IAA Annual General Meeting 2026
Attention IAA Members! Please save the date for IAA’s Annual General Meeting 2026.
Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
Time: 11:30am AWST/2:30pm AEDT
Location: Via Zoom
Please make sure that your contact details, including voting contacts are up to date in the IAA Member Portal.
We hope you can join us!
Nominations for the IAA Board 2026
This year we have 2 Board seats open, both of which are for three-year terms.
The nomination period is now closed. Voting will commence on Monday, 19 October and voting information will be sent to voting contacts.
Nominations for the IAA Board 2026
This year we have 2 Board seats open, both of which are for three-year terms.
The nomination period is now closed and voting has commenced. Voting information is emailed to the Member Voting Contacts. If you are a voting contact and have not received this information, please email secretary@internet.asn.au. Voting will close Monday, 9 November 5:00pm AWST/ 8:00pm AEDT.
Candidates
Thanks to the following nominees. Nominee statements are shown below, displayed in order of receipt.
David Trad – Corporate Member – Vine Wholesale Pty Ltd
Self-nominated
Biography:
25-Year Telecom Veteran | MD & CEO at Diverse Networks Group | Telco Founder & Commercial Executive
With 25 years of experience across telecommunications and digital infrastructure, my career path spans the full spectrum of the industry: starting in hands-on engineering, transitioning into sales and commercial leadership, and ultimately building and running telecommunications companies.
As Managing Director & CEO of Diverse Networks Group, I specialize in establishing, scaling, and operating telecom companies both in Australia and across Southeast Asia—including key markets such as Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
My hybrid engineering and sales background enables me to bridge complex network architecture with global commercial strategy, subsea cable infrastructure, and high-growth wholesale networks.
Core Focus:
- Executive Leadership
- Telco Builder & Regional Expansion (Southeast Asia)
- Engineering to Commercial Strategy
- Subsea & Wholesale Infrastructure
- Strategic Partnerships
Nomination Statement:
My name is David Trad, MD & CEO of Diverse Networks Group. With 25 years in telecommunications and digital infrastructure, I am seeking your vote for the Internet Association of Australia Board to help strengthen our peering network, protect member interests, and guide IAA’s long-term strategic growth.
My career spans the entire technical and commercial telecom spectrum. Starting as a network engineer before transitioning into sales and executive leadership, I understand both the hands-on operational challenges of running infrastructure and the commercial realities of scaling networks. Over the past two decades, I have founded, built, and expanded telecom operators across Australia and Southeast Asia—including Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, with deep expertise across subsea cables, regional IX connectivity, and wholesale networks.
If elected to the IAA Board, my primary focus areas will be:
Strengthening IX Infrastructure: Ensuring IX Australia remains the premier, highly reliable neutral peering fabric, while continually optimizing capacity, operational cost, and latency for members.
Member Advocacy & Industry Policy: Leveraging my commercial background to advocate for policies that protect independent ISPs, regional network operators, and tech businesses in an evolving regulatory environment.
Strategic Regional Positioning: Utilizing my cross-border experience in Southeast Asia to build strategic industry alliances, supporting members who interconnect across international subsea and wholesale pathways.
I bring strong corporate governance, financial stewardship, and a practical founder’s perspective to the board. I am passionate about keeping the Internet neutral, open, and resilient, and I look forward to contributing my quarter-century of industry experience to serving the IAA community.
Thank you for your support and vote.
Karla Stokes – Professional Member
Nominated by Terry Sweetster (Professional Member)
Biography:
Karla Stokes is a Professional Member of IAA and a current Board Director, elected by members at the 2025 AGM.
She brings more than 20 years of executive leadership experience spanning Internet infrastructure, technology, commercial operations, governance and industry engagement. As Senior Director, Registry at APNIC, Karla led critical Internet number resource management operations across 56 Asia-Pacific economies, balancing operational integrity, policy implementation, member services and engagement with governments and industry stakeholders.
Karla is currently Head of Professional Services at aXcelerate, an Australian education technology company, and serves as Company Secretary and Non-Executive Director of Women in Technology (WiT), further strengthening her experience in governance, organisational sustainability and industry advocacy.
During her first year on the IAA Board, Karla has chaired the Marketing Sub-committee and IAASysters, contributing to IAA’s strategic positioning, member engagement and the continued evolution of initiatives supporting women in the Internet industry.
She holds an Executive MBA from AGSM and qualifications in Accounting and Finance, complemented by executive education at Harvard Business School.
Nomination Statement:
I am pleased to nominate Karla Stokes for a full term on the IAA Board.
Since her election in 2025, Karla has demonstrated a strong commitment to IAA’s members, strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. Her contribution over the past year, particularly through her leadership of the Marketing Sub-committee and IAASysters, reflects her willingness to move beyond governance oversight and actively contribute to the Association’s development.
IAA serves a diverse membership, from smaller Internet service providers to major infrastructure and cloud operators. Karla understands the importance of balancing the needs of this broad membership with sound governance, commercial sustainability and the Association’s long-term strategic interests.
Her experience leading registry operations at APNIC brings a valuable combination of operational discipline, policy expertise and regional industry perspective. Combined with her executive leadership in commercial and technology organisations, and her governance responsibilities at Women in Technology, she offers a breadth of experience that complements the technical expertise of the Board.
Karla has also been a longstanding advocate for greater participation and leadership by women in the Internet and technology sectors. Her work with IAASysters has helped strengthen the program’s strategic direction, governance and independence, positioning it to continue delivering meaningful value to participants and the broader industry.
I have worked alongside Karla in the Australian and Asia-Pacific Internet community for many years. As a former General Manager of IX Australia, I understand the responsibilities and demands placed on IAA directors. Karla brings sound judgement, a collaborative approach, commercial awareness and a genuine commitment to members.
Her re-election would provide valuable continuity while strengthening the Board’s capacity to guide IAA through its next phase of development. I support her nomination without reservation.
Brett O’Hara – Professional Member
Self-nominated
Biography:
I am Strategic Engineering Leader and Solution Architect with over 30 years of experience delivering robust, large-scale IP infrastructure in tier-1 Service Provider environments. I bring a demonstrated ability to bridge the gap between complex network engineering and board-level business governance.
Having served on the IAA Board since 2019—and currently holding the roles of Deputy Chair and Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee—I provide direct expertise in organizational risk management, long-term strategic planning, and rigorous financial governance. My combined background ensures I can contribute both deep technical insight into the Australian Internet community and the strategic oversight required for the Association’s ongoing success.
Nomination Statement:
My commitment to the Association is to ensure it remains financially resilient, technically robust, and strongly governed as Australia’s peering and digital infrastructure needs evolve. Having served as a Non-Executive Director since 2019, as well as Deputy Chair and Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee, I am seeking re-election to maintain strategic continuity, oversee ongoing organizational risk management, and help guide the Association through its next phase of growth.
Voting and Proxies
This year we have 2 seats up for election, both of which are for three-year terms. Please refer to the nominations tab to review the nominees for election and their statements.
Voting in the 2026 Board Election is now open and will close Monday, 9 November 2026 at 5:00pm AWST/ 8:00pm AEDT.
Voting information has been sent to eligible voting Members via email. Please contact secretary@internet.asn.au if you have not received your email.
As per section 8.2 of the IAA Ltd Constitution, Members may appoint a proxy to attend, speak and vote at a General Meeting in their place. To appoint a proxy, please complete the online Proxy Form.
If you wish to appoint a proxy, proxies must be received no later than Monday, 9 November 2026 at 5:00pm AWST/ 8:00pm AEDT.
Proposed Amendments to the IAA Constitution
The IAA Board is proposing a special resolution to amend the IAA Constitution.
Below are answers to some common questions about the proposed amendments.
Why is the IAA Board proposing to amend the IAA Constitution?
As part of best practice governance, an organisational constitution should be reviewed every two to five years. The IAA Constitution was adopted in 2021, and has not been reviewed since then. The IAA Board engaged governance practitioners to conduct a review in FY2026, which recommended minimal amendments, primarily for housekeeping purposes or to better achieve good governance.
Where can I read the proposed amendments?
You can read the proposed amendments here:
What are the changes?
The proposed changes include:
- Clarification in Rule 3.2(b) to ensure eligible persons are nominated by Corporate Members where currently it is any natural person
- Removal of repeated phrases where already established in another rule (Rule 3.4)
- Business to be lawfully transacted in a General Meeting to be limited to matters set out in the Official Notice (Rule 6.6(b)(ii))
- The total 9-year term limit of a Director to include time served as an Elected Director and Appointed Director (Rule 10.3) and transitional arrangements to include present Directors under this amendment
- Removal of transitional provisions under where the applicable transitional period has finished (Rule 24)
- Typographical error in 3.4(g)
This is a summary in plain English of the changes, so we encourage you to review the proposed revised Constitution in full via the links provided above.
What do Members need to do?
Voting Members are being asked to vote on a special resolution to adopt the amended Constitution. Under section 136 of the Corporations Act 2001, this resolution requires the consent of 75% of eligible Members who vote.
Voting Members will be sent a ballot to vote on whether to approve the amended Constitution on 19 October.
Still have questions?
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to us at secretary@internet.asn.au.