On 10 June 2025 in Prague, CENTR hosted a special cocktail event to mark a significant milestone: together with Luísa Ribeiro Lopes, CEO of .PT, our organisation was awarded the European Chapter diploma for the DNS Women project. Originally launched by ICANN in 2009, this initiative aims to encourage, inspire, and actively support women in the DNS industry.
At CENTR, we work hard to promote equality and inclusiveness within our community. Receiving this diploma was both a great privilege and a strong affirmation of our values and goals. It meant a great deal to both of us personally as women in the industry, and even more to the group behind EU DNS Women—what began as a small initiative is now a growing and dynamic part of the CENTR community.
This recognition symbolizes the work we have been creating to promote equality, more chances for career development for young women in the DNS sector and initiatives to encourage a more gender-balanced future.
I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Luísa, who initiated this project and entrusted me with something that means so much. I’m also deeply grateful to CENTR for believing in the idea from day one—especially Peter van Roste, who always seems ready to support even my boldest ideas—and to the CENTR Board, whose ongoing support has been instrumental.
Some words from Luísa on this special evening:
"On behalf of CENTR and EU DNS Women, now the European Chapter for this global community, I would like to express my special gratitude to all of you to support us, and a special big thank you:
Kurtis Lindqvist, the CEO and President of ICANN, and all of Board members. From DNS Women, Cheryl, Karla, and my dear friend Vanda Scartezini, who is responsible for the possibility to have this event. I also want to thank all my colleagues from the CENTR Board, as well as Andreia Costa from the CENTR staff, who has been the driving force behind EU DNS Women since we started this journey together in our community. It is increasingly important for us to work across all facets of the DNS industry. More than ever, we are facing great challenges and we truly believe that creating a more equal and diverse world is essential for a better Internet.
Increasing the participation of women in technology and in the technical areas of DNS is a critical part of this effort. We invite all of you in Europe to join this vibrant community. Let’s continue to grow — more members, more voices, more impact.
Today, we receive recognition for our global community, and this milestone reinforces our commitment to our mission. There is still much work to be done, we just begin our way, but I am confident that together we can achieve our goals."
What a way to kickstart my new role as Community Manager at CENTR - It was a true joy to share this moment with Luísa, here’s to many more significant milestones for this significant mission of ours!
