[At-Large] New ICANN CEO is Out of the Blocks with Ambitious Operational Plans

[Alan Greenberg]

<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-14sep12-en.htm>http<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-14sep12-en.htm>://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-14sep12-en.htm


New ICANN CEO is Out of the Blocks with Ambitious Operational Plans

Fadi Chehadé Assumes Top Spot Two Weeks Early
14 September 2012

Los Angeles, California... Fadi Chehadé today 
officially assumed the position of President and 
Chief Executive Officer of the Internet 
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 
(ICANN). He assumed his position two weeks ahead of his planned start date.

Chehadé's appointment as CEO had been announced 
on 22 June, though he was not expected to assume 
his role until 1 October. Chief Operating Officer 
(COO) Akram Atallah had been serving as the 
interim CEO and will now reassume his role as COO.

Today Chehadé thanked Atallah for assuming the 
top spot during the summer and then, during a 
staff meeting, he explained his plans for the future.

"I have spent the past two months asking myself 
and many others from all over the Internet 
community worldwide the same questions," said 
Chehadé. "How can ICANN work better with its 
stakeholders to bring all interested parties to 
the table to debate and agree how to improve the 
DNS? How can we ensure that all global citizens 
can share an open Internet which is sustainable and resilient?"

Chehade's strategy puts ICANN's stakeholders at 
its heart. The organization's staff will be 
brought together in collaborative teams organized 
in a global matrix that distributes key functions 
and leaders across the world to accelerate effective engagement.

Chehadé's leadership team combines deep ICANN 
experience with fresh perspectives from 
international executives. Among the changes he announced today:
    * Akram Atallah's role will be expanded to 
include oversight of Registry and Registrar 
Services, the new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) 
program, Security and other important activities.
    * Tarek Kamel, Senior Advisor to the 
President of ICANN, who currently leads the 
development of an Africa strategy, will assume 
the role of Senior Advisor for Government 
Affairs, leading all aspects of Government Engagement.
    * Sally Costerton, most recently CEO of Hill 
& Knowlton Public Relations for Europe, the 
Middle East and Asia has been tapped to lead the 
new position of Stakeholder Engagement, a role 
that will incorporate the communications function.

Both Costerton and Kamel will be based in ICANN's 
European region and will report directly to the 
CEO. Their goal is to strengthen ICANN's 
international engagement at all levels, and to 
implement the global matrix alongside ICANN's regional vice presidents.

Chehadé said his other direct reports would include:
    * Kurt Pritz, Senior Vice President, who will 
take on a new role as Chief of Strategy.
    * John Jeffrey, General Counsel and Secretary 
of the ICANN Board, who will continue in that role.
    * David Olive, Vice President of Policy, who 
will also continue in his current role.

In a further organizational development, Chehadé 
announced that Maguy Serad, Senior Director of 
Contractual Compliance will be promoted to Vice 
President of Contractual Compliance, with her 
department reporting directly to the CEO.

"I've spent the summer putting the right team in 
place – looking deep within ICANN and beyond to 
find the best mix of talents to help me to 
fulfill ICANN's mission," said Chehadé. "Frankly 
I am impressed and humbled by what these diverse 
leaders bring to the table. I've been fortunate 
to have great support from the ICANN Board as 
well as the staff and I know that we will be able 
to build upon the organization's many achievements."

"The Board has consulted extensively with Fadi 
through the past couple of months and has spent 
this week in session with him and his leadership 
team reviewing his plans," said Dr. Stephen 
Crocker, ICANN Board Chair. "We are very 
supportive and will do everything we can to help 
the ICANN team deliver successfully. "