
It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce that Milan Ftáčnik, Member of the Board of Directors and representative of the Slovak Computer Society, passed away on 13 May 2021.
Milan’s contribution to the work of CEPIS was exceptional. He served on the CEPIS Board of Directors from 2016. He was always a very active contributor to CEPIS initiatives, engaging with stakeholders nationally and on a European level. He brought his invaluable experience and expertise to both CEPIS governance and strategic actions. Milan initiated several reforms, such as the re-evaluation of the membership fee structure and the rethinking of CEPIS strategy and mission. He also provided his expertise as a computer scientist to the various CEPIS expert groups which he chaired and participated in, most notably the Information Society SIN and the Digital Skills Policy group.
Not only was Milan an extremely accomplished professional; he was also a warm and friendly person. Always ready with advice, a kind word, or encouragement where needed, Milan was an exceptional man, and he is a great loss to us all. Our thoughts go with his family at these difficult times.