With a new US president comes a new ambassador to Iceland, and Robert S. Connan has been appointed to that position.
President Obama published yesterday a list of new appointees to 12 different nations, among them Britain and France. Connan has worked at the consulate to the European Union since 2004, replacing Carol von Voorst, who has been the ambassador to Iceland since 2001.
Among other things, Connan has also been Commercial Officer in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, followed by Johannesburg, South Africa, for the U.S. Commercial Service. According to a CV available online, “He was Senior Commercial Officer (SCO) in Algiers and then Stockholm, Sweden. Next, he was assigned as SCO in Kuwait from 1991-92, right after the end of the war, to rebuild the Commercial Section. In 1992, he was assigned as SCO in Seoul, Korea, during which time he organized and coordinated the first visit to China by a serving Secretary of Commerce, who brought with him over 24 CEOs. In 1996-2000, he served as SCO in Rome, Italy.”
The Grapevine staff welcomes Ambassador Connan to Iceland, wishing him the best of luck in working with our new government, and hopes he can bear his first winter here.