[registrars] Candidate statement Philip Sheppard ICANN Board election 2006

Wed May 24 09:12:05 UTC 2006

Hello All,

Please see attached the candidate statement from Philip Sheppard.

Below is a plain text version.

Note that Philip currently works as the Public Affairs manager for a
European Trade Association called  AIM (Association des Industries de
Marque).

>From http://www.aim.be :

"AIM is the European Brands Association. It represents the branded goods
industries in Europe on key issues which affect the ability of brand
manufacturers to design, distribute and market their brands. AIM's
membership groups 1800 companies of all sizes through corporate members
and national associations in 21 countries. These companies are mostly
active in everyday consumer goods.  They employ some two million workers
and account for over 350 billion Euro in annual sales in Europe alone.
AIM gets involved when it perceives potential changes in the regulatory
or commercial environment affecting its members in common.

AIM's mission is to create for brands an environment of fair and
vigorous competition, fostering innovation and guaranteeing maximum
value to consumers."

Regards,
Bruce Tonkin

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.)
.

(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). 

END
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