Affiliation: Addrex, Inc.
Nomination Committee Evaluation: Qualified
Candidate Speech
Nominee Questionnaire
1. Board of Trustees Qualifications and Responsibilities
Please review the ARIN Board of Trustees Expected Qualifications and Responsibilities thoroughly. Please describe, providing specific details, any barriers you foresee to your fully meeting those qualifications and undertaking those responsibilities. A Trustee’s responsibilities have usually required about 5-10 hours per week.
I am prepared to provide the necessary time to represent the community members in excess of the minimum required hours in addition to time required to read and research relevant materials and documents as needed to execute the duties of a member of the Board of Trustees.
2. Conflicts of Interest
a) Please disclose any conflicts of interest you may have, real or perceived, that would impact your ability to perform your duty as a member of the ARIN Board of Trustees. (If no conflicts, please enter “N/A”)
As an employee of a company dealing with IPv4 transfers, I would be cognizant of issues that might benefit my employer or myself personally and recuse myself for those votes.
b) How do you propose to resolve any conflicts identified in (a)? (If no conflicts identified, please enter “N/A”)
If any conflict were to be identified real or perceived I would recuse myself to maintain the propriety of the board.
c) Are you currently eligible to serve on the Board of Trustees according to the Conflict of Interest Requirements and the eligibility requirements?
Yes
d) If not currently eligible, describe how you will become eligible to serve, if elected (i.e., “If elected, I will resign from the position of ____________ before 31 Dec 2022”). If currently eligible, please enter “N/A”.
N/A
3. Education
a) Please list any degree(s) you received, the institution and the date issued.
- Quantic School of Business and Technology, Executive Masters of Business Administration, November 2018.
b) Please list any professional designations, certifications, or development education (non-degree) and the dates completed.
- VeriSign Executive Training
- Pragmatic Institute Product and Marketing
4. Employment and Experience
a) Please provide the name of any company or organization you currently are employed by, or from which you receive directly or indirectly a material portion of your compensation. Please describe the business of each such entity, your current title, and the office address of the organization.
Addrex, Inc., IPv4 Marketplace, Executive Vice-President, 505 Huntmar Park Dr, Ste 220, Herndon, VA 20170.
b) Please refer to the ARIN Board of Trustees Guidance to the 2022 Nomination Committee in answering this question: Please describe your relevant professional experience and expertise and explain how this background will make you an effective trustee.
My experience dates back to the 1990s where I was employed by Network Solutions on the InterNIC project working in the Network Registration group. This was the predecessor organization to ARIN that was divested in 1997 to form ARIN. My extensive experience in core Internet infrastructure both working with IPv4 and domain names uniquely qualifies me to provide both the technical perspective and the leadership to support the organizations members.
Attach a resume, curriculum vitae, or other biography highlighting your experience most relevant to the duties of the ARIN Board of Trustees. (PDF, DOC, DOCX files only)
https://arin-elections.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/sylvester_resume.pdf
You may also optionally include additional web links to external websites (e.g., social media), though not as a substitute for your biography. One URL per line.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamsylvester/
5. Governance Experience
a) Please identify any boards on which you currently serve that carry fiduciary duties, whether at a for-profit or non-profit organization. Please note how long you have served and what offices, if any, you have held.
I have participated and been a member of the Board of Directors for the following organizations for multiple years each;
- Addrex, Inc. Board of Directors
- Denuo, Inc. Board of Directors
- Agile Broker, Inc. Board of Directors
b) Please identify any other boards on which you have served in the past 10 years that are not included in answer to (a), listing your dates of service.
N/A
c) What is the role of ARIN’s Board of Trustees?
To perform the fiduciary responsibilities of the organization while guiding the organization towards a stable future while adopting ethical, legal governance, and financial management policies, as well as ensuring the organization has resources to further its purpose and mission.
d) How does your past governance experience prepare you to help fulfill that role by serving as an ARIN Trustee?
I understand the fiduciary responsibilities of a board member including the duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience.
Additionally, providing inputs into the organization’s culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial sustainability. I also see board members as representatives to the global Internet community and as advocates for issues important to the future of the organization.
6. Understanding of ARIN’s role in the Internet governance ecosystem
a) What is ARIN’s role in the Internet governance ecosystem?
ARIN is one of five global Internet registries and a member of the Number Resource Organization (NRO). ARIN serves as the directory service of the North American IPv4 numbers and related number resources. This includes technical and policy aspects that interface with ICANN, other RIRs, the United States Government, and the Internet community globally.
b) Describe any past experience or involvement with ARIN or other Internet governance bodies.
Chair of the accountability task force for the RIPE Community, Co-chair of the Database Working Group for the RIPE Community.
Various panels for ARIN and NANOG meetings. Contributor to policy discussions.
7. Board Discussion Topics
a) Risk Oversight and Management
i) Understanding and overseeing organizational and environmental risk is an important responsibility of Trustees. What do you see as potential risks to the organization, and which are newer risks that have emerged more recently?
Risks of the legal situation with AFRINIC, the RIR/NRO commitments to support other RIRs financially could become a burden upon ARIN and other registries were this legal situation be determined that AFRINIC has certain liability. The security and stability of the system is dependent upon all RIRs to be rational and financially stable. Governance of the Internet including sanctions like the situation in Ukraine and it’s impacts against Russia. This is also relevant for other sanctioned countries. Elements of Internet governance that might include multiple State actors, the ITU/United Nations, and other governing bodies that might attempt to influence the ARIN community and organization.
ii) How should the Board best discharge its responsibilities regarding risk oversight and management?
The Board should establish a risk matrix. This would include identifying strategic, financial, and governance risks. These risks would either be managed within relevant committees of the board or within the main board directly. The purpose would be to identify and manage any risks that could materially impact the operations of the organization or otherwise threaten the sustainability of the organization.
iii) How will you contribute to strengthening risk oversight and management at ARIN?
I would propose conservative methods to identify, inventory, and regularly review risks. To appropriately take action to protect the organization or proactively resolve risks with a specific method to measure and manage all organizational risks.
b) Strategy
i) Supporting and reviewing the strategic direction identified by ARIN’s management, in consultation with its membership, is an important responsibility of Trustees. Based on your understanding of ARIN’s current strategic plan and the environment in which it operates, what opportunities or challenges do you foresee for the organization?
The organization continues to see number blocks transfered to other RIRs, some of the transfers are the result of unfavorable legal terms or other issues that companies choose to manage their resource in other regions. I see that the legal and technical frameworks need to provide value for companies to keep their resource in the ARIN registry this includes RPKI, Registration Service Agreements, and overall services. This is essential to maintain the stability of the organization and the financial health for the future.
ii) How might these challenges and opportunities influence current or future strategic plans?
These issues will require a detailed review of services, pricing, and legal terms to best meet the needs of the organizations membership and the global Internet community. Many of these will require difficult discussions to manage risk, sustain financial health, and provide industry leadership to maintain the organization into the future.
iii) Please explain how your background and experience would help in addressing what you believe are ARIN’s greatest challenges.
I have a clear understanding of where the organization has come from, where the organization is today, and a reasonable understanding of the direction the organization is headed in the future. With my extensive industry experience, I believe I can support the Board and the membership to identify and manage the organizations greatest challenges. This will include a solid understanding the business, legal, and technical landscape and providing the feedback and leadership to navigate all issues facing the organization.