1. Roy Thorvaldsen
Roy Thorvaldsen (born 5 Feb 1966) started his journalism career in 1987 after completing national
military service in His Majesty The King’s Guard (HMKG) in Oslo, Norway. In 1990, after three
years at the ‘Hadeland’ newspaper close to his native town of Hønefoss, Thorvaldsen began
studies at the Norwegian College of Journalism. His curriculum also comprised philosophy, theory
of science and law studies.
Thorvaldsen joined the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK*) in 2002, where he worked as
reporter and bulletin editor, and later as anchorman for the national radio news. For a year he was
TV news anchorman for the Oslo capital area. * National public radio and TV modeled after British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC)
As a Norwegian Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel, Thorvaldsen served 2002 - 2005 as Reserve
Affairs Advisor for Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR, one of NATO’s two Strategic
Commanders) in Mons, Belgium. As such, he was liaison officer to the Confédération Interalliée des
Officiers de Réserve (CIOR), Confédération Interalliée des Officiers Médicaux de Réserve (CIOMR)
and the NATO Reserve Forces Committee (NRFC) and responsible for the Reserve Affairs Course
at the NATO School. In parallel to this, he served as NATO’s Public Affairs (PA) Training Officer,
where he developed and managed the PA Course at the NATO School, and as Plans & Policy
officer on the staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). In Norway,
Thorvaldsen’s mobilisation status was Chief PA Plans & Policy in the Armed Forces’ Crisis
Information Organisation (until its abolishment in the early 2000s).
Roy Thorvaldsen served twice in NATO’s peacekeeping operations in the Balkans. In 1997-1998 he
was Chief Media Analysis for the Stabilization Forces (SFOR) in Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina,
where he led a team that developed a revolutionary concept and service for Media and News
Analysis that proved to be very effective and got much acclaim. In 2001-2002, Thorvaldsen was
Chief Media Operations for Operation Amber Fox in Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.) *Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia by its constitutional name.
In April 2005, Thorvaldsen became the first civilian Deputy Chief Public Affairs Officer for Supreme
Allied Commander Transformation (SACT, the other of NATO’s two Strategic Commanders) in
Norfolk, Virginia. He was promoted Chief of Public Affairs and Deputy Chief Strategic
Communications Branch in a 2010 reorganisation of the headquarters. Later that year he also
became SACT’s first ever liaison officer to CIOR. A promising track and field athlete in younger
years, Thorvaldsen’s passionate hobby is now Classic British sports car rallying.
Thorvaldsen retired from NATO in 2015 and now works as a Strategic Communication Consultant.
Awards: CIOR Medal of Merit, with Laurel (2015).
Orders: O.S.M.T.H - Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Heierosulitami/ Knights Templar (2012)
Ordo Militaris et Hospitalaris Sancti Lazari Hierosolymitani/
Order of Saint Lazarus (2016)