Jari I wonder whether the change you propose is radical enough to serve the IETF's needs as we move through greater industry austerity, structural changes in the industry and as the pace of change speeds up. For some time it has been difficult to get companies to release some of their best engineers to AD duty. This difficulty is compounded by the need to find engineers who are also skilled managers, talented communicators, and have a technical span that covers not only their own area but who have sufficient knowledge of the other areas to understand the implications of wider issues on the work they are responsible for. I wonder whether it is time to consider more of a team approach to area management with perhaps one AD per area supported by a number of assistants, who may deputize for them where needed. Clearly the devil lies in the detail, but such an approach would allow us the flexibility in the size of each area's management team that you seek here. Note, I am not proposing to increase the number of possible discuss holders, or the number of people that need to reach consensus on IESG decisions, because ADs would retain those powers as they do today, but an assistant could deputize in the day to day running of a WG, or preparing and speaking to a telechat position. Clearly any such proposal would need careful thought but I do think that it is time address some of the deeper issues rather than patching things up on a case by case basis. - Stewart