[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Founding chief executive of the Federal Government‘s National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE), Dr Paul Twomey, has announced his resignation from the IT agency to move back into the private sector.
Twomey has also resigned from his posts as special advisor for Information Economy and Technology and as the Government’s IT investment coordinator. All of these resignations will be effective from July 24.
The NOIE, which was established in 1997, is the Federal Government’s agency for information economy issues, including Internet and e-commerce policy. In its first few years, the office has helped establish a national strategic framework for the Information Economy, introduce the Electronic Transaction Act and the Digital Copyright Act and develop a new capital gains tax regime for venture capital and start-up companies.
Twomey also helped establish the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international organization responsible for the technical administration of the Internet.
“Dr Twomey has been a tireless advocate of the benefits of the Internet and e-commerce for Australian business and communities,” said Minister for Communication, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston.
Clearly keen to hold onto Twomey’s experience and expertise, the Government will retain him in a part-time role. In recognition of his role with ICANN, Twomey will be Australia’s special representative for ICANN and the Domain Name System, and will continue to serve as chair of ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee.