Ian Simmonds
About Ian Simmonds
Ian Simmonds is Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) of Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. (TSLX) and a Partner of Sixth Street, appointed effective November 30, 2015; he also serves as CFO of Sixth Street Lending Partners . He was born in 1971 and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (University of New South Wales), a Master of Applied Finance (Macquarie University), and an MBA from the Wharton School; he is a Chartered Accountant . Prior experience includes Managing Director in Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Financial Institutions Group (2005–2015), Managing Director at Principal Global Investors in Singapore (2000–2003), Senior Vice President at Bankers Trust Australia (1995–2000), and public accounting at KPMG (1989–1995) . Company-level performance metrics (e.g., TSR, revenue/EBITDA growth tied to his compensation) are not attributed to individual executives and are not disclosed in TSLX filings for externally managed officers .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Global Investment Bank) | Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group | 2005–2015 | Senior coverage/execution in FIG; foundation for CFO expertise |
| Principal Global Investors (The Principal Financial Group) | Managing Director (Singapore) | 2000–2003 | Asset management leadership in APAC |
| Bankers Trust Australia | Senior Vice President | 1995–2000 | Senior finance role prior to acquisition by Principal |
| KPMG | Senior Accountant | 1989–1995 | Public accounting grounding; Chartered Accountant credential |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Sixth Street (platform) | Partner | Not disclosed |
| Sixth Street Lending Partners | Chief Financial Officer | Not disclosed |
| TSLX | Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) | Since Nov 30, 2015 |
Fixed Compensation
- TSLX is externally managed; none of the executive officers (including CFO) receive direct compensation from TSLX. The company reimburses its Adviser (Sixth Street Specialty Lending Advisers, LLC) for an allocable portion of compensation, benefits, and overhead for officers providing services under the Administration Agreement, based on estimated time devoted to TSLX .
- The Adviser or its affiliates may pay additional salaries, bonuses, and individual performance awards to executive officers; these amounts are not itemized or disclosed by TSLX for individual executives .
Performance Compensation
- Performance metrics, weightings, targets, outcomes, and payout formulas tied to Ian Simmonds’ compensation are not disclosed by TSLX; any variable compensation would be determined and paid by the Adviser or its affiliates outside TSLX’s proxy disclosures .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Metric | Mar 31, 2023 | Mar 28, 2024 | Mar 31, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shares Beneficially Owned | 5,351 | 5,740 | 6,260 |
| Ownership % of Common Stock | <0.1% | <0.1% | <0.1% |
- Hedging/pledging policy: Directors, officers, and Adviser employees are prohibited from short sales and publicly traded options in TSLX; pledging/margin is prohibited except for limited exceptions approved by Sixth Street Legal & Compliance if the person can clearly repay without resort to pledged shares .
- Pledging status: The proxy footnotes disclose pledging by certain directors (e.g., Easterly, Fishman, Stiepleman, Stanley); there is no footnote indicating pledging by Ian Simmonds .
- Stock ownership guidelines: No executive ownership guideline disclosure for officers appears in the proxy statements reviewed .
Employment Terms
- Appointment and tenure: Appointed CFO effective November 30, 2015; serves on an indefinite term as an executive officer .
- Employment relationship: Executive officers are employees of the Adviser or its affiliates; TSLX reimburses an allocable portion of their compensation and overhead under the Administration Agreement (renewed in November 2024, effective through November 2025, terminable on 60 days’ notice) .
- Severance/change-of-control: No executive-specific employment agreements, severance multiples, change-of-control triggers, or accelerated vesting terms are disclosed for Ian Simmonds in TSLX filings; executive compensation and contracts are managed by the Adviser .
- Indemnification: TSLX provides indemnification/advancement of expenses to members, managers, officers, employees, and controlling persons of the Adviser and its affiliates on terms aligned with TSLX’s certificate of incorporation—covering those involved in actions by reason of roles with the Adviser .
- SOX certifications: As CFO and principal financial officer, Simmonds provides Sarbanes-Oxley Section 302 certifications in annual reports (FY2020–FY2024) affirming disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting responsibilities .
Investment Implications
- Compensation transparency and alignment: Because the CFO’s compensation is set and paid by the external Adviser, TSLX does not disclose salary/bonus/equity metrics for Simmonds; pay-for-performance linkage at the company level cannot be assessed from public filings, which reduces transparency for investors evaluating incentive alignment .
- Ownership and selling pressure: Simmonds’ direct ownership is modest (<0.1% of shares), and no pledging is disclosed; near-term insider selling pressure appears limited due to small holdings and policy constraints on hedging/pledging (subject to exceptions) .
- Retention risk: Long tenure since 2015 and ongoing principal financial officer responsibilities suggest stability; no severance/change-of-control economics are disclosed at TSLX (as employment resides with the Adviser), which implies limited direct company liability upon departure but also limits visibility on retention levers .
- Trading signals: CFO signs key filings and acts as named proxy, reflecting centrality to governance and reporting; however, absent disclosed incentive metrics or equity awards, there are no observable company-level compensation triggers that typically signal near-term strategic or financial shifts .