Web Summit has named Katherine Maher, a former CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, as its new CEO after Paddy Cosgrave’s resignation.
The CEO of Web Summit, Cosgrave, stepped down earlier this month following widespread criticism of his remarks regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, which led to some businesses pulling out of an impending conference.
They said that his remarks on the fight on a personal level had become a diversion from Web Summit 2023, which is scheduled to begin on November 13 in Lisbon and is one of the biggest tech conferences globally.
“In recent weeks Web Summit has been at the centre of the conversation, rather than the host. Its purpose was overshadowed by the personal comments of the event’s founder and former CEO, Paddy Cosgrave,” Maher said in a blog post announcing her appointment.
“Today Web Summit is entering its next phase.” She added.
Maher is the chair of the messaging app Signal Messenger and served as the five-year leader of the international charity that created Wikipedia, according to a statement from Web Summit.
