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Board of the Icelandic Red Cross

Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir

Chairman

Silja Bára has PhD in Government and Politics and is a Professor of International Affairs at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Iceland. She is also a current board member at the Institute of International Affairs. Previously she was active in many women's rights organizations. Silja Bára was elected as vice-chair of the Icelandic Red Cross in 2018.

Sigríður Stefánsdóttir

Vice-chair

Sigríður has a BA in general social studies from the University of Iceland and has finished postgraduate studies in Germany in political science. She has also been certified as a school teacher. Sigríður has, among other things, worked as a division manager and in other management positions at the town of Akureyri. Sigríður has been a volunteer at the Eyjafjörður department since 2017 and on the board of the department since 2021. She was elected to the board of the Red Cross at the 2022 general meeting.

Arnbjörg Sveinsdóttir

Board member

Arnbjörg is the owner and operator of a guesthouse in Seyðisfjörður. She holds a law degree from the University of Iceland as well as an MBA from the same school, earned in 2012. She served on the Seyðisfjörður town council from 1986 to 1998 and was its president from 1994 to 1996. Additionally, she was a member of the Icelandic Parliament for the Northeast Constituency from 2004 to 2009, representing the Independence Party, and served as the party’s parliamentary group leader from 2005 to 2009. Arnbjörg has been a long-time member of the Red Cross and has actively participated in community work in her town. For example, she was a Soroptimist sister for about a decade. She was elected to the board at the 2024 annual general meeting.

Auðbjörg Brynja Bjarnadóttir

Board member

Auðbjörg Brynja is a nurse, midwife and paramedic. In 2019, she was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon for her contribution to health and rescue work in her hometown. Auðbjörg has been on the board of the Red Cross at Kirkjubæjarklaustur since 2010 and has been chairman of the department board since 2017.

Ingibjörg Ásta Bjarnadóttir

Board member

Ingibjörg holds a B.A. in International Studies from Leiden University in the Netherlands and earned a master’s degree in European and International Studies from the Centre International de Formation Européenne in France in 2019. Since then, she has worked as a fundraising representative for UNICEF Iceland and is currently a marketing project manager at Verna, an insurance technology company. Her involvement with the Icelandic Red Cross began in 2019 when she, along with a group of volunteers, organized and implemented an activity project for young refugees and immigrants called "Youth Club." Since then, she has participated in various Red Cross volunteer projects related to refugees and has attended several training courses offered by the organization. She was elected to the board at the 2024 annual general meeting.

Ívar Kristinsson

Board member

Ívar Kristinsson has been an active volunteer for the Red Cross for many years. He was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018.

Jón Ásgeirsson

Board member

Jón lives in Kópavogur. He holds a BSc Honours degree in Chemistry from the University of Iceland and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Stuttgart. He works as the Director of Strategy and Resource Park at HS Orka in Iceland. Jón has extensive international management experience and has attended courses and training in board governance, as well as leadership and coaching programs. In recent years, he has served as the chair of the Red Cross in the capital area, in addition to volunteering in refugee-related projects and at the Red Cross Helpline 1717. He was elected to the board at the 2024 annual general meeting.

Magnea Gná Jóhannsdóttir

Board member

Magnea lives in Reykjavík. She holds a B.A. in Law from the University of Iceland and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Law at the same university. In 2017, she earned an IB diploma from the United World College Red Cross Nordic and has taken on various leadership and community roles within the organization over the years. She has been active in student organizations at both secondary and university levels and is currently the chair of Young Progressives in Reykjavík. Magnea also serves as a city council member for the Progressive Party, holding the positions of First Deputy President, Vice-Chair of the Welfare Council, and Chair of the Multicultural Council. She was elected to the board at the 2024 annual general meeting.

Óttarr Ólafur Proppé

Board member

Óttarr lives in Reykjavík. Over the years, he has worked in publishing and sales, as a musician, and in television and film production. He served as a city councilor for the Best Party from 2010 to 2013 and as a Member of Parliament for Bright Future from 2013 to 2017. In 2017, he held the position of Minister of Health. Óttarr has always been highly active in community work, serving on various councils, committees, and boards related to his work, both in politics and beyond. He currently works as a specialist at the Ministry of Education and Children and leads the Icelandic government's consultation and response team on children in migration. He was elected to the board at the 2024 annual general meeting.

Símon Friðrik Símonarson

Board member

Símon has completed various courses organized by the Red Cross, the Icelandic Teacher's College and Vesturbyggð. He has worked in accounting and billing, was the manager of a hospital and health center in Patreksfjörður, a shopkeeper, a teacher, a guidance counselor and a janitor. Símon has worked on various social activities and was chairman of the Red Cross in western Barðastrandasýsla for 3 years. Símon was elected to the board of the Red Cross at the 2022 general meeting.

Valgerður Bláklukka Fjölnisdóttir

Board member

Valgerður has studied nursing and ethnology and aims to complete a BA in ethnology in 2022. She has worked as a guidance counselor in Flensborgarskóli while studying. Valgerður has been active in the youth work of the Red Cross since 2009. Valgerður was elected to the board of the Red Cross at the 2022 general meeting.

Unnsteinn Ingason

Vice-board member

Unnsteinn has a bachelor's degree in quality assurance, a diploma in public administration and a diploma in cognitive behavioral therapy, and has recently been studying for a master's degree in public administration. For the last 25 years, he has been running a tourism service in Narfastaðir in Reykjadalur in Þingeyjarsveit. He was on the board of the Þingeyjarsýsla branch of the Red Cross 2007-2015 and chairman of the branch board 2019-2020 and has also been an active participant in social issues in his home area. Unnsteinn was elected as a vice-board member at the 2022 general meeting.

Árni Jóhannsson

Vice-board member

Árni lives in Vík í Mýrdal. He studied at the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Iceland and has completed numerous courses and certifications related to IT system management. He currently works as a hosting and operations specialist at OK (Opnir Kerfi) and previously spent many years as a systems analyst at the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV). Árni is very active in his local community. He is a member of the Lions Club Suðri, has been on the board of the Youth Association of West Skaftafellssýsla since 2017, and serves as a firefighter for the Mýrdalshreppur Fire Department. His involvement with the Red Cross has been long-standing. Árni was a board member of the Red Cross in Vík from 2017 and became the branch’s chair in 2019. From 2020 to 2021, he participated in a working group on fundraising, revenue distribution, and operations for the Red Cross, and he currently serves on the project fund preparatory committee. Additionally, he represents the Vík branch on the Civil Protection Committee for Rangárvalla- and West Skaftafellssýsla and is part of a consultation group on trauma support in South Iceland. Árni was elected as an alternate board member at the 2024 annual general meeting.

Comittees

Election comittee

General Assembly elects members for the Election committee according to the laws of the Icelandic Red Cross.

Election committee

  • Guðrún Vala Elísdóttir Borgarnes

  • Guðný H. Björnsdóttir Capital branch

  • Hrund Snorradóttir Capital branch

  • Kristján Sturluson Capital branch

Vice-committee members

  • Brynjar Þór Vigfússon Þingeyjarsýslu branch

  • Guðrún Erla Sumarrós Víðisdóttir Hornafjarðar branch

Ethics committee

General Assembly elects members for the Ethics committee according to the laws of the Icelandic Red Cross.

Ethics committee

  • Elín Ósk Helgadóttir Capital branch

  • Ragnar Þorvarðarson Capital branch

  • Sigurður Kristinsson Eyjafjörður branch

Project fund committee

General Assembly elects members for the Project fund committee according to the laws of the Icelandic Red Cross.

  • Stefán Yngvason, chairman Capital area

  • Hlíf Hrólfsdóttir Strandasýsla

  • Árni Jóhannsson Vík branch

  • Halldór Valdimarsson Þingeyjarsýslu branch

  • Guðný H. Björnsdóttir Capital branch

  • One seat is vacant on the board of the project fund after a board member resigned.