Black said, "The challenge nine years ago was to set up a stable registry for the .uk domain name space. I feel satisfied that Nominet now has a strong and effective senior management team, financial stability, provides excellent customer service, and has gained substantial respect both from the industry and from government. Now that this has been achieved, I feel that it is the right time for me to move on and apply the knowledge I have gained to new challenges elsewhere."

Nominet's Managing Director, Lesley Cowley said: "Willie's foresight, guidance and leadership have helped to establish Nominet as one of the World's most successful and highly regarded domain registries, and we are profoundly grateful for his substantial contribution."