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Web Summit Names Former Wikimedia CEO Katherine Maher as New CEO Following Paddy Cosgrave's Resignation Over Controversial Comments

Maher's Appointment Comes Ahead of the Web Summit 2023 in Lisbon, As High-Profile Tech Firms and Personalities Threatened Boycott Over Controversial Remarks by Former CEO Paddy Cosgrave.

Overview

  • Katherine Maher, former Wikimedia Foundation CEO, has been appointed as the new CEO of Web Summit following the resignation of Paddy Cosgrave, the event's founder and former CEO.
  • Cosgrave's resignation came after his comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict resulted in some companies withdrawing participation from the upcoming Web Summit 2023 in Lisbon.
  • Replacing Cosgrave, Maher acknowledged that Web Summit had been overshadowed by Cosgrave's controversial comments and aims to begin a new phase for the conference.
  • Maher, who led the global nonprofit behind Wikipedia for five years and currently chairs the messaging platform Signal Messenger, now faces the challenge of steering Web Summit into 'calmer waters'.
  • Several major tech firms and individuals threatened to pull out of the upcoming Web Summit over Cosgrave's remarks, challenging Maher to reconnect alienated participants and rebuild ties.