CEO Removed Over Anti Israel Comments: Catherine Maher Appointed As New WebSummit Head

 

Image Source: Al-Jazeera

Catherine Maher's appointment follows Paddy Cosgrave's resignation as CEO over his comments on the Israel-Hamas war.

Former Wikipedia boss Catherine Maher has been appointed CEO of leading European technology conference WebSummit.

His appointment follows a backlash from WebSummit co-founder Paddy Cosgrave over accusations that Israel is committing "war crimes" and violating international law.

WebSummit said in a statement that Maher was selected by the board to lead the company in an interim period, adding that she "has the ability to bridge the worlds of technology, humanities and dialogue".

Maher, 40, led the Wikimedia Foundation, the global non-profit organization behind Wikipedia, for five years and is also the head of messaging platform Signal Messenger.

"I am excited to join WebSummit, as I believe in WebSummit's mission to connect people and ideas that change the world," Maher said, according to a company statement.

She will lead this year's WebSummit conference, scheduled for November 13-16 in Lisbon, Portugal.

The annual conference attracts many of the top names in the technology world. But after Cosgrave's comments on the Israel-Gaza war, some companies withdrew their participation.

Never again

Cosgrave, an Irish entrepreneur who founded WebSummit in 2009, took to the social media platform X days after Hamas' unprecedented attacks on Israel, saying: "I am very concerned about the rhetoric and the rhetoric of many Western leaders and governments. Surprised at the actions. Especially the exception of the Irish government, who are doing the right thing for once.

"War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are."

Tech company LightSpark CEO David Marks criticized Cosgrave on X, saying he was "disappointed" by Cosgrave's "uninformed stance".

"You could have taken it more seriously by condemning these atrocities and calling for restraint. That would have been acceptable. You chose to support terrorists. Thus, I will never attend any of your events again. /sponsor/ won't talk,'' Marks said.

Multinational companies such as Siemens, Intel, Meta and Google also said they would not attend this year's summit.

Cosgrave's resignation came as many students and professionals faced backlash over his public views on the Israel-Hamas war.

Rights advocates say much of the corporate response has minimized suffering in Gaza and created an atmosphere of fear for activists expressing support for the Palestinians.

But Maher is keen to ensure "a return to what Web Summit does best: providing a dialogue between all those connected to technological development".

"In recent weeks WebSummit has been the focus of conversation rather than the host. Its purpose was overshadowed by personal comments from the event's founder and former CEO Paddy Cosgrave," said Maher.

"Today WebSummit enters its next phase," he added.