Birkir Hólm Guðnason

Who is Birkir Hólm Guðnason?

Birkir Hólm Guðnason is an Icelandic business leader, currently the CEO of Icelandair, the flag carrier airline in Iceland.

Birkir comes from Akureyri in the north of Iceland. He finished a Bsc. degree in Economics and Business Administration in 1998 af Aalborg University, Denmark. Two years later he finished his MBA in International Business and Economics from the same university.

Birkir has worked for Icelandair ever since. At first he was Sales Manager in Iceland, then had the same job for North America. He moved back to Europe when he became General Manager for Central Europe, stationed in Frankfurt. From 2006 he was General Mananger for Scandinavia, stationed in Copenhagen.

Then in May 2008 Birkir was appointed CEO of Icelandair.

He has presided over the company in turbulent times, first with the Icelandic economic collapse in late 2008 and then the volcanic eruptions in 2010 and 2011, but claims that these difficulties will only leave Icelandair more energetic and dynamic than before.

With his partner, Fríða Dóra Steindórsdóttir, Birkir has four children born 2000-2010.