WASHINGTON, DC – The Atlantic Council announced today plans to strengthen its presence in Northern Europe by appointing Anna Wieslander as director for the region, to be based in Stockholm. Building on a long track record of work on the region, this step complements the Council’s existing offices in Poland and Turkey.

Anna Wieslander, secretary general of the Swedish Defence Association and former deputy director at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, will join the Atlantic Council as director for Northern Europe effective immediately. Ms. Wieslander will serve as the Council’s representative in Sweden and Northern Europe and provide thought leadership on a range of issues central to the Atlantic Council’s mission. Based in Stockholm, she will analyze international trends with a special focus on the security situation in the region and how it relates to transatlantic and global geopolitical developments.  

“The Atlantic Council is delighted Anna Wieslander has joined us to grow the Atlantic Council’s presence in and focus on such a critical region,” said Atlantic Council President and CEO Fred Kempe. “Anna is a true policy entrepreneur with a proven ability to bring together policymakers and diverse stakeholders to forge solutions that address challenges critical to the future of Europe and the transatlantic relationship. We look forward to drawing on her deep understanding and key relationships to further the Atlantic Council’s mission of ‘working together to secure the future’ as we expand our programming in Northern Europe.”

Anna Wieslander is secretary general of the Swedish Defence Association and former deputy director at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. Ms. Wieslander has previously held positions as head of Speaker’s Office at the Swedish Parliament, secretary of the Swedish Defence Commission, and as deputy director at the Swedish Defence Ministry where she was responsible for relationships with NATO, France, and the United Kingdom. She brings private-sector communications and management experience as international affairs director at Saab and communications director at Carlsberg Sweden and the Swedish Postcode Lottery. She began her career as a newspaper journalist in 1987. Anna holds a BA degree in journalism from Gothenburg University and a MA degree in political science from Lund University. She is a PhD candidate at Lund University and has pursued doctoral studies at the University of California at Berkeley. 

“I am excited to join the Atlantic Council, an organization with such a rich history of analytical work and strategic advice for key stakeholders in Sweden and the wider region. I share the Council’s views on the importance of strengthening and deepening the transatlantic alliance,” said Ms. Wieslander. “I look forward to engaging with the Atlantic Council’s community on a range of issues and relationships in a region I am so passionate about.”

The Council’s establishment in Stockholm is the outgrowth of Council work on and in the region, including nearly a decade of partnership with Saab. As part of the Council’s new Future Europe Initiative, the director for Northern Europe will work to galvanize the leadership and strategies that will promote a strong, stable, and competitive Europe in partnership with the United States. 

For questions or to schedule an interview with Ms. Wieslander, please email press@atlanticcouncil.org.

###