Magnús Kristjánsson appointed to lead new industry agency

Minister of Industry Hanna Katrín Friðriksson has appointed Magnús Kristjánsson as director general of the new Agency for Industries, mbl.is reports.

The agency will be formed by merging the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Price Bureau for Fish Catch. It will also take over food control duties carried out by municipal health committees, according to a government announcement.

Kristjánsson will serve a five-year term and lead preparations, shape the agency’s structure and oversee its operations. It is due to begin work when Act No. 85/2026 takes effect on January 1, 2027.

The position was advertised in July. A three-member advisory committee assessed the qualifications of 12 applicants.

Kristjánsson earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Iceland in 2000 and an MBA from the same university in 2009. He was chief executive of Orkusalan from 2008 to 2026 and previously worked as an information technology director at Rarik, a project manager and deputy managing director at TM Software – Business Solution. He has also held several board positions.