New role created to build organization’s global profile and increase awareness of key Internet issues
[Washington, DC and Geneva, Switzerland] – The Internet Society today announced that it has appointed public relations professional James Wood to the newly created position of Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Media Relations. With overarching responsibility to plan the communications strategy across internal and external communications functions, Mr. Wood will drive the development and implementation of a strategic communications framework designed to raise the profile of the organization and amplify its voice around the world. In promoting the Internet Society’s values through multiple communications channels, Mr. Wood will be focused on helping the organization deliver on its long-term mission, vision and core objectives. Mr. Wood joins the Internet Society on January 1, 2015, and he will be based in the organization’s Geneva office.
”This position will play a crucial role in building a greater understanding of the current challenges facing the Internet and in reinforcing the global multistakeholder approach as the way to solve them,” said Kathy Brown, President and CEO of the Internet Society. “James comes to us with a wealth of experience and a strategic perspective to elevate the Internet Society’s visibility with new and existing audiences, and communicate our positions in support of an open and sustainable Internet for all. He is ideally suited to this new position, and I’m pleased to welcome him to the organization.”
Offering a combination of communications expertise and knowledge of the Internet governance landscape, Mr. Wood brings extensive public relations and media consultancy experience to the Internet Society amassed over more than 15 years spent working in a range of agency and in-house roles. He joins the Internet Society from London-based technology public relations firm AxiCom where he spent nearly ten years. During this time, he established and led AxiCom’s dedicated Policy & Governance practice, supporting clients operating at the intersection of technology and policy, including those active in Internet governance discussions. Mr. Wood has been a regular attendee at the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for the past four years.
While at AxiCom, Mr. Wood had responsibility for delivering transformational communications programs for many companies in the broadcast and video technology, content creation, distribution and delivery chain including NDS (now Cisco), Pace, Panasonic and TDK. He also managed communications activities for a number of other well-known technology brands in the mobile industry including leading the global function for Nokia’s Mobile Phones business (now part of Microsoft Devices Group) in emerging markets.
Mr. Wood has a Master of Arts degree in Islamic History and Arabic from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern European Languages from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, U.K. He is fluent in French and Italian.
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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