Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson

Ólafur was born in Reykjavík, Iceland on 26 September 1962 to Anna Jónsdóttir and writer Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson.{{cite news |title=Skáld og athafnaskáld |url=https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1437830/ |accessdate=19 December 2019 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=26 September 2012 |language=Icelandic}} He studied physics as a Wien Scholar at Brandeis University. He lives in New York City with his wife Anna Ólafsdóttir and three children.{{cite web|title=Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson|url=http://ftp.forlagid.is/?tag=olafur-johann-olafsson|website=forlagid.is|accessdate=8 April 2018|language=Icelandic}}

He is the author of three previous novels, The Journey Home, Absolution and Walking into the Night, and a story collection, Valentines.{{cite web|publisher=Reykjavík City Library|title=Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson|url=https://bokmenntaborgin.is/en/literature-web/author/olafur-johann-olafsson}} He also wrote the play The Feast of the Snails, albeit to mixed reviews. His books have been published to critical acclaim in more than twenty languages. Ólafur is the recipient of the O. Henry Award and the Icelandic Literary Prize, was shortlisted for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, and has twice been nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award.

Ólafur began a career at Sony in 1985, where he rose through several positions.{{cite news |title=Verð aldrei uppstoppaður bisnesskarl |url=https://timarit.is/page/2569909 |accessdate=19 December 2019 |work=Dagblaðið Vísir |date=31 March 1990 |pages=24–25 |language=Icelandic}} In 1991, he founded Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc., and became its first president and chief executive officer. Sony Computer was established as a free-functioning unit of Sony Corporation. Olafsson built and managed its businesses in the United States and Europe.{{clarify|date=June 2018}} During his six-year tenure, he directed the worldwide operations of Sony's entertainment software and hardware divisions and was responsible for the creation and launch of the PlayStation console, which would go onto generate major sales and profits for Sony Interactive. However, Olafsson clashed with higher-ups over the PlayStation's pricing as he favoured lower price on the console. The intense feuding caused him to lose support within the company and he was forced to resign in 1996.{{cite news |author1=Jennifer L. Rewick |title=Olafsson to Assume Key Post At Time Warner Digital Media |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB941733077959036063 |accessdate=19 December 2019 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=12 January 1999}}

Ólafur became a member of the board of directors of Advanta Corporation, a specialty finance company, in 1997, and became Advanta's president in March 1998.[https://www.americanbanker.com/news/advanta-hires-sony-playstation-chief-as-president Advanta Hires Sony Playstation Chief as President] Olafsson left Advanta in 1999 to join Time Warner as Vice Chairman of Digital Media.[https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/1999/10/25/daily1.html Advanta president resigns] He briefly left the company after its merger with AOL, which formed the short-lived AOL Time Warner.{{cite news |author1=David Carr |title=Media Deals and Novels From One Busy Mind |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/books/olaf-olafsson-restoration-author-and-time-warner-manager.html |accessdate=19 December 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=5 March 2012}} He returned at the request of CEO Richard D. Parsons after Time Warner executives reasserted control over the company. He was later given the title of Executive Vice President.{{Cite web|url=http://www.timewarner.com/our-company/management/senior-corporate-executives/olaf-j-olafsson|title=Olaf J. Olafsson {{!}} Time Warner Inc.|website=Time Warner|language=en|access-date=2017-05-05}}[http://www.timewarner.com/company/management/senior-corporate-executives/olaf-j-olafsson Time Warner profile, cached] With the AT&T purchase of Time Warner, Olafsson and several other Time Warner executives left the combined company.{{cite news |author1=Paul Bond |title=Turner CEO Exiting as AT&T Closes on Time Warner Deal |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/turner-ceo-exiting-as-at-t-closes-time-warner-deal-1120614 |accessdate=19 December 2019 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=15 June 2018}}{{cite news |title=Undrabarnsforstjórinn bak við margmiðlunarstarfsemina |url=https://timarit.is/page/1846543 |accessdate=19 December 2019 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=24 January 1996 |language=Icelandic}}

• Absolution (Pantheon, 1994) {{ISBN|9781400030682}}
• The Journey Home (Pantheon, 2000). {{ISBN|9780571204748}}
• Walking into the Night (Pantheon, 2003) {{ISBN|9781400034802}}
• Valentines (Random House, 2007). {{ISBN|9780307280558}}
• Restoration (Ecco, 2012) {{ISBN|9780062065650}}
• One station away, (New York: Ecco, 2017) {{ISBN|9780062677495}}
• The Sacrament (HarperCollins, 2019) {{ISBN|9780062899873}}
• Touch (HarperCollins, 2022) {{ISBN|9780063226982}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120215202713/http://olafolafsson.com/ Olaf Olafsson's Official Website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110927100659/http://www.bokmenntir.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-3721/categories-1961/ Bokmenntir on him]
• [http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20041027200226/vestmannaeyjar.ismennt.is/vefir/comenius/people/ola.htm Vestmannaeyjar article on him]

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Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Olafur Johann Olafsson

Olafur Johann Olafsson

Category:Sony people

Category:Brandeis University alumni

Olafur Johann Olafsson