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Papac named interim ICANN Ombudsman

Kevin Murphy, September 27, 2023, 13:11:44 (UTC), Domain Policy

ICANN has appointed Krista Papac as interim Ombudsman, following the resignation of Herb Waye earlier this year.

Papac is currently the Org’s complaints officer, a similar role to that of the Ombudsman.

The move means that an ICANN staffer is taking the structurally independent role for the first time.

ICANN chair Tripti Sinha blogged that Papac will now report directly to the board “to ensure that the confidentiality and independence of the Ombudsman Office are maintained”, but it isn’t clear whether she will also continue to report to the usual staff chain of command in her complaints officer role.

The appointment was evidently made by the board at its September 10 retreat but was not disclosed at the time. Waye resigned in July and his last day is September 30.

The board is looking for a permanent replacement for Waye via a search committee formed two weeks ago. If the hunt is anywhere near as long-winded as the CEO search, now in its ninth month, Papac could be enjoying her new gig for some time.

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Comments (2)

  1. Rob says:

    I could not think of a better person for the job.

    Her history of ICANN, her compassion and her zeal makes her the perfect choice !

    How about we pause the search, give her a chance, and then just make it a permanent position. I guarantee she will surprise you with her competence and empathy.

    • Kevin Murphy says:

      I like her too, but I do wonder about the transparency of the complaints office under her management.

      https://www.icann.org/complaints-report

      This page was not updated for over two years. Recently, somebody started to update it.

      Lots of complaints have taken years to resolve, according to this page, and some have never been resolved.

      Given that the Ombudsman office hasn’t been transparent for years either, I guess you’re right, she is a good pick for this job.

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