ICANN’s new CEO has been announced today – it is Göran Marby from the Swedish telecoms regulator.
Marby had been Director General of Post and Telecom Agency, PTS in Sweden, where he’d held the post since 2010.
The news was made public as Marby’s resignation was notified to his Swedish employer – the Swedish government.
Here’s the official announcement:
Göran Marby, an experienced business executive and government leader has been named the next President and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
“I’m delighted to announce Göran as the new head of ICANN,” said Dr. Stephen Crocker, Chair of the ICANN Board of Directors. “His leadership experience as a technology CEO and start up founder as well as his current experience as Director-General of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority will be invaluable as ICANN moves towards the next chapter in its history. We conducted an extensive, global search and Göran impressed us all throughout with his shared values, operational experience and understanding of the Internet ecosystem. I’m looking forward to working with him and what I know will be his substantial contribution to ICANN and to helping ensure a stable, secure and unified global Internet.”
Marby is a Swedish citizen, currently living in Stockholm. He and his family will be relocating to Los Angeles, California the location of one of ICANN’s three global hubs.
“I am very excited to be joining ICANN and joining at the start of a new era for the organization and the community,” said Marby. “While I know there is much for me to learn, I am eager to work with ICANN’s multistakeholder community to continue all the good work that ICANN has been doing and am very committed to implementing the community’s decisions – both with respect to the IANA Stewardship Transition, but also in the myriad important areas of ICANN policy development as it fulfills its mission.”
Marby will succeed current President and CEO Fadi Chehadé whose term finishes on March 15, 2016. Marby will join ICANN in May 2016. During this time, Akram Atallah, President of ICANN’s Global Domains Division will serve as acting CEO.
“I am very grateful to Akram for agreeing to step into this role and providing the continuity and leadership ICANN needs at such an important time,” said Dr Crocker.
Göran Marby has more than 20 years of experience in the Internet and technology sectors. Prior to joining PTS he co-founded AppGate Network Security AB a security software company where he served as CEO between 2002 and 2009 with a focus on international customers and operations.
He has held several other leadership roles in the Internet and technology sectors including as CEO of Cygate a network services company, Country Manager for Cisco in Sweden and as CEO of Unisource Business Networks in Sweden.
Marby holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Gothenburg School Economics.
