Leadership Change at Web Summit

Tech conference powerhouse, Web Summit, has announced Katherine Maher as its new Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Paddy Cosgrave. Maher, renowned for her previous role as the head of the Wikimedia Foundation and most recently as the Chair of the Board for Signal, an encrypted messaging app, brings her exceptional leadership to the helm of Web Summit.

Web Summit stands as one of the world's premier tech events, with its upcoming conference in Lisbon, Portugal, commencing on November 13th, positioned as the largest tech gathering in Europe.

This appointment comes swiftly on the heels of Paddy Cosgrave's resignation as Web Summit CEO. While Cosgrave retains an 80% ownership stake in the company he co-founded, his departure follows a controversy surrounding comments he made regarding Israel's response to the October 7th attack by Hamas.

These comments had the potential to disrupt the event, leading to the withdrawal of high-profile attendees, investors, and companies, including notable names like Google, Stripe, and Garry Tan of YCombinator. In response to the turmoil, Cosgrave issued an apology and officially resigned on October 21st.

Katherine Maher, in a letter published on Monday, characterized herself as a devoted advocate for free and open societies. She expressed her commitment to leading Web Summit into a new phase, promising an exceptional event in the coming weeks and outlining plans for an even brighter future with global events.