ICANN 2025 NomCom Publishes Leadership Selection Report

From the onset, the 2025 Nominating Committee (NomCom) launches its Year‑in‑Review report with a direct and gracious note from its chair, reflecting on the committee’s journey since convening right after the ICANN81 Annual General Meeting. This introduction sets the stage by acknowledging the scale and import of the committee’s mission.

The report proceeds to lay out the exact leadership roles the committee was assigned to fill—covering key bodies within ICANN—and outlines the evaluation principles guiding candidate selection. Following that, it offers a narrative of how outreach, selection, and final decisions unfolded over the past year.

Leadership Roles and Evaluation Benchmarks

The NomCom was charged with filling several critical leadership positions by the ICANN84 Annual General Meeting in October 2025. These included three seats on the ICANN Board of Directors, one position on the Public Technical Identifiers (PTI) Board, three regional representatives to the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), one seat on the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Council, and two seats on the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council—one each for the Contracted Parties House and the Non‑Contracted Parties House.

Candidate evaluation was grounded in clear criteria: integrity, objectivity, sound judgment, decision‑making support, English proficiency, understanding of ICANN’s mission, commitment to ICANN’s success, and the ability to contribute diverse cultural, professional, and geographic perspectives—often as volunteers.

Outreach, Applications, and Preselection Workflow

To generate applicant interest, NomCom conducted a multifaceted outreach initiative both before and during the application window. Delegates tapped local networks and engaged at ICANN82, while an external recruitment firm reached out across all regions. ICANN also promoted leadership opportunities through paid social media campaigns and other engagement activities.

When applications closed on 28 March 2025, the committee had received exactly 106 completed submissions. Their geographic distribution was: 37% from Africa, 25% from Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands, 16% from Latin America and the Caribbean, 8% from Europe, 2% from North America, and 12% from individuals spanning more than one region. In terms of gender, 27% of submissions were from female applicants, and 73% were from male applicants.

Deliberations, Interviews, and Final Choices

The NomCom held its first intersessional meeting, from 24 to 26 April 2025, to evaluate applicants’ skills and qualifications and to establish a preliminary shortlist. Deep‑dive subgroups then conducted structured virtual interviews, supplemented by assessment tools and summary reports to ensure a fair and equivalently rigorous evaluation for all.

At its second intersessional meeting (20–28 May 2025), the committee finalized the shortlist. Candidates for ICANN and PTI Boards moved forward to face‑to‑face interviews at ICANN83, while final shortlists for ALAC, ccNSO Council, and GNSO Council positions were confirmed.

Announcing the Selected Leaders

Following in‑person deliberations at ICANN83 and completing due diligence, the NomCom publicly announced its final selections on 13 August 2025. The successful candidates are:

ICANN Board of Directors: Sajid Rahman (Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands); Constance Bommelaer de Leusse (Europe); Raúl Echeberría (Latin America and the Caribbean)

PTI Board of Directors: Lise Fuhr (Europe)

ALAC Regional Representatives: Adebunmi Akinbo (Africa); Aftab Siddiqui (Asia/Australia/Pacific Islands); Hannah Frank (Latin America and the Caribbean)

ccNSO Council Member: Olga Cavalli (Latin America and the Caribbean)

GNSO Council Members: Christian Dawson (North America, Non‑Contracted Parties House); Gaurav Vedi (North America, Contracted Parties House)

Timeline and Process Highlights

NomCom’s workflow unfolded through five defined phases. Phase 1 (Planning, November 2024–January 2025) involved kickoff meetings, timeline setting, committee formation, and mandatory training in unconscious bias and inclusive leadership. Phase 2 (Recruitment and Outreach, Jan–Mar 2025) saw active promotion of roles and interview‑training sessions. Phase 3 (Assessment, Mar–Jun 2025) focused on application review, shortlists, and virtual assessments. Phase 4 (Selection & Announcement, Jun–Sep 2025) encompassed in‑person deliberations, candidate confirmation, and announcement. Finally, Phase 5 (Reporting, Jul–Oct 2025) covered publishing the report, leadership evaluations, delegate peer reviews, and feedback surveys, along with recommendations for process improvements.

Final Takeaway

This Year‑in‑Review document offers a comprehensive and transparent recap of NomCom’s 2025 cycle—from initial planning through outreach, interviews, selection, and reporting. Highlighting both the human effort invested and the meticulous structure of the process, the report underscores ICANN’s dedication to diversity, integrity, and accountability as it appoints leaders steering the future of global internet governance.