Vilborg Arna named operations manager for Icelandia sites

Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir has been appointed operations manager for Icelandic Mountain Guides’ locations at Sólheimajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers and Skaftafell, mbl.is reported. The locations are part of Icelandia’s recreation and adventure division.

She will take over from Steinar Rafn Garðarsson on November 1.

Gissurardóttir is known in Iceland for her achievements in the mountains and on ice. In 2013, she skied alone to the South Pole, and in 2017 she became the first Icelandic woman to reach the summit of Everest, according to a company announcement.

She has 30 years of experience in tourism and has worked as a guide in Iceland’s highlands and on glaciers since 2003, including in collaboration with Icelandic Mountain Guides. She founded and ran Tindar Travel for a decade and has worked as a consultant in operations, safety and management systems since 2022.

She holds a master’s degree in disaster management from Bifröst University, a bachelor’s degree in tourism studies from Hólar University and an MBA from the University of Iceland.