Halla Tómasdóttir attending the TIME CO2 Earth Awards Gala at Mandarin Oriental New York in April, 2023. Photograph: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for TIME2008 financial crisis and gave a TED talk on applying “feminine values” to finance is to become her country’s president on Thursday.
Tómasdóttir was previously the chief executive of The B Team, a non-profit co-founded by Sir Richard Branson. She was also the head of Iceland’s chamber of commerce and co-founded the now defunct financial services company Auður Capital. She first ran for president eight years ago. But she has also attracted criticism after appearing in a Facebook post of a car dealership where she bought an electric car. In a statement last week, Tómasdóttir said she did not receive a discount in return for publicity – but that she did receive a discount – and that the picture was shared without her knowledge.
The inauguration will begin with a religious service at Reykjavík Cathedral followed by a ceremony in the Icelandic parliament next door, where Tómasdóttir will be sworn in before addressing the nation.