ICANN's chief strategy officer Kurt Pritz has quit the company. Fadi Chehade, ICANN's president, informed the community, citing conflict of interest as a reason for resignation.
For years, Pritz has been senior vice president for stakeholder relations, and played an enormous part in new gTLD program. After Fadi Chehade joined the company this October, Pritz was promoted to a position created by the new president.
"Kurt will be engaged as a subject matter expert where needed, but will have no access to new gTLD applicant information nor will he play a role in the new gTLD program", Fadi Chedade notes in a message published at the ICANN website.
Some sources say that the conflict of interest might be with ARI Registry Services, a major player of the new gTLD market. However, Pritz stuck to the ethics standards of ICANN, and has been opposing ARI in some vital matters of the new gTLD program.
Chehade has also noted that "a plan for the reassignment of all of Kurt’s management responsibilities" has been already put in place.
