RNH Academic director, Hannes H. Gissurarson, Professor Emeritus in Politics at the University of Iceland, was the guest of honour at the annual Thjodmal Gala Dinner on 20 November where awards were given to innovative business leaders. The Whale Museum in Reykjavik was the venue of the event, which was attended by 270 guests. The choir Fostbraedur sang a few patriotic Icelandic songs, and the popular singers Eyjolfur Kristjansson, Stefan Hilmarsson, and Bergthor Palsson also performed. Gisli F. Valdorsson, who runs the Thjodmal podcast, delivered some opening remarks while the master of ceremonies, journalist Stefan Einar Stefansson, mocked the enthusiasm for raising taxes by the present Icelandic government. In his short speech, Professor Gissurarson told a few anecdotes about himself, Prime Ministers Bjarni Benediktsson and David Oddsson, Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises, and his left-wing colleagues in the Faculty of Politics at the University of Iceland who had been less than happy when he was appointed Professor in the Summer of 1988. Gissurarson recalled a lot of comical incidents at faculty meetings. He found it fitting that this dinner was at the Whale Museum because he, like the whales, migrated during the coldest and darkest months of the year from Iceland to the southern hemisphere. Gissurarson also quoted humorous observations about alcohol by Icelandic wits such as poet Tomas Gudmundsson and lawyer Jon E. Ragnarsson.
The prize for the most promising business venture was given to Hordur Orri Grettisson of Laxey, for the deal of the year to Hjorleifur Jakobsson of Askja, for leadership in business to Thorsteinn Mar Baldvinsson of Samherji, for entrepreneurship to Finnur Adalbjornsson and Sigridur Maria Hammer of Forest Lagoon (Skogarbod), and for social initiatives to Jon Gudni Omarsson of Iceland Bank. A portrait of Thorsteinn Mar Baldvinsson by Sigurdur Saevar Magnusarson was unveiled at the Gala Dinner.
