Lifetime Achievement Award

The program highlights the achievements of leaders who have promoted the collaborative model, innovation and the promotion of a common vision for the development of the Internet in the region. 

Since its first edition in 2009, the award has distinguished twenty leaders from fourteen countries, who have worked in the development of technical capabilities, the promotion, use and generation of Internet standards, the promotion of connectivity and access to the Internet, education and digital inclusion, governance, among other areas.

The Lifetime Achievement Award has an open and public call to the community to make nominations. To do this, interested parties must enter the information requested through the nomination form within the opening and closing date/time. 

One or more nominations may be made for nominees who meet the stipulated requirements. The form requires the person who makes the nomination to include some personal data, information about the nominee, and general information associated with the nomination.

Access the Nominations Form

• Who can make nominations?

All community stakeholders can nominate one or more people for the Lifetime Achievement Award by entering information requested in the form.

• Who can be nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award?

Below are the requirements that will be taken into account:

1. Impact and results: The concrete impact of the nominee's work, associated with the evaluation criteria (section 6). 
2. Contribution and career: Having at least 50% of the contribution/professional career in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically in territories of LACNIC’s coverage area. 
3. Years of experience/professional career: Having a minimum of 30 years of experience/sustained professional career in the Internet ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean. 
4. References: Having valid references in the nomination. The latter will be assessed by the Staff in charge of coordinating the program.

The nominees who overcome the internal screening will go on to the technical evaluation by the Lifetime Achievement Award Jury.

• The evaluation process consists of 3 phases:

  1. Internal screening: determines whether the nominations meet the established general requirements. Nominees who meet the general requirements will be technically evaluated by the Lifetime Achievement Award Jury.
  2. Technical evaluation: is in charge of the Award jury. Each member determines whether nominations meet the established technical evaluation criteria and assigns a score based on a quantitative evaluation system.

  The evaluation system generates a weighted average of all evaluations and a final ranking, which will be discussed by the jury.

  1. Final discussion: the jury will discuss the results and the final ranking.

Below are the criteria of the evaluation assessed by the Award Jury:

The selection process is in charge of the LACNIC Board of Directors. Once the technical evaluation by the Jury is completed, the Board of Directors will meet to take note of the ranking, as well as the inputs prepared by the jury. The Board of Directors will define the nominee to be awarded and/or may consider that the nominees defined in the ranking do not present the conditions to be awarded in this cycle, declaring this edition vacant.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is held every two years. If an awardee is selected, the ceremony will take place during the LACNIC event in the month of October.

Individuals who have developed more than 50% of their professional career outside LACNIC's coverage area, may not be nominated. The following may also not be considered for nominations:

1. Active members of the LACNIC staff at the time of the call. 
2. Active members of the LACNIC Board of Directors at the time of the call. 
3. Active members of LACNIC commissions or members of the Jury of the Lifetime Achievement Award in this call.

In order to be considered, the nominee who has acted in any of these functions, may only be nominated once more than twelve months have elapsed from the moment they left their position.

Opening of the nomination period: July 14, 2025. 

Closing of the nomination period: August 14, 2025 at 23:59 (UTC-3). 

Evaluation and selection process: August 15 to September 15, 2025. 

Announcement of awardee (if applicable): October 6 to 10, 2025.

The Lifetime Achievement Award Jury has an essential role in the program, contributing their time, knowledge, expertise and disposition in the evaluation of each nominee. Every member of the Jury is considered based on their professional career, expertise and sustained involvement in the community and the Internet ecosystem. The 2025 edition includes experts from different fields, organizations and countries in the region as detailed below:

• Basilio R. Pérez (Brazil - LAC-ISP - President)
• Carolina Aguerre (Uruguay - Universidad Católica de Uruguay - Professor)
• Flávio Amaral (Brazil - LAC Peering Forum - Co-Chair)
• Luis Arancibia (Chile - LACTLD - President of the Directive Council)
• Luis Eliécer Cadenas (Venezuela - RedCLARA - Executive Director)
• Luis R. Furlán (Guatemala - Universidad del Valle Guatemala - Awardee 2012)
• Tomás Lynch (Argentina - VULTR LLC - Senior Network Architect)