by kierenmccarthy on April 30, 2009
For the past year, the company that runs the UK’s Internet registry has been the unlikely location for a corporate soap opera, complete with scandals, villains, twists and turns, allegations of corruption, resignations, grand plans thwarted at the last minute and some nasty in-fighting that has left people alternatively amazed, entertained and worried.
The dust finally began to settle in January this year when a second director resigned (loudly) from not-for-profit Nominet and ever since the management team has been frantically trying to tidy up. In an effort to avoid the same problems emerging further down the line, a big spring clean was ordered and an independent expert brought in to assess what had gone wrong and what needed to be done.
Last week, that expert – Professor Bob Garratt – delivered a surprisingly frank and blunt assessment. In it, he told Nominet – and Nominet’s members – that they had to sort out a list of issues, and they had to sort them out fast.
In effect, he gave Nominet three months to live. If the warring tribes can’t find a settlement before then, Garratt warns, the UK government is going to step in and Nominet as it has existed since 1996 will cease to be.
It now rests on the shoulders of Nominet’s CEO, Lesley Cowley, to make enormous progress within an extremely short period of time, and persuade groups that were until recently at war with another to come together and rebuild the organization.
Here’s what needs to be done and how Cowley says she is going to do it.
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by kierenmccarthy on January 30, 2009
Letter of support for Nominet CEO and Chairman from current non-exec directors, 12 November 2008
Dear Bob & Lesley,
We write in response to the allegations and demands in a letter Jim Davies published on public mailing lists and in the media.
We shall confine the scope of this letter to deal with the damaging and unwarranted suggestions from Mr Davies that you are unsuited to your roles, the other allegations are, properly, a matter to respond to as a company.
We believe that you have both worked tirelessly to further the development of Nominet and the “.uk” domain in the interests of our members and all stakeholders since your appointment and to suggest otherwise is palpable nonsense.
We note Lesley’s consistently high performance in her stewardship of the company where it has gone from strength to strength in financial performance, technical innovation, customer service and playing a leading role in the industry internationally.
We note Bob’s passion and effectiveness in chairing the Board in meetings and providing the support required for the CEO and senior management team between Board meetings. We have no doubt that his performance as Chairman has been first class and in the best interests of Nominet, it’s members and all stakeholders.
We note the importance to the UK economy of Nominet and the “.uk” domain name working effectively and the concern the Department for Business has already shown in the current governance structures which have brought about the current troubles.
We believe in a strong independent Nominet, free from vested interests, in the private sector, with a public purpose, a vision we know you share passionately. We therefore urge you to reject Mr Davies’ call for your resignations and to continue to work with us in these troubling times to safeguard the future of Nominet and the “.uk” name space on behalf of our members and all stakeholders.
We call upon all Nominet members, stakeholders and government to work in partnership with us to ensure that Nominet can emerge stronger from the current challenges with it’s private sector, public purpose ethos intact.
Yours sincerely,
Gordon Dick
Deputy Chairman & Non-Executive Director.
Sebastien Lahtinen
Non-Executive Director.
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