Svava María Atladóttir has been appointed director of the Hearing and Speech Institute at Heilsugæsla höfuðborgarsvæðisins (HH), effective September 1, 2026.

She succeeds Kristján Sverrisson, who is retiring after a successful career as director of the National Hearing and Speech Institute of Iceland.

The operations of the National Hearing and Speech Institute of Iceland were recently transferred to HH, and the new unit was established as the Hearing and Speech Institute. In her new role, Svava María will lead the continued development of the institute's services for clients from all over Iceland. HH’s goals are to further strengthen and enhance these services while making the best possible use of the expertise and experience of the institute's staff.

Svava María is a biomedical engineer by training and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. degree in 2001. She completed an M.S. degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University in 2008 and also holds postgraduate diplomas in Product Creation and Innovative Manufacturing from Stanford University and in Public Administration from the University of Iceland.

Svava María currently serves as a special advisor in the Office of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health. She worked at Landspítali University Hospital from 2020, first as programme lead and from 2023, as chief transformation officer. Before that, she worked in the United States most recently at Future Medical Systems from 2014 where she was a co-founder and senior partner.

Extensive experience with change management

Svava María brings extensive experience in change management, continuous improvement, and service development in the public sector. She is committed to leading an organization that provides accessible and high-quality professional services with the patient experience at the forefront.

We warmly welcome Svava María to Heilsugæsla höfuðborgarsvæðisins.