LOS ANGELES, March 31, 1999 -- The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today that the following individuals have been appointed to ICANN's Independent Review Advisory Committee:

- Linda Wilson, Chair (United States)
- Mads Bryde Andersen (Denmark)
- Ryozo Hayashi (Japan)
- Ethan Katsh (United States)
- Hans Kraaijenbrink (Netherlands)
- Jorge Plano (Argentina)
- Peter Dengate Thrush (New Zealand)
- Jorge Vega (Peru)

Brief biographical information about the Committee members is set forth below.

Expressions of interest were received from over fifty individuals in response to ICANN's invitation, which was posted on the ICANN website and distributed to the relevant mailing lists on March 5.

Those selected meet the goals of geographic diversity and useful professional experience.  The board appreciates the willingness of so many people to participate in this important endeavor, and encourages all to provide feedback and expertise for the committee when its recommendations are posted for public comment.

This committee, called for in the ICANN Bylaws, will advise the ICANN Board on the creation of a structure for independent third party review of decisions of the ICANN Board of Directors.  The committee's work will begin immediately.

ICANN offers sincere thanks to all of the enthusiastic and qualified individuals who expressed interest in joining the committee.

Contact:

Andrew McLaughlin
mclaughlin@icann.org
+1-617-495-4935
   

LINDA WILSON, CHAIR (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)

Linda S. Wilson is currently the seventh president of Radcliffe College at Harvard University. She also serves as an ICANN Director. Previously, was vice president for research at the University of Michigan. She is a Trustee of the General Hospital Corporation of the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also on the Board of Directors for Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Ms. Wilson has served on the National Commission on Research and was chair of its subcommittee on accountability. She was a member of the Director's Advisory Council of the National Science Foundation for nine years. As a member of the Council of the Institute of Medicine, she chaired its Finance Committee, and served on its Committee on Government- Industry Research Collaboration in Biomedical Research and Education. She is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Ms. Wilson received a Bachelor's degree from Sophie Newcomb College, Tulane University, and a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. She received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Newcomb College, Tulane University, and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Maryland.

MADS BRYDE ANDERSEN (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Dr. Mads Bryde Andersen is a professor of private law at the University of Copenhagen and author or editor of several books and articles on contract law, intellectual property law and IT law. For a number of years has been working actively with legislative issues regarding electronic commerce, in Denmark (where, among other things, he is chairing the Danish Government's IT Security Council) as well as in the EU, the ICC and the OECD. In the years 1997-1998 he was the chairman of the UNCITRAL Working Party on Electronic Commerce.

RYOZO HAYASHI (Tokyo, Japan)

Ryozo Hayashi is Director-General for Machinery and Information Industry Policy at the Machinery and Information Industry Bureau of Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

Mr. Hayashi received an L.L.B. from Kyoto University in 1970, and an L.L.M. from Harvard Law School in 1976. In 1991, Mr. Hayashi served as a Fellow and Visiting Lecturer, Centre for Business and Government of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 1994, Mr. Hayashi was Visiting Lecturer in the Law Department of Kyoto University.

ETHAN KATSH (Amherst, Massachusetts, USA)

Ethan Katsh is Director of the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution and a Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is author of two books on law and technology, The Electronic Media and The Transformation of Law (Oxford University Press, 1989) and Law in a Digital World (Oxford University Press, 1995), as well as articles that have appeared in many law reviews and periodicals. He is a graduate of the Yale Law School and is co-founder of the Online Ombuds Office, a project funded by the Hewlett Foundation to explore dispute resolution in cyberspace.

HANS KRAAIJENBRINK (The Hague, Netherlands)

Hans Kraaijenbrink is a Member of the Executive Board of ETNO, the European Telecommunications Network Operators association, located in Brussels. He is also Manager, European Policy and Regulation with Royal KPN N.V., the Netherlands where he is responsible for European and international regulatory strategic affairs. He is a Member of the ICANN Board of Directors.

Previously, he worked for the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, responsible for information technology and the services sectors, and for the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management. He was also a member of the management team of the Telecommunications and Posts Directorate in the initial phase of the Dutch Telecommunications Regulator. Mr. Kraaijenbrink graduated from Delft University (1966).

JORGE PLANO (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Jorge Plano is adviser of the Camara Argentina de Bases de Datos y Servicios en Linea (CABASE). He is professor at the Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, Buenos Aires and member of the board of the Fundacion Ictys. He is engaged in the study and diffusion of the social impact of the digital and network technologies and was an organizer of the IFWP-LA&C Buenos Aires where he acted as scribe in some sessions. He was National Director of Informatics Policies at the government of Argentina (1989-96). In the 80s he worked in consultancy on information systems and technological development in the computer industry. Previously he held managerial positions in data processing in international companies and the state administration. Mr. Plano is graduated in Information Systems.

PETER DENGATE THRUSH (Wellington, New Zealand)

Peter Dengate Thrush is a barrister, in practice in New Zealand, specialising in intellectual property, IT and competition causes. He has been counsel to Internet New Zealand, and its operating company Domainz, since their inception in 1995/6. He is a former member of the New Zealand volleyball team, and currently a director of Innovus Ltd, a consulting and software development team. He is an expert on intellectual property rights of indigenous peoples.

JORGE VEGA (Lima, Peru)

Jorge Vega is the General Manager partner at the law firm Estudio Osterling, Arias-Schreiber, Vega, Orbegoso & Asociados.

Born in Lima, Peru in 1944, Mr. Vega was educated at the Catholic University of Peru and admitted to Peruvian bar in 1969, Peru. Mr. Vega concentrates in Civil, Banking, Corporate, Litigation, Constitutional Law, International Contracts, Real Estate and general legal practice.

Professional experience: Member, Trainee Program Shearman & Sterling (New York), Banking Legal practice, Citicorp (Main Office) 1969-1970. Professor, Catholic University of Peru, 1971-, and University of Lima, 1982-. Counsel, Commission Appointed to Reform the Civil Code. Member, Commission Appointed to Reform the Civil Procedures Code. Former Director, Lima Bar Association.