Paul Wilson

Guangliang Pan

Director General

  • Internet architecture, addressing and addresses
  • Internet governance, self-regulation and management
  • Key Internet organizations including ICANN, ASO, NRO and RIRs
  • IPv4 exhaustion
  • IPv6 architecture and deployment trends
  • Internet in developing economies

Paul Wilson has nearly 30 years’ involvement with the Internet, including 20 years as the head of APNIC, the Regional Internet address Registry for the Asia Pacific. In this role, he has led APNIC’s development as a provider of critical Internet services and as a key contributor to Internet growth and development throughout the Asia Pacific. Paul has worked as an expert and leader across the full range of communities and organizations involved in Internet development, including ISPs and network operators, non-profit organizations, governments and governmental agencies; and with many key organizations including RIRs, the IETF, ICANN, ISOC, APEC-TEL, the ITU and others.

Previously as Technical Director and CEO of Pegasus Networks, the first private ISP in Australia, Paul worked with early Internet technologies, and helped to establish many early Internet services in developing economies of the region.

Current Position and Activities Paul Wilson joined APNIC in 1998 as the Director General. As part of this role, he represents the activities and interests of the Asia Pacific Internet Community in local and global forums related to the development and management of the Internet.
Previous Positions Before joining APNIC, Paul accumulated ten years’ technical and business experience in the Internet industry, including consultation on various Internet projects for the United Nations and other international agencies.

In 1989, Paul, as Technical Director, helped set up Pegasus Networks, the first independent ISP established in Australia. From 1992 to 1997, he was the Chief Executive officer, and oversaw the successful growth of the company as a renowned service provider in Australia. During this time, he was involved with the establishment of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), and served for several years as an APC Council and Executive Board member.

During the 1990s, Paul also consulted on various Internet projects for the United Nations and other international agencies, including the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). From 1994, he worked as a principal consultant on IDRC’s Pan Asia Networking (PAN) Program, a program aimed at introducing and developing Internet services in developing economies of the region. In that capacity he worked on projects in many locations including Mongolia, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, PNG, and China; while also working on similar activities in several countries of Latin America.

Education/Achievements In 2000, Paul was inducted into the Australian Internet Hall of Fame.
Current positions outside of APNIC As a highly respected member of the global Internet community, Paul participates in the following organizations:

High-Level Advisory Council
World Internet Conference Organizing Committee

Executive Committee
Asia Pacific Networking Group (APNG)

Grants Evaluation Committee
Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF)

Executive Council
Number Resource Organization (NRO)

Advisory Committee
Internet Society (ISOC)

Advisory Committee
DotAsia Organisation (.Asia)

Special Group
Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) Multistakeholder Steering Group (MSG)