Iceland appoints women to clean up ‘male mess’

Iceland has appointed two women to help rebuild its financial system after the banking empire built by its young, male-dominated elite collapsed. Elín Sigfúsdóttir and Birna Einarsdóttir are set to become chief executives of New Landsbanki and New Glitnir respectively, the nationalised banks created in the wake of the crisis. Their appointments are an effort to signal a new culture within the banking system, said a government minister. Landsbanki, Glitnir and Kaupthing – infamous for their aggressive international expansion – collapsed last week under massive debts, bringing Iceland’s economy to the brink of bankruptcy and triggering recriminations, with the UK a... [read full story]