Yesterday, Kathy Brown, the Internet Society’s President & CEO, wrote that she has informed the Board of Trustees that she will not seek another extension of her contract, which will end at the end of 2018.
Before I discuss the search and selection process ahead of us, on behalf of the whole Board I want to express our gratitude to Kathy for the strong leadership and commitment she has shown in taking the Internet Society forward. Kathy has worked tirelessly in the interests of the organization, always putting her job before herself. The changes she has brought about have been both deep and wide-ranging, and she has succeeded in readying the organization for the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
While the Board would have been happy for Kathy to continue as CEO for a further term, we also understand and respect the decision that she has taken to dedicate time to her family. When the time comes, I hope you will all join me in wishing Kathy the very best in her life after ISOC.
During the process of searching for and selecting a new CEO, operational continuity in the organization will be a key priority. The Board has just approved the 2018 Action Plan, which provides clear direction for ISOC for the coming year. The organization will focus on the execution of the plan during the whole CEO succession process. Kathy will remain fully engaged and committed to that work until the conclusion of the process.
As background, we will not be starting the CEO succession process from scratch. Last year, the Board decided that ISOC needed to have a CEO Succession Plan in place at all times. Developing such a plan was one of the focus areas for the Board this year. The material we developed in that context will naturally be used in the current succession process. In addition, Kathy has always taken the development of her staff very seriously. Since Kathy has worked with her staff to improve their leadership skills and competences, the Board will consider both external and internal candidates for the CEO position.
The next step for the Board is to form a CEO Search Committee. Based on the CEO Succession Plan material mentioned earlier, the committee will develop a time plan, job description, channels to distribute the call, a process to short-list candidates, all leading to selection of an excellent new CEO who can take over as Kathy departs. In the meantime, if you have any input, please let us know by sending an email to:
Emails sent to the address above will be treated as confidential within the ISOC Board of Trustees.