LONDON (AP) — Iceland’s state television reported that businesswoman and investor Hara Tomasdottir has won the country’s presidential election, beating a tightly contested race in which the top three candidates were women.
Tomasdottir was elected to the largely ceremonial role with 34.3 percent of the vote, beating former prime minister Katrin Jakobsdottir’s 25.2 percent and Hara Hrund Rogadottir’s 15.5 percent, RUV said on Sunday.
Tomasdottir, 55, campaigned as someone who was above party politics and could help start a debate on fundamental issues such as the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, Iceland’s development as a tourist destination and the role of artificial intelligence.
Tomasdottir succeeds President Gudni Th. Jóhannesson, who decided not to run for re-election after serving two four-year terms. She will take office on August 1.
Inclusive Voices – Halla Tomasdottir
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Contributor KPMG Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Iceland, a Nordic island nation in the North Atlantic with a population of about 384,000, has a long tradition of women being elected to high office. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became Iceland’s head of state in 1980, becoming the country’s first democratically elected woman president.
Iceland has also had two women serve as prime ministers in recent years, bringing stability during a period of political turmoil. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir led Iceland’s government from 2009 to 2013 after the global financial crisis devastated the country’s economy. Jakobsdóttir became prime minister in 2017 and led a broad-based coalition that ended a cycle of crises that led to three elections in four years. She resigned in April to run for president.
Tomasdottir first came to prominence during the financial crisis, when she was hailed as co-founder of Ordur Capital, one of the few Icelandic investment firms to survive the turmoil. She is now on leave as CEO of The B-Team, a nonprofit that promotes diversity in the workplace, with offices in New York and London.
