Head of the Mission of Iceland to the European Union
Ambassador of Iceland to Belgium, Ambassador agréé of Iceland to Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Foreign Service Career  
• 2021 – 2025: Ambassador to Japan, with concurrent accreditation to Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN.  
• 2017 – 2020: Ambassador to the United Kingdom, with concurrent accreditation to Ireland, Malta, Qatar, and Jordan.  
• 2014 – 2017: Permanent Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  
• 2014: Team Leader Kyiv, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.  
• 2009 – 2013: Chief Negotiator for Iceland’s accession to the European Union.  
• 2005 – 2011: Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium, with concurrent accreditation to Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.  
• 2001 – 2005: Ambassador and Permanent Representative to international organizations in Geneva, including EFTA, the WTO, and the UN Office, with concurrent accreditation to Liechtenstein and Slovenia.  
• 1999 – 2001: Ambassador and Director-General of the External Trade Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  
• 1996 – 1998: Director-General of the Department of Administration and Personnel, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  
• 1993 – 1996: Counsellor, External Trade Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  
• 1990 – 1993: First Secretary and later Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Iceland in Geneva. Deputy Permanent Representative to GATT.  
• 1987 – 1990: First Secretary, Permanent Delegation of Iceland to NATO.  
• 1986 – 1987: First Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Other Notable Responsibilities  
• 2024 – Present: Member, Nordic-Baltic High-Level Advisors Group supporting Ukraine’s EU accession process.  
• 2018 – 2019: Panelist, WTO Dispute Settlement Panel: China TRQs.  
• 2016 – 2017: Member, National Security Council of Iceland.  
• 2016 – 2017: Chairman, WTO Dispute Settlement Compliance and Arbitration Panels: US-Tuna II.  
• 2004 – 2006: Chairman, WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-Agricultural Products (NAMA).  
• 2003 – 2011: Chairman, WTO Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation.  
• 2002 – 2003: Chairman, WTO Dispute Settlement Panel: US Steel Safeguards.

Education  
• 1980 – 1985: Cand. juris., University of Iceland, Faculty of Law, Reykjavík, Iceland.  
Honours: The Icelandic Order of the Falcon, The Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, The Royal Order of the Polar Star in Sweden.  
Personal Information: Born on 4 January 1959. Married to Mrs. Halldóra Hermannsdóttir. They have three children and four grandchildren.