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auDA CEO departing after 16 years

chris

Top Contributor
Got an email from auDA this afternoon that Chris Disspain is no longer the CEO of auDA.

Here's the email:

The Board of auDA (.au Domain Administration Ltd) announced today that it was ending the contract of CEO, Chris Disspain. Mr Disspain’s contract was due for renewal later this year, but the Board agreed new leadership was required to take the organisation forward.

The Board acknowledged and thanked Mr. Disspain, as founding CEO of auDA, for the hard work and visionary leadership he has demonstrated throughout his tenure, helping to cement the organisation’s standing as a one of the world’s best practice ccTLD managers.

auDA’s current Chief Operations and Policy Officer, Jo Lim has been appointed Acting CEO and the Board will undertake an executive search to fill the position vacated by Mr Disspain, over the next six months.

https://www.auda.org.au/news/auda-ceo-to-depart-after-16-years-of-service/
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
who chooses the replacement for CEO and who are the candidates?
I'm hearing control may go back to the Department of Communications and no more Auda... could this be true since the auda and ausregistry contracts are both also up soon someone said?
 

Shane

Top Contributor
...the Board agreed new leadership was required to take the organisation forward.

16 years is a very long time as CEO of one organisation. The average CEO tenure in Australia is around 5 years.

I wouldn't read into it too much.
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
Perhaps he voted again the release of .au? :eek:

Just thinking about this issue a bit more in light of what has been happening. He was CEO until about a month after the .au vote, he was then sacked but it took a further month for the vote result to come out (only after Ned wrote to them asking why those minutes had not come out). Personally I think he was sacked due to the .au vote. Maybe he wanted the whole vote binned? It sounds like he didn't want the results from the board meeting released.

Again though I am just guessing because of AUDA's complete lack of transparency on the reason why he was sacked and the reason why it took two months for them to announce the result of the vote.
 
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findtim

Top Contributor
it would seem auda believe that members do not deserve anything, they just do what they want and time it for whenever they want, like the late minutes and the .au announcment virtually all bundled into 1 then another board meeting to try and distract us.
now there is the no AGM announcement and their current ostrick tactic hoping we all go away.
bring on the new ceo and hope something shakes

tim
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
When would they normally announce that? Is it overdue?
Last years 2015 AGM announcement and calls for new board elections was done 15th September 2015.
https://www.auda.org.au/news/call-for-nominations-for-election-to-auda-board/

I think they need to provide far more notice for elections and AGM's and invite people to write in to be heard at the AGM or discuss issues.

In previous years the former CEO auDA seemed to be more interested in the drinks after the AGM instead of listening to any questions or comments. He stood up starting to walk out of the meeting and basically pushed for the meeting be closed and "go for drinks" when people still where trying to ask questions. Ned was shut down often very rudely as where many others over the years who tried to voice concerns. It was disgusting to watch but it reflected on how things had been run for too long. Luckily Ned's voice at www.domainer.com.au is now listened to by many.

Be assured a lot of people, domainers, trademark lawyers, major corporates, small businesses, Ministers and Federal Government and media will be watching this AGM more closely than ever. One thing is certain the voting and board makeup will be more under scrutiny than ever.

People on the auDA board and auDA will need to listen fully this year and not be so dismissive or they may find themselves moved on also as the last CEO was.....
 

neddy

Top Contributor

neddy

Top Contributor
Wrote an article today on Domainer - "More Fun & Games At auDA".

They have chopped and changed Board Meetings a bit this year (which is most unusual). Two meetings in July (25th & 27th) seems strange. Meeting fees paid to Directors will be up! There is another meeting today.

What concerns me though is when the AGM is going to be held. I suspect - though I hope I'm wrong - that this will be pushed into December. This potentially opens up a can of worms when it comes to voting rights - and lack of communication with members.

If this does happen, I will be questioning the motivation for doing this – particularly as this will allow a whole new swag of membership applications to be accepted at today’s Board Meeting. Given the three month rule under the Constitution, these new members will then be entitled to vote and elect Directors. If the AGM is held in November, then any new membership accepted today would not be eligible.

Interesting times.
 

snoopy

Top Contributor
If this does happen, I will be questioning the motivation for doing this – particularly as this will allow a whole new swag of membership applications to be accepted at today’s Board Meeting. Given the three month rule under the Constitution, these new members will then be entitled to vote and elect Directors. If the AGM is held in November, then any new membership accepted today would not be eligible.

Interesting times.

The government probably needs to step in given the current AUDA situation, the board is broken, the CEO is sacked for no stated reason, the membership base is a farce. I think they probably need all independent directors going forward. We need to get domainers on that board to balance things but ultimately the whole thing is one big mess.

AUDA doesn't have any credibility and they should not be deciding on anything important in the state they are in.
 

findtim

Top Contributor
particularly as this will allow a whole new swag of membership applications to be accepted at today’s Board Meeting
i don't care what game i play as long as we all know the same rules, once again auda not giving a sh*t about its members, it reminds of Joh Bjelke-Petersen and the gerrymander days.

i think they have stopped digging a hole, they are now trying to dig a tunnel at the bottom !

these meetings need to be set and adhered to, at the very least when a membership cut off date is called it should stick regardless, its like changing the cut off date of a tender to allow a favourite an advantage AND only informing the the favourite.

tim
 

neddy

Top Contributor
I see there has been some musical chairs at auDA today. Was just on LinkedIn when I saw this update flash up:


Congratulations Erhan. By the way, if you get the chance, could you please let us know what is happening with regards the promised working group for the implementation of direct registrations? I did ask the question previously on here, but you may have missed it.
 

DomainNames

Top Contributor
i don't care what game i play as long as we all know the same rules, once again auda not giving a sh*t about its members, it reminds of Joh Bjelke-Petersen and the gerrymander days.

i think they have stopped digging a hole, they are now trying to dig a tunnel at the bottom !

these meetings need to be set and adhered to, at the very least when a membership cut off date is called it should stick regardless, its like changing the cut off date of a tender to allow a favourite an advantage AND only informing the the favourite.

tim
All auDA board meetings should be broadcast online LIVE. This is INNOVATION. Nothing to hide then broadcast it live.

Also maybe allow incoming questions at the same time from people?
 

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