Jonathan "Josh" Kallmer, new head of global policy and government relations for Zoom Video Communications Inc. Courtesy photo

Zoom Video Communications Inc. has lured away the Information Technology Industry Council's executive vice president of policy to fill a similar role at the Silicon Valley tech firm. 

Jonathan "Josh" Kallmer will begin his new job as Zoom's head of global public policy and government relations on May 26. He joins Zoom as the company's video conferencing app attracts millions of daily participants during social distancing and shelter-in-place efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic.  

The company also is facing lawsuits and regulatory concerns related to privacy and security issues.

"Josh's experience and perspective will be instrumental as Zoom continues to actively engage with stakeholders in Washington, D.C., and around the world to discuss Zoom's platform, policies, and commitments to our users, as well as other important industry-wide topics," Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said in a statement. 

Kallmer, who was not available for an interview, has worked for the past five years at the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group in Washington, D.C., that represents information and communications firms in the tech industry. Its members include Apple Inc., Facebook Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Twitter. 

He joined the trade group as senior vice president of global policy and was promoted to executive vice president in 2018. He has led the group's "efforts to influence policy developments around the globe in ways that enable innovation and economic growth, while supporting governments in achieving their public policy objectives," according to his LinkedIn profile. 

As Zoom's new policy leader, Kallmer said in a statement that he intended to share his "policy priorities of communicating honestly, building trust, and developing understanding of innovation and technology in governments around the world." 

Earlier in his career, Kallmer worked for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, first as an assistant general counsel and, later, as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for investment. 

He went into private practice in 2012 as counsel for Crowell & Moring. In 2016, he entered the trade association realm as a member of the executive committee of the U.S. Information Technology Office, which represents the U.S. information communication technology industry in China. 

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