Shelley E. Rigger
About Shelley E. Rigger
Shelley E. Rigger (age 63) is an Independent Director of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. (TWN) serving since 2016. She is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davidson College (since May 2022) and the Brown Professor of East Asian Politics at Davidson College (since 1993). She earned her A.B. magna cum laude from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University (fields: comparative politics, Chinese politics, American politics and government, political anthropology). Her scholarly work focuses on Taiwan and China; in 2021 she published “The Tiger Leading the Dragon: How Taiwan Propelled China’s Economic Rise.”
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson College | Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty | May 2022–present | Senior academic leadership |
| Davidson College | Brown Professor of East Asian Politics | 1993–present | Faculty leadership, Asia expertise |
| Fudan University (Shanghai) | Visiting Associate Professor, School of International Relations & Public Administration | Not disclosed | Academic collaboration in China |
| National Chengchi University (Taiwan) | Scholar | Not disclosed | Taiwan-focused scholarship |
| National Taiwan University | Fulbright Senior Scholar | Not disclosed | Taiwan-focused scholarship |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Public Company? |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | None (no other publicly held company directorships) |
Board Governance
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Independence | Independent Director; none of the Directors is an “interested person” under the 1940 Act |
| Board leadership | Board composed entirely of Independent Directors; Chairman of the Board is an Independent Director |
| Committees | Audit Committee (member) ; Nominating Committee (Chair) ; Valuation Committee (member) ; Discount Management Committee (member) |
| Committee activity (FY ended Aug 31, 2024) | Audit: 4 regular meetings ; Nominating: 2 meetings ; Valuation: 1 meeting ; Discount Management: 2 meetings |
| Board meetings (FY ended Aug 31, 2024) | 4 regular and 1 special meeting |
| Attendance | Each Director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and committee meetings; all Directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting |
| Audit Committee independence | Audit Committee composed of independent directors; actions governed by charter posted on fund website |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Terms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (Independent Directors) | $30,000 (FY ended Aug 31, 2024) | $40,000 for Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Audit Committee (not applicable to Rigger) |
| Quarterly Board & Committee meeting fee | $6,000 per quarterly set of meetings | Applies to attendance at quarterly Board and Committee meetings |
| Separate-day meeting fee | $2,000 per meeting held on a day separate from a quarterly Board meeting | |
| Pension/retirement benefits | None | Fund’s Directors did not receive pension or retirement benefits |
| Aggregate compensation from Fund (FY ended Aug 31, 2024) | $56,000 | Total from Fund and Fund Complex equals Fund amount; Fund is only investment company in complex |
| Prior year aggregate (FY ended Aug 31, 2023) | $58,000 |
Performance Compensation
- No equity or performance-based director compensation disclosed (no RSUs/PSUs/options, performance metrics, vesting schedules, severance/CoC terms, clawbacks, tax gross-ups, deferred compensation, or perquisites disclosed for directors).
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Role | Committee Positions | Interlock/Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| None | — | — | No other public company boards disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Asia expertise: decades of scholarship on Taiwan/China; visiting/Scholar roles in Shanghai and Taiwan .
- Education: Princeton (magna cum laude, SPIA) and Harvard Ph.D. in Government with specializations in comparative and Chinese politics, American politics/government, political anthropology .
- Publications: Several books and articles on Taiwan/China; 2021 book on Taiwan’s role in China’s economic rise .
Equity Ownership
| Measure | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar range of equity securities in the Fund (Rigger) | $10,001–$50,000 | Jan 31, 2025 |
| Aggregate dollar range in Fund Complex | $10,001–$50,000 (Fund is only company in complex) | Jan 31, 2025 |
| Adviser/related ownership | No Director or immediate family member owned securities in the Fund’s Adviser or persons controlling/controlled by/advisers’ affiliates | Jan 31, 2025 |
Governance Assessment
- Board effectiveness: Rigger contributes deep Taiwan/China geopolitical and policy expertise; she chairs the Nominating Committee and serves on Audit, Valuation, and Discount Management—committees directly tied to audit oversight, fair valuation, and discount control for a closed-end fund .
- Independence and engagement: Independent director with committee leadership; met attendance thresholds and attended the 2024 Annual Meeting; Audit Committee is fully independent .
- Compensation alignment: Director pay is cash-based (retainer + meeting fees) with no equity awards; her personal investment in the Fund is $10,001–$50,000, providing some alignment but not a large stake; aggregate compensation declined from $58,000 (FY2023) to $56,000 (FY2024) .
- Conflicts and related-party exposure: No securities ownership in the Adviser by Directors or immediate family members, reducing potential conflicts; no related-party securities holdings disclosed .
RED FLAGS: None observed in the proxy disclosures—independence affirmed, attendance thresholds met, and no Adviser securities held by Directors or immediate family members .