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Preliminary Proxy Statement
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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Definitive Proxy Statement
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Definitive Additional Materials
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Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12
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No fee required.
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
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(1) |
Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
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(2) |
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
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(3) |
Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
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(4) |
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
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(5) |
Total fee paid:
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
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(1) |
Amount Previously Paid:
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(2) |
Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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(3) |
Filing Party:
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Date Filed:
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Rajeev Das
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Dated: July [ ], 2021
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Secretary
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IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS
The Notice, Proxy Statement and Form of Proxy for the Fund also are available to you on the Fund’s website at www.swzfund.com. You are encouraged to review all of the information contained in the Proxy
materials before voting.
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Directors who are not “interested persons” of the Fund
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Name,
Address1
& Age
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Position(s) with
Fund (Since)
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Principal Occupation(s)
During At Least The Past
Five Years
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Other Directorships Held By
Director During At Least
The Past Five Years
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Shares and
Dollar Range
of Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
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Richard Dayan
Age: 78 |
Director (2018);
Member of the
Audit Committee
(2018);
Member of the
Governance/
Nominating
Committee
(2018)
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President and owner of
Cactus Trading since 1990
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Trustee of High Income
Securities Fund since 2018;
Director of Emergent Capital,
Inc. until 2016
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0
$0 |
Name,
Address1
& Age
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Position(s) with
Fund (Since)
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Principal Occupation(s)
During At Least The Past
Five Years
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Other Directorships Held By
Director During At Least The
Past Five Years
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Shares and
Dollar Range
of Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
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Phillip F. Goldstein
Age: 76 |
Director (2018);
Member and
Chair of the
Governance/
Nominating
Committee
(2018)
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Partner of Bulldog
Investors, LLP since 2009;
Principal of the former
general partner of several private investment
partnerships in the Bulldog
Investors group of private
funds since 2009
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Chairman and Director of The
Mexico Equity and Income
Fund, Inc. since 2000;
Chairman, Director and
Secretary of Special
Opportunities Fund, Inc. since
2009;
Chairman, Trustee and Secretary
of High Income Securities Fund
since 2018;
Director of Brookfield DTLA
Fund Office Trust Investor Inc.
since 2017; Director,
MVC Capital, Inc. until 2020;
Trustee of Crossroads
Liquidating Trust until 2020;
Chairman and Director of
Emergent Capital, Inc. until 2017
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16,783
Over $100,000 |
Gerald Hellerman
Age: 83 |
Director (2018);
Member of the
Audit Committee
(2018);
Member and
Chair of the
Pricing
Committee
(2018) |
Managing Director of
Hellerman Associates
(a financial and corporate
consulting firm) since 1993
(which terminated activities
as of December 31, 2013)
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Director of Mexico Equity and
Income Fund, Inc. since 2001;
Special Opportunities Fund, Inc. since 2009;
MVC Capital, Inc. until 2020;
Trustee of Crossroads
Liquidating Trust until 2020;
Trustee of
Fiera Capital Series Trust since
2017;
Trustee of High Income
Securities Fund since 2018;
Director of Emergent Capital,
Inc. until 2017;
Ironsides Partners Opportunity
Offshore Fund Ltd. until 2016
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4,324
$10,001-$50,000 |
Moritz A. Sell
Age: 53 |
Director (2017);
Member and
Chair of the
Audit Committee
(2017);
Lead
Independent
Director (2018)
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Principal, Edison Holdings
GmbH; Senior Advisor, Markston International LLC
until 2019
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Trustee of High Income
Securities Fund since 2018;
Director of FAX (Aberdeen Asia
Pacific Income Fund) and FCO
(Aberdeen Global Income Fund)
since 2018; Director of IAF
(Aberdeen Australia Equity
Fund) since 2004;
Director of Aberdeen Greater
China Fund until 2018;
Chairman and Director of
Aberdeen Singapore Fund until
2018
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1,330
$10,001-$50,000 |
Director who is an “interested person” of the Fund
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Name, Address1
& Age
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Position(s) with
Fund (Since)
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Principal Occupation(s)
During At Least The Past
Five Years
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Other Directorships Held By
Director During At Least
The Past Five Years
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Shares and
Dollar Range
of Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
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Andrew Dakos*
Age: 55 |
Director (2017)
and Chairman
(2018); President and Chief
Executive
Officer (2019)
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Partner of Bulldog Investors,
LLP sine 2009;
Principal of the former
general partner of several
private investment
partnerships in the Bulldog
Investors group of private
funds;
Principal of the managing
general partner of Bulldog Investors General Partnership
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President and Director of
Special Opportunities Fund,
Inc. since 2009; Trustee,
Crossroads Liquidating Trust
until 2020;
President and Trustee of High
Income Securities Fund since
2018; Director of Brookfield
DTLA Fund Office Trust
Investor Inc. since 2017;
Director of Emergent Capital,
Inc. until 2017
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1,064
$1-$10,000 |
* |
Mr. Dakos is considered an “interested person” of the Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act as a result of his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund.
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Name, Address1
& Age
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Position(s)
with Fund
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Term of Office and
Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During
At Least The Past Five Years
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Shares and
Dollar Range
of Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
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Officers2
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Andrew Dakos
Age: 55 |
President and
Chief Executive
Officer;
Director and
Chairman.
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President and Chief
Executive Officer since
2019;
Chairman since 2018;
Director since 2017
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President and Director of Special
Opportunities Fund, Inc. since 2009; Trustee,
Crossroads Liquidating Trust until 2020; President and Trustee of High
Income Securities Fund since
2018; Director of Brookfield
DTLA Fund Office Trust
Investor Inc. since 2017;
Director of Emergent Capital, Inc.
until 2017
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1,064
$1-$10,000 |
Thomas Antonucci
Age: 52 |
Chief Financial
Officer
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Since 2019
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Director of Operations, Bulldog
Investors, LLP since 2006;
Chief Financial Officer and
Treasurer of Special Opportunities
Fund since 2014;
Treasurer of High Income
Securities Fund since 2018
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0
$0 |
Name, Address1
& Age
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Position(s)
with Fund
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Term of Office and Length of Time Served |
Principal Occupation(s) During
At Least The Past Five Years
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Shares and
Dollar Range
of Common
Stock
Beneficially
Owned
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Stephanie Darling
Age: 51 |
Chief
Compliance
Officer
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Since 2019
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General Counsel and Chief
Compliance Officer of Bulldog
Investors, LLP since 2012; Chief
Compliance Officer: High Income
Securities Fund since 2018,
Mexico Equity and Income Fund
since 2020, Special Opportunities
Fund, Inc. since 2020, and
Crossroads Capital, Inc. (until
2017) ; Principal of The Law
Office of Stephanie Darling; Editor
in Chief of The Investment Lawyer
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0
$0 |
Rajeev Das
Age: 52 |
Secretary
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Since 2019
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Head of Trading, Bulldog
Investors, LLP since 2009
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32
$1-$10,000 |
1 |
The address for each Director and Executive Officer is c/o The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc., 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
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2 |
Each Executive Officer serves on a year-to-year basis for an indefinite term, until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
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•
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Andrew Dakos – Mr. Dakos, the Chairman of the Board of the Fund, has over 18 years of investment management experience. In 2019 Mr. Dakos was appointed as the Fund’s President and Chief
Executive Officer concurrent with the resignation of representatives of Schroders as the Fund’s executive officers. He is currently a partner of Bulldog, which serves as the investment adviser of separately-managed accounts and Special
Opportunities Fund, Inc. (“SPE”) a publicly-traded closed end fund. Mr. Dakos also currently serves as president and a director of SPE; as a director of Brookfield DTLA Fund Office Trust Investor Inc.; and as president, member of the
Investment Committee, and a trustee of High Income Securities Fund. Mr. Dakos previously served as a director of Emergent Capital, Inc.
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Richard Dayan – Mr. Dayan is the owner, and has served as the President of Cactus Trading, an importer and exporter of clothing and accessories, since 1990. Mr. Dayan currently serves as a
trustee of High Income Securities Fund and previously served a director of Emergent Capital, Inc. (formerly, Imperial Holdings, Inc.). Mr. Dayan is a member of the Fund’s Audit Committee and its Governance / Nominating Committee.
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Phillip F. Goldstein – Mr. Goldstein has over 25 years of investment management experience. He is currently a partner of Bulldog, which serves as the investment adviser of such private
investment partnerships, separately-managed accounts, and SPE. Mr. Goldstein currently serves as Chairman and a director of The Mexico Equity and Income Fund, Inc.; as Chairman and a director of SPE; as Chairman, Secretary, member of
the Interim Investment Committee, and as a trustee of High Income Securities Fund; and as a director of Brookfield DTLA Fund Office Trust Investor Inc. Mr. Goldstein previously served as a director of MVC Capital, Inc. and as Chairman
and as a director of Emergent Capital Inc. Mr. Goldstein also serves as the Chair of the Fund’s Governance / Nominating Committee.
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Gerald Hellerman – Mr. Hellerman currently serves as a director of The Mexico Equity and Income Fund, Inc.; as a director of SPE; as a trustee of Crossroads Liquidating Trust; and as a
trustee of Fiera Capital Series Trust; and as a trustee of High Income Securities Fund. Until his resignation effective March 31, 2020, he was the Chief Compliance Officer of The Mexico Equity and Income Fund, Inc. since 2001 and of SPE
since 2009. Mr. Hellerman was formerly the managing director of Hellerman Associates, a financial and corporate consulting firm (which commenced operations in 1993 and terminated activities as of December 31, 2013). Mr. Hellerman
previously served as a director of MVC Capital, Inc., Emergent Capital, Inc., and Ironsides Partners Opportunity Offshore Fund Ltd. Mr. Hellerman is a member of the Fund’s Audit Committee and is the sole member of the Fund’s Pricing
Committee.
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Moritz A. Sell – Mr. Sell currently serves as Principal of Edison Holdings GMBH, a commercial real estate and venture capital firm. Mr. Sell served as Senior Advisor to Markston International
LLC, an independent investment manager until 2019. From 1996 to 2013, he served as a Director, Market Strategist and Head of Proprietary Trading (London Branch) of Landesbank Berlin AG and its predecessor, Landesbank Berlin Holding AG
(formerly named Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG). Mr. Sell currently serves as a trustee of High Income Securities Fund; as a director of FAX (Aberdeen Asia Pacific Income Fund); as a director of FCO (Aberdeen Global Income Fund); and as a
director of Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund. Mr. Sell previously served as chairman and a director of Aberdeen Singapore Fund and as a director of Aberdeen Greater China Fund. Mr. Sell is the Fund’s Lead Independent Director and also
serves as the Chair of the Fund’s Audit Committee.
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Name of Person and Position
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Aggregate Compensation
from the Fund
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Pension or Retirement
Benefits Accrued as
Part of Fund Expenses
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Estimated Annual
Benefits upon
Retirement
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Total Compensation
from Fund
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Andrew Dakos, Chair of the Board,
President and Chief Executive Officer
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$90,500
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$0
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$0
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$90,500
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Richard Dayan
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$58,250
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$0
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$0
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$58,250
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Phillip F. Goldstein, Chair of the
Governance and Nominating Committee
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$60,500
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$0
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$0
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$60,500
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Gerald Hellerman, Chair of the Pricing Committee
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$62,000
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$0
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$0
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$62,000
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Moritz A. Sell, Chair of the Audit Committee
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$61,250
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$0
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$0
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$61,250
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Thomas Antonucci, Chief Financial Officer
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$28,750
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$0
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$0
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$28,750
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Stephanie Darling, Chief Compliance Officer
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$54,000
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$0
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$0
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$54,000
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Rajeev Das, Secretary
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$25,000
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$0
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$0
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$25,000
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TOTAL REMUNERATION:
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$440,250
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$0
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$0
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$440,250
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Name of Person
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Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned
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Percent of Shares
Beneficially
Owned
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City of London Investment Management Company Limited
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688,004
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[5.2]%
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Wells Fargo & Company2
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1,174,322
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[8.89]%
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1 |
City of London Investment Management Company Limited, 77 Gracechurch Street, London, EC3V 0AS, England, filed on February 12, 2021 a beneficial ownership report on Schedule 13G with the Commission reporting
beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2020.
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2 |
Wells Fargo & Company, 420 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94163, on behalf of certain of its subsidiaries and the advisory clients thereof, filed on February 12, 2021 a beneficial ownership
report on Schedule 13G with the Commission reporting beneficial ownership as of December 31, 2020.
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Rajeev Das
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Dated: July [ ], 2021
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Secretary
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•
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the character and integrity of the person;
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•
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whether or not the person is qualified under applicable laws and regulations to serve as a Director of the Fund;
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•
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whether or not the person has any relationships that might impair his or her service on the Board;
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whether nomination of the person would be consistent with Fund policy and applicable laws and regulations regarding the number and percentage of Independent Directors on the Board;
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whether or not the person serves on boards of, or is otherwise affiliated with, competing financial service organizations or their related fund complexes;
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whether or not the person is willing to serve and is willing and able to commit the time necessary for the performance of the duties and responsibilities of a Director of the Fund; and
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the educational background; business, professional training or practice (e.g., medicine, accounting or law), public service or academic positions; experience from service as a board
member (including the Board) or as an executive of investment funds, public companies or significant private or not-for-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences.
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The Board's committee structure and matters delegated to such committees;
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The matters covered by the Board in its annual cycle of meetings;
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The number and duration of Board meetings; and
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The number of interested and Independent Directors.
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If the Chair is a Non-Affiliated Director, the Non-Affiliated Directors will select each year one of theirnumber to perform these functions.
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approval of procedures for purchase of securities during the existence of an underwriting syndicate where an affiliate is a principal underwriter of the security (Rule 10f-3);
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approval of the investment advisory, subadvisory and underwriting contracts (Section 15);
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approval of securities transactions between the Fund and certain affiliates (Rule 17a-7);
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approval of a joint liability insurance policy with an affiliated person (Rule 17d-1(d)(7));
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approval of written procedures for purchasing securities from an affiliated broker-dealer (Rule 17c-1);
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approval of the fidelity bond and the designation of officers to make filings thereunder (Rule 17g-1((d));
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approval of the code of ethics of the Fund and the code of ethics of the investment adviser and principal underwriter, and any material changes to these codes (Rule 17j-1);
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approval of the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm (Section 32(a) and Rule 32a-3);
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approval of the Fund's Rule 38a-1 compliance policies and procedures and the compliance policies and procedures of the Fund's investment adviser, principal underwriter, administrator and transfer agent
(Rule 38a-1); and
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approval of the designation, compensation and removal of the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer (Rule 38a-1).
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