Geir H. Haarde served as prime minister of Iceland from 2006–09, overseeing a cabinet of 11 ministries. Over a period of eight years, Haarde held three of the most important posts in Icelandic government: prime minister, foreign minister, and minister of finance. As minister of finance, he was credited for one of Iceland’s most prosperous periods of economic growth, which contributed to the betterment of Icelandic society. 

In 2015, he became Iceland's ambassador to the U.S. and several Latin American countries.

Haarde received his master's in economics from the University of Minnesota in 1977.

Photo credit: Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org