Internet group picks little-known exec as CEO

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers announced Fadi Chehade's appointment as CEO. He will replace former US cybersecurity chief Rod Beckstrom as chief executive.

In selecting Chehade, ICANN went with someone who isn't well known and isn't well versed in the organization's core tasks — keeping the Internet address system running smoothly. Chehade does, however, have a knack for diplomacy. In the early days of e-commerce, he persuaded leading tech companies such as IBM and Hewlett-Packard to collaborate on a system called RosettaNet for exchanging data, even as they competed for customers. ICANN Chairman Steve Crocker said those achievements outweighed the drawbacks.