Ingrid Gjerde

Thematic expertise: International military operations

Geographic expertise: Middle East, Balkans

Languages: English, German, Russian

Ingrid Gjerde is assistant Chief of staff - Plans in the Norwegian Defense. She started her military career in 1987. She is an infantry officer, and she has served as commander of rifle and mortar platoons, a rifle company and an infantry battalion. She has been the commandant of the Norwegian Army Military Academy and the National Contingent Commander in Afghanistan and chief of the Norwegian Army Staff. She has also worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Defense dealing with strategic analysis and long-term planning. Before her current position, she was the spokesperson for the Norwegian Chief of Defence. Of international operations, she has served in ISAF (Afghanistan), SFOR (Bosnia) and two contingents in UNIFIL (Lebanon). Gjerde has attended the Norwegian military academy in Oslo, US Army Command and General Staff College in Kansas and US War College in Carlisle. She has a master's degree in political science (international politics) from the University of Oslo. Part of the Master is from Georgetown University in Washington DC. Gjerde is married to another army officer and has 20-year-old twins. Her passion is literature, cross-country skiing and outdoor life.