State Secretary

Ásta Valdimarsdóttir

State Secretary

Ásta Valdimarsdóttir, Master of Laws (LL.M.), is State Secretary at the Ministry of Health in Iceland, with nearly 30 years of experience in government and the United Nations system. She has extensive expertise in healthcare governance, institutional reform, international cooperation, and intellectual property law, combined with strong strategic leadership and public sector management experience.

Since 2019, she has overseen national healthcare and public health policy implementation in Iceland, including system reforms, digital health development, and crisis leadership as a member of the national COVID-19 response team. She is also actively engaged in international health cooperation and serves on the steering committee for the new Landspítali University Hospital.

Previously, she served as Director at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva (2010–2019), where she led a division of over 100 staff, managed significant financial resources, and drove organisational reform and digital transformation. Prior to that, she was Director General of the Icelandic Patent Office (2001–2010), responsible for strategy, operations, and international relations, including Iceland’s accession to the European Patent Organisation.

She has represented Iceland in numerous international fora, including WHO, OECD, WTO, EU, EFTA, and WIPO. She is currently a member of the Standing Committee of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (SCRC), serving as Vice-Chair in 2025 and Chair from October 2026.

She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Iceland and has completed further executive studies in public administration, finance, and leadership. Her work is guided by a strong commitment to equitable access to healthcare, good governance, sustainability, and innovation in public services.