Fadi Chehade is to become new CEO of ICANN effective October 1, 2012. Chehade, 50, has extensive experience in information technologies.
Chehade has been selected by a special ICANN committee from over 100 candidates. New ICANN CEO is 50 and has degrees of Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Stanford University, as well as extensive experience in information technologies. Fadi Chehade has worked at IBM as well as led three successful startups, namely Viacore, RosettaNet and Nett Information Group. Chehade currently works as CEO of Vocado, the company engaged in providing corporate cloud services. New CEO is a citizen of Lebanon, Egypt and USA, married and has two adult sons.
Starting July, 1, Rod Beckstrom, current ICANN's CEO, will resign from the position, with Chehade taking his duties on October 1, 2012. For three months Akram Atallah, ICANN's COO, is to perform the duties of CEO.
Chehade has to lead ICANN through many challenges while the company stands at the very start of assessing over 1930 new gTLD applications. Fadi Chehade's appointment has also coincided with ICANN's new gTLD director, MIchael Salazar's resign for unknown reasons. Meanwhile, Fadi Chehade is eager to stay in his position as Vocado's CEO, combining the two jobs.
"Our main task is to present and protect the interests of Russian-speaking Internet audience," Andrei Kolesnikov, the Coordination Center's CEO, says. "We plan to work together with ICANN and the corporation's new CEO to benefit Internet society".
Earlier, ICANN has issued a call for candidates to fill the position of the company's CEO when Rod Beckstrom's contract came to an end. Beckstrom has worked as ICANN CEO for three years. A special committee was appointed by ICANN board to search for candidates.
