CEO — MMX
LinkedIn
FAST FACTS
Session Name: A Look Ahead at New TLDs
Location: My cell — time equally split between Europe, U.S., and Asia
Number of years in the domain industry: Industry side — 18 months
Favourite extension: I love all my children equally
Extension you wished you owned: for purely personal reasons — .ski
Now watching: House of Cards
Q&A
Describe your company and how long you have been there?
MMX is a leading registry. I took over as CEO in February 2016.
What can attendees look forward to during your session?
Perspectives and hopefully an open-mindedness generated from not having grown up within the industry.
What can attendees do in order to prepare for your session? Are there any questions or scenarios they should consider in advance?
Be open-minded and recognize that as a registry, we are here to both listen and partner. Ultimately our goal is to help others make money — registrars, domain investors, and end-consumer businesses.
What would you like attendees to learn or take away from your session?
For MMX, it’s really the other way around — we want to continue learning and developing how we can best help our potential partners, namely the people attending this event.
What are your thoughts on the new TLDs?
Quite simply that they have the ability to transform. Today people are typically just thinking about how they can transform the way businesses market themselves — and that’s important, very important. However, their scope and applications are far greater than this. And it is for that reason, I’m truly excited to be part of this industry.
What kinds of changes do you foresee within the industry in the next year? 5 years?
Great minds figuring out the above.
What are you most looking forward to at the upcoming NamesCon?
Listening, connecting – in a real sense.
How did you get your start in the industry?
I have been fortunate enough to have had a lifetime working with people working on the frontiers of new ideas, so I was fortunate to learn about the developments in the sector from a very early stage. However, I only stepped onto the industry side last year.
What advice can you offer those who are just getting their start in the domain industry?
Finding the right balance between listening, clarity of vision, and execution.
What was one of your biggest “Aha!” moments in life?
Realizing that the power of two is greater than the power of one.
How does your career compare to what you envisioned in your youth?
Frankly, am as excited now as I was in my twenties when I first learnt about a technology that would allow people to connect and communicate via their computers, a technology that could help create whole new ecosystems. The difference now is that my hair is white and my body not so strong but the opportunity is all the greater 30 years on.
How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?
I help others make money.
If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?
Call my family.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?
My father – with whom I probably had no more than five serious conversations during his life. The most important things I learnt from him was “not to judge a book by its cover”, “never be afraid of the new” and “tolerance… and kindness of heart,” and this came from someone who’d been in the sharp-end of WW2.
Latest and greatest accomplishment in your career?
Working with the MMX team to restructure the business and transform a loss-making business into an ongoing profitable one. A big shout out to Michael Salazar and the team that spearheaded our expansion into China.
Describe a recent challenge, at work or in your personal life, that you overcame.
Answering some of these questions!
Where is your favourite place to escape?
The mountains — they always help provide perspective
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Listening is much more than hearing the words that are spoken.
What object would you put in a time capsule that best represents who you are today?
My phone…
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