2024; lead PM effective June 1, 2024; Omstead advisory role through September 30, 2024 .
- No employment contract terms (non‑compete, severance, change‑of‑control, clawbacks, tax gross‑ups) are disclosed at the Fund level; officers are compensated by abrdn Inc. .
Investment Implications
- Pay‑for‑performance alignment at the Fund level is indirect: THW reports no officer compensation from the Fund and no Fund‑level bonus/pension plans; officer pay is at abrdn Inc. . This reduces visibility into incentive metrics tied specifically to THW outcomes.
- Insider selling pressure appears limited: aggregate Trustee/officer ownership is <1%, and several officers disclose zero beneficial ownership on Form 3; however, no THW Form 3/4 was found for Akus, so his personal holdings are not disclosed .
- Execution and transition: Akus became co‑lead on March 21, 2024 and lead PM June 1, 2024; THW delivered 19.73% market total return over the six months ended March 31, 2024 vs 12.77% for the benchmark, while moving from a slight discount to a premium—supportive near‑term optics as leadership transitioned .