Captain Audunn Kristinsson

Auðunn Kristinsson serves as Director of Operation Strategy, Planning, and Development for the Icelandic Coast Guard, as well as Director of the Maritime Division, which encompasses the Coast Guard’s vessel operation and Maritime Safety and Hydrographic departments.

He joined the Icelandic Coast Guard in 1987 and has held a wide range of operational roles, including navigation officer and captain on Coast Guard vessels, as well as navigation officer, diver, and rescue swimmer on helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft until 2012. From 2012 to 2023, he served as Deputy Chief of Operations, and Chief of Operations 2023 to 2025.

Auðunn graduated from Reykjavik Navigation College in 1994 as Master Mariner, completed Project Management and Leadership studies at the University of Iceland in 2006, and earned an MBA from Reykjavik University in 2018.

He has actively participated in and led numerous committees, projects, and working groups focused on maritime and Arctic safety and security, including the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, Arctic Security Forces Roundtable, North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum, and EU-supported initiatives such as ARCSAR and AI-ARC. Since 2010, he has managed Icelandic Coast Guard participation in Frontex joint operations in the Mediterranean, and has overseen major projects in maritime surveillance and asset renewal, including helicopters, aircraft, and offshore patrol vessels.

Currently, Auðunn leads the Coast Guard’s strategic planning and development, with a growing emphasis on defense, security, and the integration of modern and future technologies.