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AI experts replace Chapman on ICANN board

Kevin Murphy, August 20, 2025, 05:55:42 (UTC), Domain Policy

ICANN’s Nominating Committee has announced its annual picks for the Org’s board of directors, with two new fresh faces, both of whom have notable AI policy experience, joining.

Constance Bommelaer de Leusse and Raúl Echeberría, respectively French and Uruguayan internet policy experts, are the newcomers. Australian former regulator Chris Chapman is leaving after just one three-year term.

Echeberría is perhaps the more-familiar name, having been involved with ICANN since its early days. He’s a founder and former long-time CEO of LACNIC, and has held roles in ISOC, WSIS, and the IGF. He’s also former chair of ICANN’s Number Resource Organization.

De Leusse is a French academic, raised in the US, currently employed by the Sciences Po and Ecole normale supérieure (ENS-PLS) universities in Paris. She is a former ISOC VP.

Both have AI policy experience. Echeberría earlier this year sat on the steering committee of the AI Action Summit, hosted in Paris by President Macron, while de Leusse works for the AI & Society Institute at ENS-PLS.

On social media, de Leusse describes herself as a winemaker, which may or may not prove interesting.

NomCom also reappointed Sajid Rahman for a second three-year term. One of the two new appointees replaces former board chair Maarten Botterman, who is term-limited after nine years’ service. The other replaces Chapman.

In terms of geographic balance, it means a director from the Asia-Pacific region has been replaced by one from Latin America. I don’t believe this causes any significant issues in terms of limiting other groups’ election options.

NomCom, which also selected seven other people for non-board roles, said 37% of its candidates were from Africa, with 25% from Asia-Pac, 16% from Latin America, and 8% from Europe.

Only 2% were from North America, perhaps due to the fact that NomCom was unable to pick anyone from that region for a directorship due to its geographic diversity quotas.

NomCom said that 27% of its candidates were female, 73% male, which is broadly in line with previous years and historical stats for general ICANN participation.

The new appointees take their seats at the conclusion of ICANN’s AGM in October.


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