Jane F. Dasher
About Jane F. Dasher
Independent Trustee of Western Asset Premier Bond Fund (WEA), born 1949, serving since 1999. Principal occupation: Director (since 2022) and formerly Chief Financial Officer of Long Light Capital, LLC (formerly Korsant Partners, LLC), a family investment company, where she has served since 1997. Oversees 49 portfolios in the Franklin Templeton fund complex advised by Western Asset or affiliates as of the 2025 proxy. Classified as an Independent Trustee (not an “interested person” under the 1940 Act); Audit Committee members, including Dasher, are “independent” per NYSE standards.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Light Capital, LLC (formerly Korsant Partners, LLC) | Chief Financial Officer (formerly); Director (current) | CFO since 1997; Director since 2022 | Private investment company finance leadership |
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Director | 2018–2022 | Board service; no specific committee disclosures |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Director | 2018–2022 | Former board membership; no current public company boards disclosed |
Board Governance
- Committee membership: Audit; Governance and Nominating; Investment and Performance; Executive and Contracts. No chair roles disclosed for Dasher. Current committee chairs: Audit – Abeles; Governance – Studenmund; Performance – Kerley; Contracts – Siart.
- Board leadership: Chairperson of the Board is independent (Siart). Independent Trustees constitute more than 75% of the Board; committee chairs are independent; Independent Trustees meet outside management and are advised by independent counsel.
- Meetings and attendance: Each Trustee attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings on which they served for FY 2023 and FY 2024.
Meetings & Attendance
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Board Meetings Held | 5 | 8 |
| Audit Committee Meetings Held | 7 | 6 |
| Governance Committee Meetings Held | 3 | 3 |
| Performance Committee Meetings Held | 5 | 5 |
| Contracts Committee Meetings Held | 2 | 2 |
| Dasher Attendance Rate | ≥75% | ≥75% |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure: Independent Trustees receive an annual retainer plus per‑meeting fees (regular and special meetings, in person or by phone); reimbursed out‑of‑pocket expenses; additional compensation for Board/committee leadership positions (chairs). Interested Trustees receive no fees. Fund pays its pro rata share based on asset size across the fund complex.
| Component | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate Compensation from WEA ($) | $3,457 | $1,131 |
| Pension/Retirement Benefits Accrued ($) | $0 | $0 |
| Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement ($) | $0 | $0 |
| Total Compensation from WEA and Fund Complex ($) | $337,000 | $350,000 |
Performance Compensation
- The proxy discloses only cash retainers and meeting fees; no equity awards (RSUs/PSUs/options) or performance-based metrics for Trustees are described. No pension or retirement benefits are accrued.
| Performance Metric | FY 2023 Disclosure | FY 2024 Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| TSR percentile / revenue / EBITDA goals | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| RSUs/PSUs grant dates, share counts, fair value | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Options (strike, expiration, vesting) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Clawbacks / CoC terms / severance | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Former Director | 2018–2022; no current public company boards disclosed for Dasher |
| Board interlocks context | Larson relationship | Michael Larson is CIO for Gates; Western Asset has provided discretionary advice to Gates accounts since 1997; value ≤1.0% of Western Asset AUM since 12/31/2021; not a Dasher conflict, but relevant board relationship disclosure. |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board‑disclosed qualifications: Experience as Chief Financial Officer of a private investment company; financial and business oversight capability; ability to review, critically evaluate, and exercise effective judgment.
- Fund complex oversight breadth: Oversees 49 WEA‑complex portfolios as of 2025 proxy (50 in 2024 proxy).
Fund Complex Oversight
| Metric | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolios Overseen (incl. WEA) | 50 | 49 |
Equity Ownership
- As of December 31, 2024: Dollar range of WEA equity securities beneficially owned – None; Aggregate dollar range across the “family of investment companies” – Over $100,000. Group beneficial ownership by all Trustees/officers <1%.
- As of December 31, 2023: Dollar range of WEA equity securities – None; Aggregate dollar range across the family – Over $100,000. Group beneficial ownership <1%.
| Date | Dollar Range in WEA | Aggregate Dollar Range in Fund Family |
|---|---|---|
| 12/31/2023 | None | Over $100,000 |
| 12/31/2024 | None | Over $100,000 |
Note: “Family of investment companies” refers to registered investment companies within the Franklin Templeton complex advised by Western Asset or affiliates.
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Long‑standing independent trustee with CFO background; broad committee participation (Audit, Governance, Performance, Contracts); board and committee leadership held by independent chairs; robust meeting cadence with ≥75% attendance; Audit Committee independence per NYSE standards. These support board effectiveness and investor confidence.
- Alignment: No WEA share ownership, but meaningful aggregate exposure across the fund family (Over $100,000), suggesting familiarity and engagement across the complex; no pension or retirement accruals; compensation is fixed cash retainer plus meeting fees, avoiding performance metric gaming.
- Conflicts/Related‑party: Dasher is explicitly an Independent Trustee with no “interested person” designation; no related‑party transactions, loans, hedging/pledging disclosures involving Dasher in the proxy. Board discloses certain relationships for other trustees (e.g., Olson’s law firm, Larson/Gates accounts), but not for Dasher.
- Red flags: None disclosed for Dasher (no attendance shortfalls, no equity award repricing, no tax gross‑ups, no related‑party transactions). Monitoring considerations include board refreshment given long tenure (since 1999), though independence and committee engagement appear strong.