Kurt Lindqvist to step down as CEO of London Internet Exchange, will join ICANN later this year

Kurt Erik Lindqvist has confirmed he will step down as CEO of London Internet Exchange (LINX) later this year.

It was announced today (June 10) that he will join Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as president and CEO.

Lindqvist will leave LINX, a mutually governed Internet exchange point that provides peering services and public policy representation to telcos, in six months following the end of his notice period.

“I have had a fantastic eight years at LINX but have decided to take up a new challenge for personal reasons and have therefore notified the LINX board of my resignation,” said Lindqvist on LinkedIn last week.

He noted that the company is currently searching for his replacement.

Lindqvist joined LINX in 2016, initially serving as chief marketing officer, before becoming CEO in September 2019.

Prior to joining LINX, Lindqvist spent 14 years at Netnod, a Swedish ISP, where he was also CEO.

In the early nineties, he founded Alandia On-line, one of the two original ISPs in the Åland Islands.

He also previously served as chairman of the board of the Euro IX.

Speaking about his new role at ICANN, Lindqvist said: “From the open architecture to the multistakeholder governance model, the Internet has enabled innovation and transformation of entire industries.

“Protecting and evolving this is something I care deeply about. ICANN, as part of the ecosystem, is at the core of the success of this model, together with the technologies that enable it. I look forward to working with staff and the board to deliver on ICANN’s mission.”