Expert testimonials
Outside inspiration: Meet some international professionals from various industries working in Reykjavik Science City who now call Iceland home.
David Ecker
David is the Production Director at CCP Games, working on the longstanding MMO EVE Online from the fantastic Gróska office. He moved to Iceland to work for CCP in November 2017 and got an immediate crash course in the uniquely fun Icelandic winter. Outside of work, David plays guitar in angry metal and hardcore bands, hangs with his 2 dogs (who speak both English and Icelandic), and sends plenty of photos back to his friends in Canada to ensure they are thoroughly jealous of our landscape. David originally planned to move to Iceland for a year, which is now 4 and a half years and counting. Iceland really knows how to capture your heart!
Kathryn Gunnarsson
Kathryn founded Geko, an agency focusing on talent working in the tech and innovation sector. In 2016, Kathryn moved to Iceland from London, where she worked as a group head of HR. With over 20 years of HR, people strategy, and recruitment experience, Kathryn saw an opportunity to fill a gap in Iceland. Kathryn and her Geko team are passionate about people, human interaction, and supporting companies and groups to understand the benefit of building diverse and inclusive teams. Kathryn has an Icelandic husband—who also works in tech—and two children. Even though Iceland is not perfect (what place is?), it's been a tremendous move to balance professional and personal growth and raise children.
Ranald Haig
Ranald is British, from Edinburgh, and has over 25 years of experience in Sales and IT, having lived in Iceland for 15 years and been with Controlant for almost 9. He has been responsible for enterprise sales and expanding Controlant's big pharmaceutical clients, such as Pfizer, Allergan, GSK, and Roche. In addition, he has been working on several Covid-related projects with pharmaceutical companies and governments worldwide. Before Controlant, Ranald managed a sales team covering Iceland and Norway, selling Solidworks Software. Ranald lives in Kopavogur with his wife, Svanhildur, and four children.
Alex O'Donovan-Jones
Alex is originally from the UK but moved to Iceland in 2007, right before the financial crash. Unperturbed by the crisis, he stayed and has spent 15 years working for several different software companies and startups in Reykjavik. Alex joined Lucinity in 2019 and is currently the data engineering team lead, working to create the next generation of anti-money laundering platforms. Outside of work, he enjoys biking, running, and heading out into the pristine Icelandic countryside.
Violette Riviere
Violette is a mobile software engineer originally from France. She has been working at Sidekick Health for the past and likes to describe herself as a "creative-holic." When not making apps, she is busy making clothes! Most of her free time is spent sewing or knitting her own clothing. She also loves to go for long walks on the beach with her dog Myrkvi and explore Icelandic nature while hiking. She can hardly believe that she has lived and worked in Iceland for five years ("Time flies when you're having fun!").
Francisco Rojas
Francisco is a Spanish national who came to Iceland 10 years ago to do a Master's degree in international business and never left! He fell in love with the nature of Iceland and the quirkiness of its people. Given the tremendous demand for his multi-lingual skills, he started working in tourism and then got heavily involved in the country's growing and dynamic startup scene. Francisco loves fishing and riding his bicycle around Reykjavik.