Non-profit publishes profile of desired CEO.
Want to be the CEO of an organization launching a highly controversial expansion of the internet namespace and seeing its budget double or triple your first year on the job?
ICANN has a job for you.
Today ICANN announced it has selected search firm Odgers Berndtson of Brussels to help it find a new CEO to replace Rod Beckstrom. ICANN has used the same firm previously.
It also published a candidate profile (pdf). Among the attributes that will make you successful in this role is being able to work within the “internet governance ecosystem”. It’s a bit scarey to see mentions of the United Nations in this profile document. But the truth is ICANN’s CEO needs to be able to manage expectations of other governments that want to play a greater role in internet governance.
This will be interesting to watch.
The as is a joke. This is all that matters:
Technical
Internet architecture knowledge : understanding of the global Internet’s systems of unique identifiers, including domain names, protocol parameters and addresses
Institutional knowledge : familiarity with the functioning of registries and registrars, ICANN’s policy development procedures and user categories
Understanding of the domain names market structure and dynamics, including competition issues
The last thing the string-pullers within ICANN want is a leader with actual credentials of a degree in computer systems. ICANN only claims all day long that ICANN doesn’t get involved with business, with promoting economies, with criminal matters; it is merely an instrument to enable the mechanics of domain registrations.
Which is it?
The truth is only a domainer could ever really do that job right.
Techies, SEO Gurus, Webmasters, have NO clue as to what is needed in the domain space.
This is just a guarantee that another money-grubbing, ass-clown puppet, with no interest in the public well being, just like Rod Beckstrom, is nominated into office.
What a failure Rod Beckstrom turned out to be after he gave an initial bit of lip service to the domain industry and then proceeded to turn his back on it and ignore ALL the advice ever given in the comment periods.
I really think ICANN will fuc* up the Internet permanantly with people 100% ignorant of the domain space.
One requirement should be, and above the rest they listed is, you need to have worked in the domain space for 10+ years as a regular domain investor, or can’t be president of ICANN.
I suggest Jeff Kupietzky for CEO. Then we’re have no doubt domain industry is doomed and we can find new industry without getting surprised.