ICANN Announcements

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ICANN Launches CEO Search, Retains Christopher Mill to Assist

3 May 2000

(distributed 4 May 2000)

(May 3, 2000) The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today the launch of a global search to recruit its next President and CEO. To guide the search process, the corporation has retained Christopher Mill of Christopher Mill & Partners, a highly experienced executive search consultant based in London.

Finding the right person to lead ICANN in the next stage of its mission is critical. The Board is looking for candidates of demonstrated leadership, managerial competence, technical credibility, and international experience who will work to serve the entire Internet community, from individual and business to academic and public interests. The job requires patience, persistence, an open style, and the ability to generate an active-minded consensus around difficult issues that are nonetheless essential for the effective and efficient operation and growth of the Internet.

ICANN actively welcomes expressions of interest and recommendations of possible candidates. Communications and queries should be sent to Christopher Mill at <exec-search@icann.org>. Details about the position and the search process have been posted at <http://www.icann.org/exec-search/>.

ICANN's current President and CEO, Mike Roberts, accepted the position in October 1998 with the understanding that he would lead ICANN through its start-up phase, including the establishment of a stable corporate structure and the transition to a fully constituted Board of Directors. As that process nears completion, ICANN's Board of Directors intends to appoint the next President and CEO before the end of 2000.

About ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998 by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic, and user communities, ICANN is assuming responsibility for a set of technical functions previously performed under U.S. government contract by IANA and other groups.

Specifically, ICANN coordinates the assignment of the following identifiers that must be globally unique for the Internet to function:

  • Internet domain names
  • IP address numbers
  • protocol parameter and port numbers

In addition, ICANN coordinates the stable operation of the Internet's root server system.

As a non-profit, private-sector corporation, ICANN is dedicated to preserving the operational stability of the Internet; to promoting competition; to achieving broad representation of global Internet communities; and to developing policy through private-sector, bottom-up, consensus-based means. ICANN welcomes the participation of any interested Internet user, business, or organization. See http://www.icann.org.