Information on EFTA's Secretaries-General and their background.
The day-to-day running of the Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General, who is assisted by three Deputy Secretaries-General, one based in Geneva and the two others in Brussels. The four posts are shared between the four Member States.
Secretary-General
Kurt Jäger
Mr Jäger served as Liechtenstein's Permanent Representative to EFTA, the WTO and the UN in Geneva from April 2021 to August 2024. His previous roles include Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the US, the EU and Belgium, as well as College Member of the EFTA Surveillance Authority from 2005 to 2010. He has over 25 years of professional experience in international regulatory affairs, of which 15 years were acquired in the airline industry and civil aviation administration.
Deputy Secretary-General, Geneva
Markus Schlagenhof
The Deputy Secretary-General supports the Secretary-General in administering EFTA's work in Geneva and directs third-country relations. Mr Markus Schlagenhof has served as Ambassador and Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements and Head of the World Trade Division at SECO since September 2016. With more than 30 years of experience in trade policy, he has held various roles in the WTO, OECD and G20, as well as on Commodity Boards, and has worked extensively on EU and EFTA matters. Mr Schlagenhof has led significant free trade negotiations as chief negotiator for Switzerland and spokesperson for the EFTA States, including recent agreements with India and Indonesia and ongoing talks with Malaysia, Mercosur and Thailand.
Deputy Secretary-General, Brussels
Knut Hermansen
The Deputy Secretary-General in Brussels supports the Secretary-General in managing EFTA’s work in Brussels in relation to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Mr Hermansen has a distinguished career in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having worked in the Ministry’s EEA Section since 2004. From 2015 to 2019 he was seconded as Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of the Norwegian Mission to the EU in Brussels. He has also previously served at the EFTA Secretariat as Director of the Goods Division and as Senior Officer responsible for customs matters.
Deputy Secretary-General, Brussels
Thordur Jonsson
The Deputy Secretary-General in Brussels supports the Secretary-General in coordinating EFTA’s work in Brussels in relation to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. He also heads the EEA Coordination Division. Mr Jónsson served as Director of Trade Agreements at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland from 2020 to August 2024. He has also held positions at the Mission of Iceland to the EU, including Minister Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission. From 2012 to 2017 he was posted to Iceland’s Mission in Geneva. Mr Jónsson’s connection to EFTA spans nearly 20 years, as he started out as a Junior Professional at the EFTA Secretariat in 2005.