WASHINGTON — ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley has stepped down as chairman of IFFOR, the nonprofit policymaking organization for .XXX, citing the need to create a bright line between the two groups.
In his place as chairman, the group has tapped Clyde Beattie to take his place. Beattie is an Internet governance expert and former chair of the Canadian Internet Registry Authority, as well as an entrepreneur, leading Yorkland Investment Corp. as CEO.
“IFFOR is specifically structured to ensure separation from ICM Registry,” Lawley said. “But with my name front of house for both organizations, I felt it appeared to many there wasn’t enough of a clear separation between the two."
Lawley, whose ICM Registry operates the top-level domain, also said that he no longer could devote time to both entities.
"[I]t has become clear through the recent success of the .XXX sunrise period that I would be hard-pushed to give both organizations my fullest attention.”
Lawley said he decided to step down from the role prior to the inaugural meeting of the IFFOR Policy Council. That panel makes recommendations to IFFOR’s board on policies for .XXX domain names.
Beattie joins existing IFFOR board members Sebastien Bachollet, CEO of BBS Consulting, and Sheri Falco, ICM Registry’s general counsel.
“I’m delighted to be in a position to lead IFFOR," Beattie said. "It is going to be a major global contributor to the protection of children online, Internet safety and the support of free expression."
