The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has chosen a successor to Vinton G. Cerf, the Internet pioneer whose term as chairman of the organization recently ended. Peter Dengate Thrush, a lawyer from New Zealand, will take over the job.
Mr. Thrush certainly has the pedigree: He specializes in Internet law and intellectual property, and he has worked with ICANN in various capacities since its creation, in 1998. (Since 2005 he has served alongside Mr. Cerf on the organization’s governing board.)
But Mr. Thrush’s home country might be just as important as his professional credentials. Critics of ICANN have argued that the group needs to find a more international (and less U.S.-centric) focus. The new chairman will very likely be tasked with helping ICANN fulfill that mission. —Brock Read
