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Candidate Philip Sheppard
(I) A description of the candidates qualifications as required by
ICANN's bylaws; http://www.icann.org/general/archive-bylaws/bylaws-28feb06.htm#VI
Section 3. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF DIRECTORS
"Accomplished persons of integrity, objectivity, and intelligence,
with reputations for sound judgement and open minds, and a demonstrated
capacity for thoughtful group decision-making";
In my career I have worked with the oil company Shell, the consultants
Ernst & Young, and more recently for a European trade association. Each
of these roles has helped improve my skills in making sound judgement and
in group decision making in a multi-cultural environment. I am also one of
thirteen board members of the International Public Relations Association
(IPRA) and I am the President elect 2007. IPRA represents the PR profession
globally with some 1000 members world-wide. The Board is diverse with
current representatives from Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Greece, Germany, UK and the US. One of its public interest campaigns is for
media transparency - to remove the corruption endemic in certain countries
where paid-for editorial is standard. IPRA was a participatory organization
in the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). I am also a
freeman of the Merchant Taylors' Company of the City of London which was
established in 1503 and is now engaged primarily in charitable works.
ICANN is a multi-layered and multi-dimensional organisation, thus
presenting challenges of complexity. I have a keen analytical sense and am
able to grasp complex problems and then distinguish and communicate the key
elements. I am a natural and experienced consensus builder who is able to
work with others in order to build a position around an issue, while
factoring in the ideas and views of the relevant group. It is my belief
that such skills are essential when dealing with the issues facing ICANN -
where the policy essence risks being drowned out by the technical or
commercial issues.
"Persons with an understanding of ICANN's mission and the potential
impact of ICANN decisions on the global Internet community, and committed
to the success of ICANN";
I have been involved with ICANN since 1999, first as a member of the
Business Users Constituency (representing small and large commercial users)
and now as an elected representative to the GNSO. I served two terms of
office as DNSO Names Council chairman and chaired issue task forces on
review and on structure. In 2002 I participated in the Board's Dot Info
Country Names Discussion Group (ICNG) and was appointed to the Board's
assistance groups developing recommendations on structure and a policy
development process for the GNSO and later for the country code name
supporting organization (CCNSO). In 2003 I chaired the GNSO Council
committee on new gTLDs. In 2004 I chaired the dot net re-delegation
subcommittee and in 2004 I served on the President's Committee on the WIPO
II request. I currently serve on the GNSO task forces considering new gTLDs
and new registry services.
"Persons who will produce the broadest cultural and geographic
diversity on the Board consistent with meeting the other criteria set forth
in this Section";
I am British. There are currently no ICANN Board members of British
nationality. The majority of my professional work experience has been
outside the UK and has included a significant amount of time in the Middle
East and continental Europe. A career move brought me to Brussels, Belgium
where I currently hold the position of public affairs manager for an
association representing both multi-national organisations and national
associations of small and large companies throughout western, central and
eastern Europe. In this role I work daily with different nationalities both
within my own organization and in my professional public affairs work with
the European Commission, members of the European Parliament, and with the
ministries of national governments. I travel frequently to national
European capitals and to Geneva. The focus of this work is the maintenance
of a liberal legal climate where innovation can flourish and includes the
important strategy of encouraging the use of self-regulation as an
alternative to law.
"Persons who, in the aggregate, have personal familiarity with the
operation of gTLD registries and registrars; with ccTLD registries; with IP
address registries; with Internet technical standards and protocols; with
policy-development procedures, legal traditions, and the public interest;
and with the broad range of business, individual, academic, and
non-commercial users of the Internet";
My time spent in ICANN since 1999 gives me this familiarity: first as a
member of the then Names Council in 1999, subsequently as Names Council
chairman (2001 — 2002), and currently as a GNSO council member.
"Persons who are willing to serve as volunteers, without
compensation other than the reimbursement of certain expenses";
I am so willing.
"Persons who are able to work and communicate in written and spoken
English"
I have English mother tongue. (I also work in French.)
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(II) "An explanation how the candidate would represent the
interests of all Internet stakeholders"
I am standing for the Board, to act in the best interests of ICANN and not
for any one constituency. My background on the DNSO/GNSO Council, with its
diversity of interests, serves as a strong background for the diversity of
interests dealt with by the Board. As the elected member from the GNSO I
will additionally seek to ensure GNSO policy receives the right level of
attention, weight and understanding by the Board, as well as bringing
specific GNSO minority views to the fore where these are relevant to the
Board's collective decision making.
(III) "A list of priorities which the candidate would like to
achieve during a potential term on the ICANN Board".
a) Competition. To remind the Board whenever necessary of its
responsibility to increase competition at the registry level.
b) A listening Board. To ensure the Board listens to and
understands ALL the policy before it, not just how policy has been
presented to it via the staff filter.
c) Resources for policy. To fight for the appropriate level
of resources to support the policy development work of all supporting
organisations including the necessary challenges of interaction with other
bodies such as the Government Advisory Committee.
d) Enhancing trust. To ensure Board decision making
takes into account the effect of decisions on public and community trust;
including issues of improving effective compliance.
e) Pending resolutions. To call for a short-term appraisal of
GNSO resolutions sent to the Board that are pending consideration such as
the request for the publication of new registry contracts prior to
adoption.
f) Budget balance. To ensure Board decisions on the ICANN
budget have the appropriate balance between financial stability for the
ICANN secretariat and fairness in collection mechanisms.
g) Value for money. To ensure that Board decisions on the
ICANN budget put in place mechanisms to ensure the efficient use of funds,
so that budget increases translate directly into better services and
greater efficacy. In short, to work towards a community perception that
ICANN is delivering value for money.
h) Feedback. To ensure the GNSO gets the best ever feedback
about Board activities, agendas and decisions by both endeavouring
personally to do this in the short-term, and medium term to ensure
resources are in place for this to be standard practice to the benefit of
all supporting organisations and the community. This should include
feedback from Board and President's committees.
(lV) "A conflicts and disclosures statement whether s/he has
invested in or received any compensation from an entity engaged in
transactions with ICANN (including but not limited to a registrar,
registry, or applicant to run a registry) over the past 12 months; if so,
whether that investment or compensation relationship exists today; if so,
how the candidate plans (if selected for the ICANN Board) to comply with
the conflicts policy summarised above; the types of issues coming before
the Board on which the candidate believes s/he would be disqualified from
voting due to the conflicts policy".
I have no such conflicts and fully expect to be able to participate in all
the decision making of the Board.
(V) "Disclosures"
I have no relevant disclosure to make. (I am currently one of three elected
Business Constituency representatives to the GNSO Council. If elected I
will resign this position. During the election process itself I have
stepped down from the GNSO Council and an alternative BC representative has
been assigned).
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