[Washington, DC and Geneva, Switzerland – June 11, 2014] – The Internet Society is pleased to announce that Raúl Echeberría will join the organization in the new position of Vice President, Global Engagement. Mr. Echeberría has been Executive Director of the Latin America and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC) since 2002. He was a past Chair of the Internet Society Board and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. He will start his new role at the Internet Society on August 1, 2014, after the conclusion of his Board term at the end of this month. Mr. Echeberría will be based in Montevideo, Uruguay.
As Vice President of Global Engagement, Mr. Echeberría will serve on the Internet Society Executive Team. He will lead a global strategy to integrate the Internet Society’s regional initiatives, strategic development efforts, and Chapter activities throughout the world. The Internet Society has Regional Bureaus in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, and North America, and plans for the Middle East. There are more than 100 Chapters associated with the Internet Society, with more than 60,000 members dedicated to a global, open, resilient Internet. Mr. Echeberría will work across the Internet Society’s policy, technical, and outreach organizations to ensure a seamless strategy to meet the priorities of the organization.
Mr. Echeberría is a widely-respected leader in the Internet development and public policy arena. He is one of the founders of LACNIC and is well-known for his contributions to the development of the Internet both within the Latin American and Caribbean region as well as at the global level. He has been actively involved in the World Summit on the Information Society, participated in the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) created by the UN Secretary General, and played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the Tunis Summit Agreement. In 2006, the UN Secretary General appointed him to join the Internet Governance Forum’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group, a group where he served until last February. Mr. Echeberría is an active member of the “I* community”, comprised of the leaders of the organizations responsible for coordination of the Internet technical infrastructure. He was also co-chair of the Executive Multistakeholder Committee for the successful NETmundial in Sao Paulo in April of this year.
“Raúl has a deep appreciation for the incalculable value that can be and is generated by our dedicated programs, staff, and Chapter leaders and members who work around the world with regional and local stakeholders to extend the Internet and its benefits to all people,” said Internet Society CEO Kathy Brown. “I am thrilled that he will be bringing to the Internet Society, and to our Executive Team, his international perspective, his global experiences and expertise, and his wisdom. We warmly and enthusiastically welcome him.”
“I have been involved with the Internet Society in different ways for a long time as a member, as a partner in many activities, and also as a member of the Board,” said Mr. Echeberría. “I completely share the Internet Society’s values and principles, and I am very happy to have the opportunity now to join the staff to continue advancing those values. I hope to make a contribution, adding my international experience to strengthen the global, multicultural, and multilingual characteristics of the organization. The Internet Society is a key piece of the Internet ecosystem in its work to ensure the Internet continues as a platform for promoting social and economic development and as a catalyzer for the global promotion of human rights. I can’t imagine a better place than the Internet Society for continuing my professional career.”
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, substantial technological foundation, and its global presence, 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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