I have an important message to share with you.
The Board has selected Maarten Botterman as the next Chair of the ICANN Board following the process outlined in the Board Governance Committee Practice for Board Engagement in Developing Slate for Board Leadership. I am proud to welcome Maarten as my successor, and look forward to supporting him and working with him toward a smooth transition.
I’m also pleased to announce that León Felipe Sánchez Ambia has been selected Vice Chair. Many congratulations to León as he takes on this important role.
They will be seated after the formal election that will take place at the Annual Meeting at ICANN66 in Montréal. Our advance planning for the transfer of those responsibilities will support continuity in ICANN's service of its mission.
As part of this leadership change, current Vice Chair Chris Disspain has stepped down from that role. In the interim, I will ask the Board to appoint Maarten to serve as Vice Chair until he becomes Board Chair. I want to thank Chris for his partnership as my Vice Chair over the past two years. His knowledge and skills will remain a great asset to the Board over the next year.
For your information, the other candidates for Chair were Chris Disspain and Ron da Silva; the other candidate for Vice Chair was Becky Burr.
Congratulations to Maarten and León. They are exceptional leaders whose fresh perspectives and insights will be of great value as ICANN embarks on the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan.