Dear colleagues, After an extensive search, I am pleased to announce the appointment of James Kennedy as the RIPE NCC’s new Chief Registry Officer. James will begin his new role in September. James has been in our industry for over 15 years and many of you will know him from his extensive involvement in the RIPE community. He was previously co-chair of the RIPE Database Requirements Task Force and is currently serving on the NRO Number Council and as co-chair of the Address Policy Working Group. He has also worked as an IP Resource Analyst with the RIPE NCC in the past. His experience and skills will make for a great addition to our leadership team. James and I have agreed that he will step down from his roles in the Address Policy Working Group and the NRO Number Council before starting at the RIPE NCC, and he will be sure to complete a proper handover with his successors. I also want to thank Felipe Victolla Silveira for his dedication and hard work in leading our registry operations over the past five years. Among other things, he is responsible for significantly improving our internal processes and the service levels we provide to members, and he played a crucial role in our response to a number of critical issues over this period, including sanctions and the war in Ukraine. Please join me in welcoming James to his new position. Kind regards, Hans Petter Holen Managing Director and CEO RIPE NCC