I am proud of many things the ICANN organization has put in place since I've been at ICANN for nearly two years now. One that I am very excited about is our international office strategy.
The international office strategy recognizes that stakeholders in different parts of the world have different needs.
Before this, the org didn't have a formal strategy for supporting the diverse needs of our stakeholders around the world. We had three hubs, but now we've taken it to the next level with more locations around the world. This means we can better serve your needs and improve the multistakeholder experience.
As a reminder, we now have five regional offices, headed up by managing directors who are in charge of regional strategic plans. They are:
- Los Angeles – headquarters, also serving North America
- Brussels – serving Europe, led by Jean-Jacques Sahel
- Istanbul – serving the Middle East and Africa, led by Nick Tomasso
- Montevideo – serving Latin America and the Caribbean, led by Rodrigo de la Parra
- Singapore – serving Asia Pacific and Oceania, led by Jia-Rong Low
We also have engagement centers in:
- Beijing – led by Jian-Chuan Zhang
- Geneva – led by Tarek Kamel
- Nairobi – led by Pierre Dandjinou
- Washington, D.C. – led by Duncan Burns until he leaves 22 March, then Jamie Hedlund
We also have strategic partnerships in Asunción, Cairo, and Seoul. We chose these locations deliberately to help us further support specific stakeholder needs and to ensure that ICANN is active in matters that impact our mission.
This enhanced operating model keeps us aligned so that all regional plans are more consistent and we leverage best practices. The managing directors meet regularly as a group to coordinate.
What this means for you is that we're more efficient in delivering our services. We leverage global frameworks and blueprints to avoid reinventing the wheel. We discuss and share regional strategic plans and plan for trends that we are seeing – both globally and locally. It means we plan security on a local level for the well-being of our people and the community. It means we are "one ICANN," but have regional flexibility. Each office is unique.
Now you can see why I am so excited about this! I think this strategy will take ICANN to the next level. We are stable and mature. We have global standards and processes in place.
As you can imagine, this is a big change for us as an org, and we'll continue to improve this matrixed way of working. I encourage you to continue getting involved in your regional strategies and reaching out to your regional leader.
