05/07/2021 - Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, an Icelandic former industry minister, has been appointed by the OECD Secretary-General as the new Director of the Organisation’s Development Centre, which works directly with developing and emerging countries on social and economic policy.
Currently Executive Director at Alor Energy Storage and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Ms Árnadóttir has over 20 years of experience in international affairs, national administration and domestic public services. Ms Árnadóttir was Iceland’s Minister of Industry and Commerce from 2013 to 2017, Member of Parliament from 2007-2016, and from 2007 to 2013 she held a senior role at the Icelandic delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, first as Chair then as Vice-Chair.
The OECD Development Centre has 55 members, 27 of which are OECD members and 28 are developing or emerging economies. The Centre works to help developing and emerging economies to develop and implement policies to drive sustainable growth, reduce poverty and inequalities, and improve people’s lives. Countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America participate as full members in the Centre, where they interact on an equal footing with OECD members. As Director, Ms Árnadóttir will oversee the Centre’s work and support its Governing Board in promoting policy solutions to improve living conditions in developing and emerging countries.
An Icelandic national, Ms Árnadóttir has a Master’s Degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (US), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sciences from the University of Iceland. Ms Árnadóttir will take up her position on 16 August 2021.
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Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.