Eight candidates vie for CEO position at newly established Nature Conservation Agency in Iceland

Eight candidates have applied for the position of CEO of the newly established Nature Conservation Agency in Iceland. This agency is one of three new entities created following the dissolution of the Environment Agency, slated to commence operations at the beginning of next year when the new laws come into effect.

The applicants for the CEO role include:

– Álfheiður Eymarsdóttir, political scientist
– Hallur Helgason, project manager
– Hildur Guðbjörg Kristjánsdóttir, office and HR manager
– Ingibjörg Halldórsdóttir, managing director of Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður (Vatnajökull National Park)
– Kristófer S. Arnar P. Júlíusson, biotechnologist
– María Ester Guðjónsdóttir, tourism and business specialist
– Olumide Temitope Araoyinbo, project manager
– Sigrún Ágústsdóttir, director of the Environment Agency

A competency committee appointed by the Minister of Environment, Energy, and Climate will assess the qualifications of the candidates and provide a report. The committee includes Kristín Þórðardóttir, the district commissioner for South Iceland, as chair; Kristján Skarphéðinsson, a former ministry director; and Finnur Árnason, chair of the board of the New National Hospital.

The Nature Conservation Agency will be headquartered in Hvolsvöllur, located outside the capital region. Typically, staff will not be required to relocate to the new offices, but agency leaders will work in rural areas. Additionally, the agency will take over responsibilities related to nature conservation and fishery management from the former Environment Agency, along with the roles, projects, rights, obligations, assets, and liabilities of Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður, which will cease to exist as an independent state agency after the new laws are enacted.