The APNIC Elected Leaders series celebrates the journeys and contributions of individuals who have stepped up to serve in volunteer leadership roles, helping to advance Internet operations across the Asia Pacific region. Through their stories, we hope you’ll gain insight into what motivates them, feel more connected to our community, and be inspired to get involved and help shape the future of the Internet.
Yoshinobu Matsuzaki, or ‘Maz’ as he is known in the Internet operations community, has been helping shape the Asia Pacific Internet landscape for more than two decades. Currently Principal Engineer at Internet Initiative Japan Inc., he also serves as APNIC’s Executive Council (EC) Treasurer, a position he will hold until 2027.
Maz first crossed paths with APNIC in 1998 at an Internet Week dialogue session hosted by JPNIC, but it was the arrival of APRICOT in Japan that drew him into active participation in APNIC’s work.
“Attending APRICOT in Kyoto in 2005 was a pivotal moment,” he recalls.
“It allowed me to start participating regularly in APRICOT and APNIC meetings, deepening my involvement in technical discussions, policy development, and collaborative initiatives across the region.”
Shaped by operations and community
His career has been shaped by the operational and community spheres. He holds a PhD in Media Design from Keio University, focusing on community-based transfer and development of network operational technologies throughout the Asia Pacific region.
Professionally, Maz has spent nearly two decades with IIJ’s backbone network team and has served on the APNOG Board since 2011 and the JANOG committee since 2012. He has also chaired several technical groups, including the ICT-ISAC Japan BGP-WG, the APNIC IPv6 SIG, and the APRICOT Technical Committee.
Maz shares how they built an ‘IPv6-mostly’ conference network at APRICOT 2025.
“These experiences taught me consensus-building, strategic oversight, and operational leadership — skills that are directly relevant to my work on the EC. They’ve helped me navigate diverse viewpoints, encourage technical cooperation, and advocate for operational best practices,” he says.
The value of community
Maz’s motivation for standing for the EC is to help uphold the stability and openness of the Internet in the Asia Pacific.
“Colleagues in the community encouraged me to run,” he says.
“Serving on the EC gives me the opportunity to help strengthen APNIC’s technical excellence and service stability. That matters not just to Members, but to the whole community.”
For Maz, the most valuable community engagement comes from direct interaction with Network Operator Groups (NOGs) and technical sessions.
“At APRICOT, I organize the NOG Update session and the following NOG Organizers BoF at every meeting. These sessions are excellent for learning about the challenges NOGs face and for fostering collaboration across the region. APNIC Technical and Policy SIGs, as well as informal networking, are equally valuable.”
When asked about qualities essential for leadership, Maz emphasizes integrity, patience, openness, and collaboration.
“APNIC serves a highly diverse region, and decisions may not satisfy everyone. Leaders need to facilitate consensus while ensuring decisions serve the broader community. Continuous dialogue and respect for differing perspectives are critical.”
Collaboration is key
For newcomers seeking involvement, his advice is practical
“Attend APNIC meetings or training, participate in SIGs and policy discussions, and volunteer for small tasks. Direct engagement helps you gain visibility and trust.”
He adds that building credibility for elected leader roles requires consistent contributions and collaboration.
“Volunteering in Working Groups, supporting capacity-building initiatives, and demonstrating reliability are keys to being recognized as a candidate for leadership.”
Looking ahead, Maz identifies several pressing issues that will require strong leadership.
“Stable and secure registry services are essential, particularly as we manage IPv4 scarcity, accelerate IPv6 adoption, and reinforce routing security mechanisms like RPKI. Emerging challenges such as Internet fragmentation and regulatory pressures will also require strategic foresight and guidance aligned with the community’s needs.”
Maz’s journey shows how encouragement, collaboration, and consistent contributions can grow into leadership. From organizing NOG sessions to strengthening APNIC’s registry services, he remains focused on ensuring the Asia Pacific region’s Internet remains stable, open, and resilient. His advice to newcomers — start small, stay reliable, and get involved — points to a future where the next generation of leaders will be forged the same way he was — through community.
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.