Dr. Blokzijl made his announcement at the Closing Plenary of the RIPE 67 Meeting in Athens. He pointed out that as he was turning 70, and the RIPE 68 Meeting would mark 25 years since he chaired the first RIPE Meeting, it seemed like an appropriate time to stand down.
In his time as RIPE Chair, Rob has through his leadership, technical expertise and tireless work had a profound influence on the development of the Internet globally. He has led the RIPE community with a steady hand through a vast amount of changes that have seen the Internet grow from a number of small, connected networks into a global interconnected system that serves several billion people.
Along with his work as RIPE Chair, Rob has established his reputation with organisations such as CERN, ICANN, Nominet, the National Institute for Subatomic Physics (NIKHEF) and NATO. In 2010, Rob was made an Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau (Orde van Oranje Nassau) for his work as an Internet pioneer.
Rob also announced the appointment of a new Deputy Chairman of RIPE, Hans Petter Holen, who would succeed as RIPE Chair at the end of the RIPE 68 Meeting. In introducing Hans Petter, Rob noted that he has been involved in RIPE for 20 years, including as chairman of what is now the RIPE Address Policy Working Group and as a long-time member of the NRO Number Council and ICANN's ASO Address Council. Rob and Hans Petter will work over the coming six months to gradually move responsibilities.
Rob concluded by letting attendees know that he planned to remain involved with the RIPE community after he steps down as Chair.