Iceland elects businesswoman Halla Tomasdottir as president

Iceland’s national broadcasting service says Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman and investor, won Iceland’s presidential election, leading a crowded field of candidates in which the top three finishers were women.

LONDON — Halla Tomasdottir, businesswoman and investor, has won Iceland presidential election, leading a large field of candidates in which the top three finishers were women, the country’s national broadcasting service reported.

Tomasdottir was elected to the largely ceremonial post with 34.3% of the vote, defeating former Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, with 25.2%, and Halla Hrund Logadottir, with 15.5%, RUV said on Sunday. .

Tomasdottir, 55, campaigned as someone who was above party politics and could help open debates on fundamental issues such as the effect of social media on young people’s mental health, the development of Iceland as a tourist destination and the role of artificial intelligence.

He will replace President Gudni Th. Johannesson, who did not seek re-election after two four-year terms. Tomasdottir will take office on August 1.

Iceland, a Nordic island nation located in the North Atlantic, has around 384,000 inhabitants and a long tradition of electing women to senior positions. Vigdis Finbogadottir was the first democratically elected female president of any nation when she became head of state of Iceland in 1980.

The country has also seen two women serve as prime minister in recent years, providing stability during years of political turmoil. Johanna Sigurdardottir led the government from 2009 to 2013, after the global financial crisis devastated Iceland’s economy. Jakobsdottir became prime minister in 2017, leading a broad coalition that ended the cycle of crises that had triggered three elections in four years. He resigned in April to run for president.

Tomasdottir first rose to prominence during the financial crisis, when she was acclaimed as a co-founder of Audur Capital, one of the few Icelandic investment firms to survive the crisis. She is currently on leave as executive director of B Team, a non-profit organization that works to promote diversity in the workplace and has offices in New York and London.