Brothers in Charge

The brothers Sverrir and Guðmundur Sveinn, sons of Helga (daughter of Héðinn’s founder Markús Ívarsson) and Sveinn Guðmundsson, who served as the company’s CEO for 47 years, shared the leadership of Héðinn from 1983 to 2016.

Sverrir Sveinsson

Sverrir Sveinsson spent his entire career at Héðinn. In the beginning he handled imports and relations with foreign suppliers, but in 1977 he took on the task of developing the operations of Garðastál, a company owned by Héðinn. There, various types of roof and wall cladding were produced. Under Sverrir’s leadership, Garðastál thrived and its operations were extensive for many years.

In 1983, Sverrir assumed the position of managing director of Héðinn and shortly thereafter initiated the most significant organizational changes in the company’s history since its founding. Héðinn’s operating units—Garðastál production, retail operations under the name Danfoss, and the original core activity of the workshop—were restructured as independent limited companies under the names Garðastál, Danfoss, and Héðinn Smiðja. At the time, many considered this a reckless move, as the prevailing emphasis was on the efficiency of scale. But it soon became clear that Sverrir had been right, and with a clear vision for the future he had outlined a model that would indeed deliver excellent results.

After several years of highly successful operations under this new structure, Danfoss and Garðastál were sold, while the workshop business under the old name Héðinn endured and continued to flourish under Sverrir’s steady leadership.

In 1992, Sverrir stepped down as CEO and became chair of Héðinn’s board, a role he held until 2016. He was a strong supporter and leader of the management team. Sverrir was exceptionally successful in his work as both CEO and chair of the board, known for his keen overview and his ability to guide complex matters to the best possible outcome.

Guðmundur Sveinn Sveinsson

Guðmundur Sveinn, the youngest of the brothers, began working at Héðinn at an early age and became head of the workshop division in the early 1980s. He was Sverrir’s right-hand man in the major reorganization that proved so successful for the company. It was therefore a natural step when, in 1992, he succeeded his brother as CEO of Héðinn, at a time when workshop operations had once again become the company’s core activity.

From the very start of his career at Héðinn around 1980, Guðmundur set about bringing young staff into the company and blending them with the strong culture of ingenuity and craftsmanship that had deep roots in the firm. In this way, new middle managers grew up alongside the older generation without disturbing the company culture.

In Guðmundur’s early years, it was joked that Héðinn had two generations of employees: on the one hand, staff between sixty and eighty years old, most of whom held some sort of title, and on the other, employees barely out of childhood.

Guðmundur’s ability to earn and maintain people’s trust, along with creating an atmosphere where their talents could flourish within the team, has been invaluable in the development work that has characterized Héðinn’s operations in recent decades. These personal qualities have proven equally valuable in the often complex collaborations with clients and partners both in Iceland and abroad.

In keeping with the foresight that has always characterized Héðinn’s leadership, preparations began in 2015 for yet another generational shift in the company’s top management. In 2016, Guðmundur stepped down as CEO and succeeded Sverrir as chair of the board. He held that position until 2021, when Halldór Lárusson took over the reins—whose great-grandfather was Markús Ívarsson.