Thor Saari | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 2009[1]–2013 | |
| Parliamentary group chairman | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1960-06-09)9 June 1960 (age 65) |
| Citizenship | United States (until 2003) Iceland |
| Political party | Dawn;The Movement;Citizens' Movement |
Þór Saari (born 9 June 1960) is a formermember of parliament ofAlthing, theIcelandic parliament from 2009–13, representingThe Movement. He was The Movement's chairman, a rotating post, from October 2010 to October 2011.[2] He previously represented theCitizens' Movement.
Þór (Thor) was born in Miami Beach, Florida in 1960 to parents Rannveig Steingrímsdóttir, fromIceland, and Lee Elis Roy Saari, an American of Finnish descent. Þór moved toReykjavík, Iceland at the age of six. Herenounced US citizenship in 2003.[3]
Þór worked as sailor (merchant mariner) from age sixteen to twenty-six. He went to college at age twenty-seven and graduated with a bachelor's degree (cum laude) in marketing from theUniversity of South Carolina in 1991. From 1991 to 1992 Þór lived inBarcelona,Spain and worked as an English lecturer at theEuroaula School of Hotel and Tourism Management and at theCentre D'Estudis Catalunya.
Þór moved toNew York City in 1992 and studied economics atNew York University from 1992 to 1994, graduating with an M.A. in Economics and an advanced certificate in International Economics in 1994. Worked as a research assistant atSOM Economics (part ofThe Brenner Group, 2 World Trade Center) from 1993 to 1995. He worked as a database administrator atThe Conference Board from 1995 to 1997 and as an editor at theUnited Nations headquarters in New York in 1997, editing theUnited Nations Statistical Yearbook, 42nd edition.
He moved to Iceland in 1997 and worked as an economist (Division Director) at theCentral Bank of Iceland from 1997 to 2002. He obtained a teacher certificate from theUniversity of Akureyri, Iceland in 2000. He worked as an economist at Iceland´s National Debt Management Agency from 2002 to 2007 and as a part-time lecturer at theIcelandic Polytechnical College faculty of business from 2007 to 2009. From 2007 to 2009 Þór worked as a consultant to theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development inParis,France on its Africa Project on Government Debt Management and Bond Markets and to this day has ties to the project.
Þór was elected to theIcelandic Parliament in April 2009 for theCitizens' Movement, laterThe Movement and has served on several parliamentary committees such as the Budget Committee, the Economic and Trade Committee, the General Affairs Committee, the Industries Committee, and as a member of the Icelandic delegation to theWest Nordic Council.
Þór has been active as a union trustee for the Reykjavík Seafarers Union, Anti-Death Penalty Coordinator forAmnesty International (South-East Region U.S.A.), organizer for South-Carolinians Against the Persian Gulf War, activist for Icelanders Against the Iraq War and is one of the founders of theCitizens' Movement (later The Movement).
Þór is also a member of Amnesty International, The Movement, Future Iceland, The Iceland Nature Conservancy, The Reykjavík Academy, Unity-Grassroots Association, The Reykjavík Angling Club, Wave-Democracy Club, and the Union for Democracy and Public Interest.
Þór is divorced after a ten-year marriage and has one daughter, Hildigunnur, born in 1999.
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