WhereGroup

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) Board of Directors selected Arnulf Christl as its new President. Mr. Christl brings years of experience in the geospatial industry, including a strong perspective on the use of free and open source software within a business context through his company WhereGroup in Bonn, Germany. He has served on OSGeo's Board from its inception and been involved in several aspects from Marketing to Web management as well as in leading the Mapbender web mapping project. He is committed to seeing OSGeo continue its global advocacy efforts to help organizations continue to adopt free and open source solutions across all domains.

He explains, "I'm pleased to be able to help in my new role as OSGeo President. I have three main goals on my personal agenda. First, further support for emerging local chapters, encouraging them to develop meetings/conferences that complement our global FOSS4G effort. Second, improve our support for businesses using and supporting Open Source Geospatial software. Our organization is now so strong and healthy that we need to tell the world about it in the press and at conferences. Third, and most challenging, bridging the extremes of proprietary businesses and thorough grassroots volunteerism. If it is possible, then OSGeo is the organization capable of bridging this gap."

By this election and his nomination as member of the OGC Architecture Board Arnulf Christl is active in two international organizations. To be able to pursue these assignments with due commitment he consigned the management of the WhereGroup to his partners Olaf Knopp and Peter Stamm. Within the WhereGroup he will be responsible for strategic and technological decisions as "Chief Knowledge Officer".