Sharon Ferrari
About Sharon Ferrari
Sharon Ferrari is Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of abrdn World Healthcare Fund (THW), serving since 2023; she is Year of Birth 1977 and currently Director Product Management—US at abrdn Inc., having joined abrdn in 2008 as a Senior Fund Administrator . She serves as Principal Financial Officer for THW and executed Section 302 and 906 certifications on June 9, 2025, evidencing responsibility for disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting . Fund performance over the six months ended March 31, 2025 was negative: NAV total return -6.98% and market price total return -7.76% versus the benchmark -4.96% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| abrdn Inc | Senior Fund Administrator | Start 2008 (end date not disclosed) | Operational fund administration foundation supporting governance and reporting |
| abrdn Inc | Director Product Management—US | Current (at least past five years) | Leads product management and governance for U.S. registered funds; interface between adviser operations and fund boards |
External Roles
No external directorships or board roles disclosed for Ferrari in THW’s proxy materials .
Fixed Compensation
All officers of the Funds (including Ferrari) are employees of and compensated by abrdn Inc or an affiliate; the Funds do not pay compensation to executive officers. The Funds have no bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement plans .
| Component | Disclosure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Not disclosed by THW | Paid by abrdn Inc (private); not reported in fund proxy |
| Target bonus % | Not disclosed by THW | Funds do not have bonus plans; any bonus would be at abrdn Inc |
| Actual bonus | Not disclosed by THW | Not applicable at fund level |
| Pension/SERP | Not disclosed by THW | Funds have no pension/retirement plans |
| Perquisites | Not disclosed by THW | Not reported for officers in fund proxy |
Performance Compensation
No fund-level performance-based compensation (RSUs/PSUs/options tied to Fund metrics) is disclosed for officers; THW states officers are compensated by abrdn Inc and the Funds have no bonus plans .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not applicable at fund level | — | — | — | — | — |
The absence of disclosed fund-level incentive metrics implies any performance linkage for Ferrari, if any, is governed by abrdn Inc policies rather than THW’s NAV/TSR.
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total beneficial ownership of THW | None; Ms. Ferrari did not own shares of the Funds as of April 1, 2025 |
| Ownership as % of shares outstanding | 0% (no shares) |
| Vested vs. unvested shares | Not applicable (no fund share ownership) |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed; no fund-level option programs |
| Shares pledged as collateral | Not disclosed |
| Stock ownership guidelines (officers) | Not disclosed |
| Compliance status | Not disclosed |
Trustees and officers, in aggregate, owned less than 1% of each Fund’s outstanding equity securities as of April 1, 2025 .
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of THW, since 2023 |
| Employer | abrdn Inc (Investment Adviser/Administrator to THW) |
| Employment start (abrdn) | Joined abrdn Inc in 2008 as Senior Fund Administrator |
| Contract term/expiration | Not disclosed; officers are compensated/employed by abrdn Inc |
| Severance provisions | Not disclosed by THW |
| Change-of-control terms | Not disclosed by THW |
| Clawback provisions | Not disclosed by THW |
| Non-compete/non-solicit | Not disclosed by THW |
| Regulatory certifications | Principal Financial Officer certifications under SOX Sections 302 and 906 dated June 9, 2025 |
| Agent for service | Listed as agent for service in THW’s N‑CSR filing |
Performance & Track Record
Fund performance context during Ferrari’s tenure (CFO since 2023):
| Metric | 9/30/2024 | 3/31/2025 |
|---|---|---|
| NAV ($) | $12.77 | $11.19 |
| Closing Market Price ($) | $13.27 | $11.53 |
| Premium(+)/Discount(−) | +3.92% | +3.04% |
| Total Investment Return (6 months ended 3/31/2025) | Value |
|---|---|
| NAV Total Return | −6.98% |
| Market Price Total Return | −7.76% |
| Benchmark Total Return | −4.96% |
During this period, THW’s shares traded within a premium/discount range of −2.66% to +6.05% and NAV ranged from $11.16 to $12.73 .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment: THW does not disclose any fund-level compensation for officers and states all officers are paid by abrdn Inc with no fund bonus or pension plans, limiting transparency into Ferrari’s personal incentive alignment with THW NAV/TSR or distribution policy .
- Ownership alignment: Ferrari held no THW shares as of April 1, 2025, implying minimal direct economic alignment via fund equity; aggregate trustees/officers ownership is also under 1% .
- Insider selling pressure: With zero holdings disclosed, near-term selling pressure from Ferrari is negligible; no pledging or hedging information is provided .
- Retention/contract risk: Employment terms (severance, change-of-control, clawbacks, non-compete) are not disclosed at the fund level; retention dynamics likely depend on abrdn Inc’s internal policies rather than THW-specific arrangements .
- Execution/governance signals: Ferrari’s regulatory certifications underscore accountability for financial reporting and controls; fund performance in the latest semiannual period underperformed its benchmark, but incentive linkage for the CFO is not disclosed, making it difficult to infer management confidence signals from compensation structure alone .