Daði Már Sigurðsson has been appointed head of the new IT department at HSU. He started working in September 2024. Daði Már was born and raised in Selfoss, attended FSU, and then studied systems engineering at Reykjavik University. This father of three and husband of a social worker is a homebody but has a great passion for angling. His team is currently developing a new IT strategy for HSU, with special attention to security, efficiency, and service experience.

A true Selfoss local
Our interviewee was born and raised in Selfoss and his main office is in Selfoss, although the entire district and HSU offices from Þorlákshöfn to Höfn fall under the department. He completed his matriculation examination in the business department at FSU. He then added a computer science degree to his matriculation examination from Reykjavík Industrial College and then went to Reykjavík University in systems engineering. Has since completed various Microsoft degrees and a system administrator course at Promennt.

More technology than business
,,I have always enjoyed computers and technology and regularly tinkering with them. After graduating from high school, I was unsure of what I wanted to study, so I enrolled in business administration at the University of Iceland but immediately realized that I had no interest in it. After trying the computer science program at the Industrial College, which is today the Technical College of Iceland, I immediately realized that information technology and system administration were very suitable for me, and that is why I continued in that field.”

Joins HSU from Origo
Daði Már began his career in IT as a technician at Opin kerfi while living in Reykjavík. When he moved back to Selfoss, he worked at TRS as a system administrator but came to HSU from Origo where he worked as a system administrator.

A close-knit two-person team
The IT department is a new department within HSU, but this area of ​​work was previously almost entirely outsourced to service providers. Brad Alexander Egan joined the team in March 2025. ,,Brad has served the institution for many years and it is a great privilege to have him join us. The two of us worked together for a long time at TRS here in Selfoss in the past and know each other well. Brad has handled user and technical services at HSU for many years and always gets the job done cleanly,” says Daði Már.

Extensive job description
We ask Daður Má about his job description. ,,I oversee and manage HSU's IT strategy, computer and equipment purchases, implementation of new systems, communication and negotiation with service and system operators, operation of the terminal and help request system, as well as the general system administrator role and what comes with it. The job is quite diverse and extends to the various fields where everyone needs to use digital solutions today.”

New ICT strategy in the making
We briefly explore HSU's new IT strategy, which is currently in the making. "HSU's new ICT strategy will focus on cybersecurity, reliability, and system accessibility, along with increased efficiency, with an emphasis on utilizing digital solutions and automation. We are subject to the European cybersecurity legislation NIS2, which will probably be adopted in Iceland soon, and we have begun the journey to meet the requirements of that legislation. We, therefore, want to increase general cybersecurity and work processes at the institution, and have, among other things, implemented a solution from Aftra that performs external and internal vulnerability scanning and notifies us when known vulnerabilities are found in our systems."

Alternative analysis and service experience
Daði Már says the team is also finalizing the so-called alternative analysis with the State Financial Management. "It involves mapping the organization's IT environment and setting up options for tendering various aspects of it to improve security, efficiency, and the user experience. The Southern Iceland Health Institute is open 24 hours a day and response times and monitoring need to be in place accordingly."

Good workplace morale
What's the best thing about the workplace? "There's an exceptionally good workplace morale here and I was also pleasantly surprised that most employees are open to innovations and changes. It also doesn't hurt that it's short to work and there's a certain freedom not to have to travel across Hellisheiði every day. It's a privilege to work in your hometown."

A family man in angling
Last but not least we get to know Daði Már's family situation and life after work. "I am married to Margrét Anna Guðmundsdóttir, a social worker. Together we have three children: Mikael Þór, 15 years old, Eva Katrína, 11 years old, and Elvar Már, 5 years old. I am quite a homebody and feel most at home. Weekends are usually quite quiet and are spent taking care of the family and following our daughter to football tournaments. We have a two-year-old female Coton de Tulear, Hófí, who also gets her time for walks after work. Otherwise, I am very interested in angling, football, and recently darts after I set up a dartboard in the garage."