IFFOR Taps Former ICANN Exec to Lead 'Outreach'

WASHINGTON — IFFOR said Sunday it has tapped Kieren McCarthy, former ICANN general manager of public participation, to lead the organization’s “public outreach efforts."

McCarthy will be tasked with informing stakeholders of policies under development for the .XXX top-level domain, “as well as developing the tools through which Internet community members and IFFOR Policy Council members can reach consensus positions.”

“At ICANN, McCarthy won widespread recognition for his overhaul of the tools and systems used to involve others in its policy processes, covering everything from online public comment periods to physical meetings,” IFFOR said in a release Sunday. “He is also a strong advocate of the multi-stakeholder model used to decide policies in an increasing number of Internet organizations."

Joan Irvine, IFFOR's executive director, said McCarthy “has a strong track record of finding ways to involve people and making them feel a part of the process.”

Stuart Lawley, chairman of IFFOR, said, “It’s great to see another high-caliber individual sign up to IFFOR’s mission. In the Policy Council, we have already managed to bring together international leaders from the adult industry, child protection, privacy and security and freedom of expression arenas, and now we have someone who is able to make the most of that talent.”

“I look forward to the challenge. IFFOR will bring together a diverse group with strongly held views on a range of complex and far-reaching issues,” McCarthy said of his new role. “The fun part will be finding those workable compromises that everyone can buy into.”