Chief Executive Officer, Internet Content Rating Association
In a career that stretches back twenty years, Stephen Balkam has demonstrated a capacity for visionary leadership, forward planning and advocacy at the highest levels of government, business and the non-profit sector. Stephen’s remarkable career includes directorships of four organizations, including two start-ups. He has worked with over 100 organizations as a management consultant, trainer and facilitator and is an accomplished public speaker, regularly appearing on television, radio and in the press.
Stephen is the Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Content Rating Association, an independent, international non-profit organization with offices in the UK and US. ICRA’s mission is to protect children when online while also protecting the free speech rights of content providers. As the founding President of Recreational Software Advisory Council and now in his capacity at ICRA, Stephen has pioneered the development of the world’s leading content rating system on the Internet. His achievements have been recognized by both the President and Vice President at the first White House Internet Online Summit in July 1996. And in 1998, Stephen collected the prestigious Carl Bertelsmann Prize for outstanding innovation and responsibility in the Information Society.
During his time with RSAC, Stephen also worked on a consultancy basis as the first Director of the Internet Section of the Software Publishers Association. He coordinated the development and launch of the Electronic Commerce Web Resource a unique online resource for companies doing business on the Web. Prior to his appointment with RSAC, Stephen ran his own consultancy business operating in the US and UK working on issues related to strategic planning, organizational review and restructuring, governance and staff development.
Stephen was the founding Director of the National Stepfamily Association in the UK, the head of the Islington Voluntary Action Council in north London and Director of Camden Community Transport. He worked in the arts at the Institute for Contemporary Arts in central London and was Centre Manager at the multi-purpose community arts centre, Inter-Action in the early eighties. He also spent time with West Nally a leading sports sponsorship PR firm and with Burroughs Machines, now Unisys. Stephen has an honours degree (magna cum laude) in Psychology from University College, Cardiff and is the author of Assessing Your Board’s Performance (NCVO).