Affiliation: Tacit Law
Nominee Classification: Well Qualified
Nominee Questionnaire
1. ARIN 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 do not foresee any barriers to my ability to meet, fully the undertakings and responsibilities of a Trustee.
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”)
I do not have any conflicts of interest that would impair or impact my ability to perform my duty as a member of the ARIN Board of Trustees.
b) How do you propose to resolve any conflicts identified in (a)? (If no conflicts identified, please enter “N/A”)
N/A
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 2023”). If currently eligible, please enter “N/A”.
N/A
3. Education
a) Please list any educational degree(s) you received, the institution and the date issued.
- B. App. Sc. (Electrical Engineering), University of Waterloo, 1981
- LLB., University of Ottawa, 1987
- MBA, University of Ottawa, 1987
b) Please list any professional designations, certifications, or development education (non-degree) and the dates completed.
- P. Eng., Ontario, 1983
- Trademark Agent, Canada, 1991
- Barrister & Solicitor, Ontario, 1987
- Barrister & Solicitor, Alberta, 2005
- Barrister & Solicitor, Northwest Territories, 2009
- Barrister & Solicitor, Nunavut, 2009
- Barrister & Solicitor, British Columbia, 2017
- Q. Arb., Canada, 2022
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.
Christian S. Tacit, Barrister & Solicitor o/a Tacit Law
I am the founder of Tacit Law, a boutique law firm that provides a broad range of legal services to clients in the information technology, communications, regulated industries, and broader commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors. The address of the law firm is P.O. Box 24210, R.P.O. Hazeldean, Kanata, Ontario, K2M 2C3
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.
I have significant governance expertise, having served on the boards of ten corporations, eight of which are not-for-profit, and having been an officer of a number of them, including secretary and/or chair. In these capacities I have helped to lead a number of organizations through strategic planning cycles, business transformations and the adoption of enhanced risk management frameworks.
I also have a well-rounded understanding of the RIR ecosystem, having been a member of the ARIN community for eleven years and having served on the ARIN Advisory Council for nine of those years.
I am also a leader and entrepreneur, running a law firm with a total staff of eight people.
My training and background in law also makes me a good Trustee candidate, as does my experience in the Internet and telecommunications sectors, and my work in both governance and advisory capacities with not-for-profit organizations.
I believe that I posses all of the mandatory attributes to be a good Trustee, as well as many of the recommended and highly recommended ones. I would approach being a Trustee with intellectual rigor, curiosity, interpersonal sensitivity, an attitude of service of a diverse community, and a sense of humor.
The current focus on the recruitment of candidates with legal, strategic planning and government relations backgrounds aligns very well with some of my major areas of experience.
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) Remove any personal contact information (postal address, email, and/or phone number) from your resume/CV, as it will be posted publicly as part of the candidate information.
https://arin-elections.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/tacit_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.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cst001/
Twitter: @ctacit
5. Governance Experience
a) Please identify any boards on which you currently serve that carry fiduciary duties, whether at a for-profit or nonprofit organization. Please note how long you have served and what offices, if any, you have held.
None at the moment.
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.
- Board Member, Ottawa Humane Society (including Chair) – 2010 to 2016
- Board Member, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – 2011 to 2016
- Board Member, Ottawa Health Sciences Centre Inc – 2011 to 2016
- Board Member, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute – 2013 to 2015
- Board Member, Toronto Internet Exchange Community (including Chair and Secretary) – 2014 to 2016
- Board Member, Internet Society Canada Chapter (including Vice-Chair and Secretary) – 2014 to 2016
- Secretary, Internet Society Canada Chapter – 2014 to 2016
- Board Member, VeloMetro Mobility Inc. (including Chair and Secretary) – 2015 to 2019
- Board Member, Vancouver Internet Exchange (including Secretary) – 2015 to 2021
- Board Member, National Capital Internet Exchange (including Chair) – 2018 to 2021
c) How does your past governance experience prepare you to help fulfill that role by serving as an ARIN Trustee?
My accumulated governance experience has helped me hone both my governance skills overall (especially in strategic planning, business transformation and risk management), as well as to become a better listener and more sensitive to the excellence in governance inherent in board diversity.
6. Describe any past experience or involvement with ARIN or other Internet governance bodies.
I have been a member of the ARIN Community for 11 years and have been a member of the ARIN Advisory Council for 9 years.
7. Aside from any governance experience, describe your specific skills, background, and/or areas of expertise you believe will assist the Board in carrying out its duties.
I have a significant background in the Internet and telecommunications sectors, the not-for-profit sector and advocacy, as well as technical, business and legal skills, all of which are valuable in carrying out the duties of a Trustee.