[Washington, DC and Geneva, Switzerland] – The Internet Society is pleased to announce that Olaf Kolkman will join the organization on July 14, 2014 as Chief Internet Technology Officer. As a member of the Executive Team, Mr. Kolkman will be responsible for leading the Internet Society’s strategic technical initiatives, particularly as they pertain to issues and opportunities for enhancing the Internet’s evolution and development.
Mr. Kolkman is well-known and highly-respected throughout the Internet technical community. He will join the Internet Society from the position of CEO of NLnet Labs in the Netherlands. NLnet Labs is a not-for-profit research and development group that produces open-source Internet products, performs research on technical issues with global impact, and contributes actively to the regional and global Internet and to Internet openness and security.
Mr. Kolkman served as Chair of the Internet Architecture Board; is an active contributor to the work of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), having authored many RFCs; and has represented the Internet technical community in his various capacities in U.S., European, and global fora addressing Internet governance issues. He recently served on the Panel on Global Internet Cooperation and Governance Mechanisms, bringing an informed perspective from the Internet technical community in discussions on Internet cooperation and governance mechanisms and support for a multistakeholder model.
“Our commitment to an open, secure, and resilient global Internet is steadfast, as is our dedication to its smooth operation. The Internet’s future depends on the technologies that underpin a trusted Internet. Essential to the work of the Internet Society, therefore, is a CITO who understands the Internet from the inside out, who has the creativity and vision into the future trajectory of Internet technology and the Internet, and has the ability to articulate that knowledge and vision to stakeholders across the world,” said Internet Society CEO Kathy Brown. “Olaf Kolkman has all of these qualities and more. I’m thrilled that he has agreed to join the Internet Society team. Olaf has spent his career at the forefront of meeting the technology challenges of the Internet and we will look to his leadership in these areas. We welcome him warmly and enthusiastically.”
“For me, the transition from an organization that builds technology for the open Internet to an organization that promotes the open Internet is a natural path,” Mr. Kolkman said. “The knowledge of Internet technology and understanding of technical realities and nuances differentiates the Internet Society from the wide variety of other entities in the Internet ecosystem. The work on Internet technology, in trinity with the regional and broad policy work, informs and drives the Internet Society mission. Observed from technological, policy, and different regional perspectives, the Internet evolves rapidly towards a future where the openness that I take for granted, needs care, nurturing, and promotion. At the Internet Society we can shape that future, and I am proud to be part of it.”
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society (www.internetsociety.org) is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership around the world. It is also the organizational home for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.
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