Jane F. Dasher
About Jane F. Dasher
Independent Trustee of Western Asset Inflation‑Linked Opportunities & Income Fund (WIW), born 1949, serving on the Board since 1999; current term expires in 2027. She is a long‑tenured fund governance professional with deep finance credentials as Director (since 2022) and formerly Chief Financial Officer of Long Light Capital, LLC (formerly Korsant Partners), a family investment company (since 1997), overseeing investment and financial controls across the Franklin Templeton/Western Asset fund complex (49 portfolios) . She is deemed independent under the 1940 Act/NYSE standards (Audit Committee member) and sits on all four standing committees, signaling significant governance involvement .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Light Capital, LLC (formerly Korsant Partners, LLC) | Chief Financial Officer | Since 1997 | Finance leadership at private investment firm; core financial expertise cited by the Board |
| Long Light Capital, LLC | Director | Since 2022 | Governance role at family investment company |
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Director (former) | 2018–2022 | Former external board role; no current public company boards disclosed |
External Roles
| Company/Institution | Type | Role | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Private company (implied) | Director (former) | 2018–2022 | Only “other trusteeship” disclosed in past five years; no current public directorships disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: Classified as an Independent Trustee; Audit Committee composed solely of independent trustees under NYSE standards, including Ms. Dasher . Independent Trustees form more than 75% of the Board; the Board Chair (W.E.B. Siart) is independent .
- Committees and Chairs:
- Audit Committee: Member; Chair — Robert Abeles, Jr.
- Governance & Nominating Committee: Member; Chair — Jaynie Miller Studenmund
- Executive & Contracts Committee: Member; Chair — William E.B. Siart
- Investment & Performance Committee: Member; Chair — Susan B. Kerley
- Meetings and Attendance: FY ended Nov 30, 2024 — Board (8), Audit (6), Governance (3), Performance (5), Contracts (2). Each Trustee attended at least 75% of Board/committee meetings served; Trustees did not attend the Fund’s 2024 annual shareholder meeting in May 2024 .
- Tenure/Term: Trustee since 1999; current term expires in 2027; oversees 49 fund portfolios in the complex .
Committee Membership Summary
| Committee | Member | Chair | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit | Yes | Robert Abeles, Jr. | NYSE independence standards affirmed for all members |
| Governance & Nominating | Yes | Jaynie Miller Studenmund | Written charter; director qualification standards described |
| Executive & Contracts | Yes | William E.B. Siart | Reviews Fund contractual arrangements |
| Investment & Performance | Yes | Susan B. Kerley | Oversees performance review |
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate compensation from WIW (FY ended Nov 30, 2024) | $5,981 | Retainer plus per‑meeting fees for Independent Trustees; additional fees for leadership roles (not applicable to Dasher) |
| Pension/Retirement benefits | $0 | No pension or retirement benefits as part of Fund expenses |
| Estimated annual benefits upon retirement | $0 | — |
| Total compensation from Fund Complex (CY 2024) | $350,000 | WIW pays its pro rata share of complex‑wide trustee fees based on asset size |
| Structure description | “Annual retainer plus fees for attending each regularly scheduled meeting and special Board meeting” | Out‑of‑pocket expenses reimbursed; leadership positions earn additional compensation |
Performance Compensation
| Element | Details | Metrics/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Performance‑based bonus | Not disclosed for Independent Trustees | No performance metrics tied to director compensation disclosed |
| Equity awards (RSUs/DSUs/Options) | Not disclosed for WIW trustees | Proxy describes cash retainers/meeting fees; no equity program is disclosed |
| Clawbacks / Change‑in‑control | Not disclosed for trustees | — |
No performance metric framework (TSR, revenue/EBITDA, ESG, etc.) for director pay is disclosed; director compensation is presented as cash retainers and meeting fees .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Public/Private | Role | Period | Interlocks/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Kinematics, Inc. | Private (implied) | Director (former) | 2018–2022 | No current public company directorships disclosed; no interlocks disclosed |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Board‑cited qualifications: “Experience as a chief financial officer of a private investment company,” supporting financial oversight on the Board .
- Fund complex oversight breadth: 49 portfolios overseen (including WIW), indicating broad closed‑end/open‑end governance familiarity .
- Independent status and Audit Committee membership underscore finance and compliance oversight capabilities under NYSE standards .
Equity Ownership
| Item | WIW | Franklin Templeton/Western Asset “Family of Investment Companies” |
|---|---|---|
| Dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned (as of Dec 31, 2024) | None | Over $100,000 |
- As of Dec 31, 2024, all Trustees and officers as a group owned less than 1% of WIW shares outstanding .
Insider Trades (Form 4)
| Date Range | Findings |
|---|---|
| 2023-01-01 to 2025-11-20 | No Form 4 insider trades found for “Dasher” at WIW (insider-trades skill query; none returned) |
Governance Assessment
- Positives
- Independent trustee serving on all key committees (Audit, Governance, Contracts, Performance), indicating high engagement and broad oversight scope .
- Audit Committee confirms NYSE independence standards; independent Board Chair further strengthens oversight .
- Attendance at least 75% across Board/committee meetings in FY 2024 meets governance baseline .
- Potential Concerns / RED FLAGS
- No WIW share ownership disclosed (dollar range “None”), which may reduce direct alignment with WIW shareholders, though she holds >$100k across the broader fund family .
- Long tenure (since 1999) can raise perceived independence concerns under some governance frameworks despite formal independence under the 1940 Act/NYSE rules .
- The Board (including Ms. Dasher) did not attend the 2024 annual shareholder meeting, a modest engagement signal investors may monitor .
- Conflicts and Related Parties
- No related‑party transactions or pledging/hedging by Ms. Dasher are disclosed in the proxy . Notably, certain potential conflicts disclosed in the proxy pertain to other trustees (e.g., relationships involving Western Asset and third parties) and are not attributed to Ms. Dasher .
Overall: Ms. Dasher brings deep CFO‑level financial oversight and extensive fund governance experience, with broad committee participation. Key watch items are alignment (no WIW holdings) and the optics of very long tenure; however, formal independence and committee roles support board effectiveness and investor confidence .