Örn Guðmundsson appointed University of Iceland executive director

Örn Guðmundsson has been appointed executive director of the University of Iceland, mbl.is reports. He has already started in the role.

Guðmundsson has 25 years of experience in management and leadership, including as a chief executive, chief financial officer, deputy chief executive and director at large organisations. His responsibilities have included financial planning, financing, risk management and operational development.

He was chief executive of Mannvit hf. from 2018 to 2023 and later led COWI Iceland ehf. from 2023 to 2024. He served as Mannvit’s chief financial officer from 2015 to 2018 and was deputy chief executive at Kaupþing hf. from 2009 to 2015.

Guðmundsson sits on the board of Landsbankinn and has chaired the bank’s audit and risk committees. He is also chairman of the board of Almenningssamgöngur höfuðborgarsvæðisins ohf., which is owned by the state and municipalities.

He earned a Cand.oecon. degree from the University of Iceland in 1996 and a master’s degree in international business from Copenhagen Business School in 1998.

“It is a great honour to join the University of Iceland and take part in the important work carried out there for education, science and society,” Guðmundsson said in the announcement. “I look forward to getting to know the school’s strong staff and working with them on the university’s continued development, sound operations and good service to the university community.”

The executive director leads part of the University of Iceland’s central administration on behalf of the rector and oversees its finance, construction and technology, human resources and information technology divisions.