Donald M. Heath is a seasoned executive in the telecommunications, computer and software industries. He has held executive positions in development, operations, finance, sales, marketing and has worked in firms ranging from start-ups to very large multi-national corporations. He has served on the board of directors of Diversified Software Systems Inc., a large-scale software firm, for the past 16 years, the board of advisors for SoftZoo.com, an Internet company for the marketing and distribution of applications software, and is a member of the Chairman’s Council of Alcatel.
For just over five years from 1996, Heath was president and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Society (ISOC). At ISOC he led a broad spectrum of activities focused on the Internet’s development and associated technologies, its international growth, availability, education, policies and evolution. He also managed the Internet Society’s responsibilities for facilitating and coordinating Internet-related programs and initiatives around the world. Heath was Chair of the International Ad Hoc Committee (IAHC), a coalition of participants from the broad Internet community, working to satisfy the requirement for enhancements to the Internet's global Domain Name System (DNS). He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications to the government of Ireland; a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Panel of Experts to develop recommendations concerning intellectual property issues associated with Internet domain names including dispute resolution; a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Reform Advisory Panel; and, is currently a member of the U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Communication and Information Policy (ACICIP) where he is co-Chair of the Intellectual Property, Inter-Operability and Standards Working Group. He is active in fostering efforts and initiatives for Internet self-governance and is a frequent speaker in international forums on that subject.
Prior to the Internet Society, Heath was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Transaction Network Services (TNS), a U.S. based network company specializing in transaction oriented data communications. He joined TNS upon leaving BT North America (BTNA) where he was Vice President of Product Management and Marketing. While in that position Heath was also responsible for marketing for BT’s global outsourcing subsidiary, Syncordia, and had responsibility for BT’s data services worldwide. Before joining BTNA, he was Vice President, Data Marketing for MCI and was charged with creating MCI’s data communications business.
Heath came to MCI from XtraSoft, a company specializing in retail management software development for chain store operations, where he was President and Chief Operating Officer as well as a member of the board of directors. Earlier, he was Vice President of Development and Operations for Integrated Software Services Corporation (ISSCO), the premier mainframe graphics software developer for data representational and presentation graphics. Heath was Vice President of Tymnet, the worldwide data communications network company during the period of its most rapid growth, and prior to that, he held various key management positions with Sperry Univac Corporation.
A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Heath earned a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the Institute of Technology. At Minnesota he was very active in various music organizations including the University of Minnesota Concert, Symphonic, and Marching Bands, as well as the Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Heath is a Life-Member of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. He has been a precinct captain for the Republican Party in Maryland; President of the Home Owners Association in Houston, Texas; member of the board of directors of the San Diego Master Chorale, and Chairman of their fund raising committees.