LOS ANGELES - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) 2026 Nominating Committee announced its selections for seven key leadership positions within ICANN's Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees, the Public Technical Identifiers (PTI) Board of Directors, and the ICANN Board of Directors:
According to ICANN, the positions are:
ICANN Board of Directors
• Catherine Adeya - Africa
• Niel Harper - Latin America and the Caribbean
Public Technical Identifiers Board of Directors
Tomslin Samme-Nlar - Africa
At-Large Advisory Committee
• Francesca Bosco - Europe
• Emanuel Lukawiecki - North America
Country Code Names Supporting Organization Council
Wafa Dahmani - Africa
Generic Names Supporting Organization Council
Alan Woods – Europe
Those selected will begin their terms at the conclusion of the ICANN87 Annual General Meeting in October 2026. To learn more about these selectees, please review the biographies linked to each name.
About the 2026 Nominating Committee Cohort
The Nominating Committee is charged with recruiting and selecting a portion of ICANN's leadership. In doing so, the committee is mandated to ensure that ICANN's overall leadership is diverse in geography, culture, skills, experience, and perspective.
The 2026 Nominating Committee received 223 completed applications during the application period, which ran from 18 December 2025 to 18 February 2026. Out of the 223 applicants:
• 27.4 percent were from Africa.
• 41.3 percent were from Asia, Australia, or the Pacific Islands.
• 12.5 percent were from Latin America or the Caribbean.
• 10.3 percent were from Europe.
• 8.5 percent were from North America.
• 11 percent selected two or more countries, reflecting multicountry affiliation.
• 22.4 percent were female, 76.2 percent were male, and 1.3 percent preferred not to answer.
A Message from Nominating Committee Chair Tom Barrett
The Nominating Committee (NomCom) congratulates all selected candidates, who passed through a long, rigorous, and multiphase selection process. Although the committee can appoint only a few out of the large pool of highly qualified candidates, all nonselected applicants are encouraged to find other ways to engage with the ICANN community, as their involvement is critical to ICANN's multistakeholder process.
I'd like to personally thank the Nominating Committee delegates, chair-elect, associate chair, and staff for their extraordinary dedication and hard work throughout this cycle. Reviewing 223 applications, conducting dozens of interviews, and reaching consensus on seven leadership positions demands a significant commitment of time and judgment, and this year's NomCom gave generously and thoughtfully at every stage.
I would also like to note, with sadness, the passing of Arinola Akinyemi, a valued member of the 2026 Nominating Committee. Arinola chaired our Assessment Subcommittee and played a central role in shaping the evaluation rubrics that guided this cycle's candidate assessments. Her contributions leave a lasting mark on this committee's work, and she will be deeply missed.