The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has officially appointed Kurt Erik "Kurtis" Lindqvist as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 5 December 2024.

Lindqvist, an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, was selected after an exhaustive global search process that involved more than 100 candidates from 20 countries. Lindqvist, who has been serving as CEO of the London Internet Exchange (LINX) since 2019, will bring his extensive experience in Internet Service Provider (ISP) business development and global network carrier management to his new role at ICANN.

Lindqvist has already made significant contributions to the Internet community, holding positions on the Internet Architecture Board and chairing working groups within RIPE and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). He has also advised governments on critical issues such as data retention, and broadband policy. In his acceptance remarks, Lindqvist emphasized his commitment to preserving and evolving the global, interoperable Internet and its multistakeholder governance model, which he sees as central to ongoing innovation and industry transformation.

As stated in the ICANN announcement, 'Lindqvist will be based in ICANN's Geneva, Switzerland office and will spend significant time in ICANN's Los Angeles, California headquarters'.

Until Lindqvist assumes the role in December, Sally Costerton will continue as Interim President and CEO