Össur Skarphéðinsson

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Össur.

Össur Skarphéðinsson
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 1 February 2009 – 23 May 2013
Prime Minister	Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Preceded by	Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir
Succeeded by	Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson
Minister for Industry, Energy and Tourism
In office 24 May 2007 – 10 May 2009
Prime Minister	Geir Haarde, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Preceded by	Jón Sigurðsson (as Minister of Industry and Commerce)
Succeeded by	Katrín Júlíusdóttir
Nordic Cooperation
In office 24 May 2007 – 10 June 2008
Prime Minister	Geir Haarde
Minister for the Environment
In office 1993–1995
Prime Minister	Davíð Oddsson
Succeeded by	Guðmundur Bjarnason
Member of the Althing
In office 1991–2016
Personal details
Born	(1953-06-19) 19 June 1953 Reykjavík, Iceland
Political party	Social Democratic Alliance
Spouse	Árný Erla Sveinbjörnsdóttir
Children	Two daughters (b. 1994, 1998)
Alma mater	University of Iceland University of East Anglia
Profession	biologist, journalist

Össur Skarphéðinsson (pronounced [ˈœsːʏr ˈskar̥pçɛðɪnsɔn]; born 19 June 1953) is an Icelandic politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from February 2009 to May 2013.

Össur matriculated from the Reykjavík Grammar School in 1973, and gained a BS in Biology from the University of Iceland in 1979, and a doctorate from the University of East Anglia in 1983 entitled "The effect of photoperiod on the growth of the rainbow trout". He was a member of the parliament (Althing) for the Reykjavík Constituency from 1991 to 2003, and for Reykjavík North Constituency from 2003 to 2016. He was Chairman of the Social Democratic Party parliamentary group from 1991 to 1993, Minister for the Environment from 1993 to 1995, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Alliance from 2000 to 2005.

Össur was appointed Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism for the Social Democratic Alliance in May 2007. He was also Minister for Nordic Cooperation from 24 May 2007 to 10 June 2008. In February 2009 he was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.

External links

• Personal blog
• Össur's profile; from Wikileaks
• Profile of Össur Skarphéðinsson in English, European Voice, 22 April 2010