Jón Örn Guðbjartsson is a stellar and highly sought-after speaker and has served as Director of Communication and Marketing at the University of Iceland since 2007. He is widely recognised for delivering engaging, energetic, and insight-driven keynote talks and workshops that combine strategic thinking, real-world case studies, and a strong narrative approach.
He holds an MA in Public Relations and Business Communication, an MBA from UIBS Barcelona, and an MA in Icelandic Literature from the University of Iceland. His academic background, combined with decades of professional experience, allows him to bridge strategy, storytelling, and behavioural insight in a way that resonates strongly with diverse audiences.
Jón Örn has extensive experience in integrated communications, branding, public relations, and crisis management. Prior to joining the University of Iceland, he worked as Marketing and PR Director in the software and business consultancy sector from 1993 to 2005. He also has a solid background in journalism and broadcast media, having worked as a television host, news reporter, and journalist—experience that strongly informs his dynamic presentation style.
In recent years, Jón Örn has led a comprehensive rebranding of the University of Iceland, delivering measurable results in visibility, recruitment, and public engagement, including large-scale growth in STEM enrolment. The multi-award-winning marketing and communications team he leads has received numerous national and international recognitions, including the Icelandic Science Media Award in 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023, and the EUPRIO Award for Best Science Media Project in 2012. In 2014, the team was nominated for a Gold Award at the AFO Film Festival in Olomouc for a science film series broadcast in Iceland, Finland, and Sweden.
Earlier in his career, Jón Örn worked extensively in the IT sector and served as Marketing Director within the Landsteinar Group when it received the President of Iceland’s Export Award in 2001 and was nominated as Most Excellent Marketing Firm of the Year in Iceland in 1999.
Jón Örn is particularly known for presentations that move beyond theory, offering practical frameworks, honest reflections on leadership and communication, and highly interactive workshops that consistently attract strong audience engagement.
His work has been recognised with the University of Iceland’s Science and Innovation Award.
Increasing enrolment in STEM programmes remains a global challenge, particularly when it comes to influencing undecided applicants and addressing persistent gender imbalances. Despite strong labour market demand, many universities struggle to shift application behaviour at scale using traditional outreach, school visits, and informational marketing alone.
This presentation explores a national recruitment initiative led by the University of Iceland that successfully reshaped application patterns across STEM disciplines, resulting in substantial overall growth and record increases in female participation. The campaign was designed as a coordinated, multi-channel intervention combining a targeted digital ecosystem, high-visibility outdoor advertising, and short documentary-style interviews with respected industry leaders, scientists, and senior public-sector figures.
Rather than relying on institutional messaging, the initiative foregrounded credible external role models who demonstrated how STEM education translates into real-world impact, leadership, and meaningful careers. The strategy was built around three core pillars: aspirational role-modelling, behaviour-driven messaging aimed at undecided applicants, and gender-inclusive framing that actively challenged structural stereotypes.
The results were striking, with applications increasing sharply across all STEM fields and several programmes more than doubling within a single recruitment cycle. The initiative received national recognition as a model for strengthening the long-term STEM talent pipeline.
The presentation concludes by outlining key lessons for higher education institutions seeking to use advertising and strategic communication as tools for behavioural change and equity-driven recruitment.