Program Overview

“We are shaped by our communities and surroundings. Our size is both our strength and our vulnerability. In the Faroe Islands, short distances, strong communities and close communication lines allow us to respond quickly in a crisis — but this also makes strong coordination and comprehensive preparedness planning essential.” –Elsa Berg

Mayor Elsa Berg was elected Mayor of Tórshavn at the age of 28, making her the youngest person ever elected to lead the municipality.

Before becoming mayor, she served on the Tórshavn City Council, where she worked on a range of issues, including environmental protection and climate-friendly public transportation. As mayor, her focus is on creating a sustainable and resilient future for the community.

Elsa believes that cooperation between Arctic municipalities is essential to building resilient communities, protecting our shared environment and creating a sustainable future for generations to come.

Tórshavn aspires to be a knowledge-driven municipality and is committed to learning from neighbouring Arctic municipalities to effectively address shared challenges.

Camilla Fensbekk is Head of Search and Rescue at the Norwegian Red Cross. Her work focuses on strengthening volunteer rescue capacities, national preparedness, and cooperation between public authorities, emergency services, and civil society. She has worked in this field within the Red Cross movement in both Norway and Germany and has previously served as Chair of FORF (The Norwegian Forum for Voluntary Rescue Organizations).

Tore Hongset works as a SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC) at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre North Norway, a position he has had since 2006. He also serves as the Chair of the SAR Expert Group in the Arctic Council working group EPPR (Emergency, Prevention, Preparedness and Response), and he is engaged in working with the Arctic Coast Guard Forum.

His educational background is with the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy and Norwegian Defence Command and Staff College. Hongset also hold a bachelor`s degree in Circumpolar studies from the University of the Arctic. His freetime is evenly divided between musical activities and the blessed sailing life.

"Effective emergency preparedness is not built on plans alone—it is built through exercises, honest evaluation and continuous learning. Our experience shows the importance of strong coordination between ship and shore, particularly in remote areas where distance, limited resources and delayed external assistance can significantly affect an emergency response.” –Atli Joensen

Atli Joensen is HSEQ Manager, Designated Person Ashore (DPA) and Company Security Officer (CSO) at Smyril Line, a Faroese shipping company operating passenger and cargo services in the North Atlantic. He is responsible for safety, security, environmental, and quality management across the company’s fleet and shore organization, including emergency preparedness, crisis response, and continuous improvement.

Atli has a multidisciplinary background spanning the maritime, oil and gas, aviation, telecommunications and infrastructure sectors. Before joining Smyril Line, he held roles in maintenance and reliability within the oil and gas industry, as well as quality, safety and management positions in aviation and telecommunications.

He holds an MSc in Technology and has a background in maritime engineering and ship management, complemented by professional qualifications in management systems and risk management.

Sumiko May is a senior humanitarian leader with over 18 years of experience leading and coordinating complex emergency operations, strategic preparedness initiatives and response capacity strengthening. With nearly 15 years of service in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, she brings extensive experience in operational leadership, disaster risk management and strengthening the systems and partnerships required for effective emergency response.

She currently leads global work on National Society Preparedness and operational readiness for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), supporting Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to strengthen locally led, risk-informed and sustainable response capacity. Her work focuses particularly on how local and community-based capacities connect with public authorities, national response systems and international mechanisms, and how preparedness systems can remain locally grounded while being capable of rapidly scaling in major emergencies.

"Understanding where, and what type of passenger vessels are operating in the Arctic is crucial to planning and helping to inform management measures that aim to reduce the risk of environmental impacts. That is why the collection and analysis of AIS data across the Arctic using PAME’s ASTD database can help to support this crucial first step when considering the current level of preparedness and ability to respond to marine accidents involving cruise ships and passenger vessels operating in the Arctic and North Atlantic. ” –Dr. Lauren McWhinnie

Dr. Lauren McWhinnie is a marine biologist and geographer. Her research focuses on how we can mitigate and better manage the impacts of human activities on marine environments, and particularly the Arctic ocean. Her research work focuses on developing spatial planning tools and management strategies that reduces the impacts and risks associated with vessel traffic principally in relation to marine mammals. In recent years this has increasingly centred around understanding the range of potential threats associated with passenger vessels and the extent to which these are changing in different areas of the Arctic. 

McWhinnie is an Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and an Adjunct Professor within the Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Canada. She currently co-Leads the PAME project Arctic Marine Tourism: Mapping Whale Watching in the Arctic with colleagues in Canada.

"In a small and isolated community, you cannot build a hospital for the worst day imaginable. But you can prepare your hospital - and your people - to make the best possible use of limited resources when that day comes.” –Tróndur Mohr

Tróndur Mohr is a Consultant Anaesthesiologist at the Emergency Department of Landssjúkrahúsið, the main hospital in the Faroe Islands. Working in a small and geographically isolated healthcare system serving a population of approximately 55,000, his clinical responsibilities span intensive care, anaesthesia and perioperative care, as well as prehospital emergency medicine.

His work involves preparing for and managing critically ill and injured patients in a setting where specialist personnel, hospital capacity and external resources are inherently limited. This has given him a particular professional interest in how small and isolated healthcare systems prepare for emergencies that may rapidly exceed their normal capacity.

At Cold Seas – Critical Gaps, he will address hospital preparedness and response to catastrophic mass-casualty incidents, with particular emphasis on procedures, organisation and decision-making when resources are limited.

Leivur Persson is Head of the National Resilience Department at the Faroese Coast Guard (Vørn), where he is responsible for coordinating national emergency preparedness and resilience. A lawyer by training, he has extensive leadership experience in public administration, maritime affairs, emergency management and regulatory oversight. Prior to joining Vørn, he served for nine years as Director of the Faroese Safety Authority.

"What happens when saving lives and protecting the marine environment must occur at the same time? Let’s examine the complexities that arise when a mass search and rescue operation and a marine oil spill occur simultaneously, threatening survivors, responders, and the marine environment. How do we deconflict operations, resources, authorities, and organizational response frameworks?” –Andrea Prosser/cite>

Andrea Prosser is a Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) in the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and currently serves in the Headquarters Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy. LCDR Prosser also serves as the Chair of the Marine Environmental Response Expert Group of the Arctic Council’s Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) Workgroup. Prior to this position, LCDR Prosser was an Emergency Manager for eleven years with the USCG, filling roles at the local, regional, and national levels. LCDR Prosser has a bachelor’s degree in Marine and Environmental Science and a master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management.

Karin Strand is Vice President, Expeditions Development in HX Expeditions, with extensive leadership experience in polar expedition cruising, destination development, and sustainable tourism. She serves as Chair of the Executive Committee of AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators) and is recognized for her work advancing responsible operations, guest experience, safety, and environmental stewardship across Arctic destinations. Karin combines deep operational expertise with a lifelong connection to the Arctic and Antarctic.

Tina Schoolmeester is Lead of the Key Polar Centre and Strategic Lead for Programme Development at GRID-Arendal, where she has worked for 20 years on environmental issues, particularly in the Arctic and marine environments, and on climate change. Her work bridges scientific knowledge, policy and practical action, with an emphasis on emerging environmental challenges, international cooperation and resilience.

Mark van der Hulst has worked in the maritime industry since beginning his career with the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1990. After his naval service, he gained experience in shipbuilding and the yacht industry before spending 15 years with one of the Arctic expedition cruise operators that founded AECO, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators.

Throughout his career in expedition cruising, Mark has been actively involved in shaping maritime policy and operational standards in the polar regions. He has served as both a member and chair of the marine committees of AECO and IAATO (the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators), as well as on the executive committees of both organizations. He also contributed to the development of the International Maritime Organization’s Polar Code.

Today, Mark works as an independent maritime consultant and leads AECO’s project on Underwater Radiated Noise, bringing together industry experience, operational knowledge, and environmental stewardship to support more responsible expedition cruise operations in the Arctic.

Elias Zachariassen is Head of Department at MRCC Tórshavn, where he is involved in maritime search and rescue, safety, and operational coordination. Prior to joining MRCC Tórshavn ashore, he spent 22 years serving aboard Faroese Coast Guard vessels, including as both an officer and captain. Earlier in his maritime career, he worked aboard fishing vessels and ferries operating around the Faroe Islands.

Sigrið Zachariasen is Head of Secretariat at the Faroe Islands Red Cross. She has been with the organisation since 2019 and has led the secretariat since 2022. Her role covers the daily management of a small but broad volunteer-based Red Cross organisation, working with staff, volunteers and the board across humanitarian activities in the Faroe Islands. She brings a local perspective on the organisation’s growing role in preparedness and humanitarian response in a small and remote North Atlantic island context.