2025 Lifetime Achievement Award

Argentine Pioneer Oscar Messano Receives 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award

7 October 2025 

With more than three decades dedicated to advancing telecommunications and the Internet ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean, Oscar Messano received the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, an award presented by LACNIC to leaders who have contributed to the development of the Internet ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ernesto Majó, LACNIC CEO and Messano's colleague for more than ten years at the organization, presented the award on Tuesday, 7 October during the LACNIC 44 – LACNOG 2025 event, which is taking place in San Salvador through 10 October.

“Oscar was a pillar of the LACNIC Board of Directors for many years and left a profound mark on our organization. Beyond his vision and commitment, he was always known for his warmth and approachability. With a kind word or his ironic yet affectionate humor, he always found a way to be present and supportive. This combination of leadership and humanity is what has made him such a beloved and respected figure throughout our regional Internet community,” observed LACNIC CEO Ernesto Majó during the ceremony.

Upon receiving the award, Messano thanked LACNIC and the Selection Committee and recalled that his passion for technology began when he was 11 years old, 73 years ago. “LACNIC will continue to grow and improve. Witnessing the dawn of the sixth revolution—the technological revolution—is a gift of life. We have a future beyond anything we could have imagined,” he said.

A Telecommunications Pioneer

An entrepreneur and industry leader, Messano has been involved in the expansion of telecommunications in Argentina and across the region since the 1980s. 

Beyond his business ventures, he has dedicated extensive efforts to training and developing human talent. In 1987, he founded and chaired Centro de Capacitación en Alta Tecnología (CCAT), an institution that has become a regional benchmark for education in information and communications technologies. CCAT has been recognized as a center of excellence by both the OAS Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and has contributed to the professional development of thousands of specialists throughout the region. 

On the global stage, Messano has served as rapporteur for CITEL on Internet-related matters and as an expert for the ITU, bringing the voice of Latin America to global coordination spaces.

Institutional Leadership

Messano, currently President of eCom-LAC (the Latin American and Caribbean Federation for Internet and e-Commerce), has played a leading role in shaping the organizations that sustain the Internet ecosystem in our region. For several years, he served as President of the LACNIC Board of Directors, a position in which he guided strategic processes for reinforcing Internet infrastructure and governance in Latin America and the Caribbean.

He also served as President of CABASE (the Argentine Internet Chamber) and as a member of the Board of the Argentine chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC), where he strengthened ties among national and international stakeholders.

Acknowledging a Lifetime Dedicated to the Internet 

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors professionals whose work has had a profound and lasting impact on regional Internet development.

In the case of Oscar Messano, the award acknowledges not only his exceptional professional career but also his ability to bring together different sectors, foster spaces for cooperation, and lead key institutions within the digital ecosystem, always promoting the collaborative model, innovation, and a shared vision for the region's Internet development.

Since the award’s inception in 2009, twenty-one leaders from fourteen different countries have been honored with this distinction.

Role of the Selection Committee

The 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee was comprised of leaders and experts from various sectors, organizations, and countries in the region. LACNIC thanks the members of this committee, as well as those who participated in previous editions of the Award, for their dedication to disseminating the nominations and providing technical evaluations. Their work is an essential pillar supporting the continuity and legitimacy of the Program.

Members of the 2025 Selection Committee: Basilio R. Pérez (Brazil, LAC-ISP, President), Carolina Aguerre (Uruguay, Catholic University of Uruguay, Professor), Flávio Amaral (Brazil, LAC Peering Forum, Co-Chair), Luis Arancibia (Chile, LACTLD, Chairman of the Board), Luis Eliécer Cadenas (Venezuela, RedCLARA, Executive Director), Luis R. Furlán (Guatemala, Universidad del Valle, 2012 Award Recipient), and Tomás Lynch (Argentina, VULTR LLC, Senior Network Architect).

A Recognition of His Legacy

Beyond his many roles and achievements, this recognition of Oscar Messano celebrates a life devoted to building community. His leadership, warmth, and vision have strengthened the Internet ecosystem across the region. For LACNIC, it is also a tribute to a dear friend and leader who has left an indelible mark on our history.