2005 –
Ambassador to the European Communities, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Morocco.

2002 - 2005
Ambassador to Slovenia with residence in Geneva.

2001 - 2005
Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, including the European Free Trade Organisation (EFTA) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

1999 - 2001
Ambassador and Director of the External Trade Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

1996 - 1998
Minister Counsellor and Director of the Department of Administration and Personnel, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

1995 - 1996
Lecturer on international trade law, international marketing, Technical College of Iceland.

1993 – 1996
Counsellor, External Trade Department, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

1990 - 1993
First Secretary and from 1992 Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative to GATT, Permanent Mission of Iceland, Geneva.

1987 - 1990
First Secretary, Permanent Delegation of Iceland to NATO.

1986 - 1987
First Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

1985 - 1986
Deputy, Civil and Criminal Court district of the Westman Islands.

OTHER ACTIVITIES include:

2004 - 2006
Chairman of the WTO/Negotiating Group on Market Access for Non-Agricultural Products (NAMA).

2003 –
Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation to WTO.

2003 - 2004
Chairman of the Management Board of the WTO Pension Plan.

2003 - 2004
EFTA chief negotiator and spokesman in free trade negotiations with Lebanon.

2002 - 2003
Chairman of the WTO/Dispute Settlement Panel – US Steel Safeguards.

2002 - 2004
Chairman of the WTO/Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology.

EDUCATION

1980 - 1985
Cand. juris. University of Iceland, Faculty of Law, Reykjavík, Iceland.

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Born 4 January 1959 in the Westman Islands, Iceland. Married with 3 children.