Paul Twomey

Country:	Australia
Email:	paul.twomey [at] argopacific.com
LinkedIn:	[Profile Paul Twomey]

Dr. Paul Twomey became the President and CEO of ICANN in 2003; his tenure lasted until 2009, though he continued on for the next year as Senior President, in an advisory role to the new CEO and President, Rod Beckstrom. Paul has been successful in numerous leadership positions in commercial enterprises, government, and in chairing ICANN's Government Advisory Committee.

He is currently acting as the Managing Director of ArgoP@cific, a company he originally co-founded.

Career History

Immediately prior to working at ICANN, Paul was working with ArgoP@cific, a prominent International IT conslutancy that works with both Fortune 500 companies and SMEs. He co-founded the company with President Clinton's former Internet Czar, Ira Magaziner. Paul also founded Leagle Inc., a site that specializes in online legal content and community aggregation.

Public Sector Participation

Dr. Twomey has held a number of high-level administrative, and representative roles related to the Australian government's IT policy execution.

In 1997, He helped found, and became CEO, of the Australian government's National Office for the Information Economy. He was also the government's Special Adviser regarding the Information Economy and Technology. His roles involved identifying and creating strategies for the development of the nation's technology priorities; he was also charged with taking that policy and protecting Australia's interests at international policy meetings like the WTO, OECD, APEC, and ICANN.

During this time, Dr. Twomey was closely involved with ICANN, serving as Chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) for three years ending November 2002. In recognition of his significant role in ICANN and his international influence on Internet and e-commerce issues with foreign governments, the Australian government appointed him its Special Representative for the Internet and ICANN.

Prior to his appointment as CEO of NOIE, Dr. Twomey was Executive General Manager, Europe, of Austrade – the Australian Trade Commission. As the leader of Austrade's Global Information Technology and Telecommunications Network, he assisted Australia's IT&T firms to market their products and services to key European, American and Asian markets.

From 1994 to 1997, Dr. Twomey was the Executive General Manager of Strategic Development for Austrade and was responsible for the development of corporate strategy, business process and operational management within Austrade. Dr. Twomey was the author of the influential study: Austrade scenarios for the Australian trading environment. This study, released early in 1997 outlined inter alia, implications for Australian exports of an East Asian economic collapse. The study was influential to Australian government policy reactions to the Asian financial crisis in late 1997-98.

Education

Dr. Twomey recieved his Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the University of Queensland; his Master of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Pennsylvania State University; and his PhD in International Relations from Cambridge.

Governmental Advisory Committee. Considers and provides advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, particularly matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN's policies and various laws and international agreements or where they may affect public policy issues (ICANN Bylaws).