View source for Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson

{{Short description|Icelandic businessman and writer}}
{{Other people|Ólafur Ólafsson|Ólafur Ólafsson (disambiguation)}}
{{icelandic name|Ólafur|male}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson
| image         = Olaf Olafsson 1130265.jpg
| alt           = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption       =
| birth_name    = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1962|09|26|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]]
| nationality   = Icelandic
| other_names   = Olaf Olafsson
| occupation    = Businessman and writer
| education     = [[Brandeis University]]
| years_active  =
| known_for     =
| notable_works =
| spouse        = Anna Ólafsdóttir
| children      = 3
}}
'''Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson''' (born 26 September 1962), also known as '''Olaf Olafsson''', is an Icelandic [[Businessperson|businessman]] and [[writer]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Við verðum að styrkja listamenn|url=http://www.ruv.is/frett/vid-verdum-ad-styrkja-listamenn|accessdate=8 April 2018|work=[[RÚV]]|date=29 March 2018|language=Icelandic}}</ref> He is best known for his tenure at [[Sony]] and his leadership in the creation of the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] [[video game console]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Ólafur Jóhann vann en var vikið|url=https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/229200/|accessdate=8 April 2018|work=[[Morgunblaðið]]|date=25 October 1995|language=Icelandic}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Ólafur was born in [[Reykjavík]], [[Iceland]] on 26 September 1962 to Anna Jónsdóttir and writer Ólafur Jóhann Sigurðsson.<ref>{{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}}</ref> He studied [[physics]] as a Wien Scholar at [[Brandeis University]]. He lives in [[New York City]] with his wife Anna Ólafsdóttir and three [[Child|children]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson|url=http://ftp.forlagid.is/?tag=olafur-johann-olafsson|website=forlagid.is|accessdate=8 April 2018|language=Icelandic}}</ref>
==Literary career==
He is the author of three previous novels, ''The Journey Home'', ''[[Absolution (Olafsson novel)|Absolution]]'' and ''[[Walking into the Night]]'', and a story collection, ''[[Valentines (book)|Valentines]]''.<ref name=bok>{{cite web|publisher=Reykjavík City Library|title=Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson|url=https://bokmenntaborgin.is/en/literature-web/author/olafur-johann-olafsson}}</ref> He also wrote the play ''The Feast of the Snails'', albeit to mixed reviews.<ref name="nyt" /> 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]].
==Business career==
Ólafur began a career at [[Sony]] in 1985, where he rose through several positions.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref name="banker">[https://www.americanbanker.com/news/advanta-hires-sony-playstation-chief-as-president Advanta Hires Sony Playstation Chief as President]</ref> Olafsson left Advanta in 1999 to join [[Time Warner]] as Vice Chairman of Digital Media.<ref name="bizjournals">[https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/1999/10/25/daily1.html Advanta president resigns]</ref> He briefly left the company after its merger with [[AOL]], which formed the short-lived AOL Time Warner.<ref name="nyt">{{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}}</ref> He returned at the request of CEO [[Richard D. Parsons]] after Time Warner executives reasserted control over the company.<ref name="nyt" /> He was later given the title of Executive Vice President.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>[http://www.timewarner.com/company/management/senior-corporate-executives/olaf-j-olafsson Time Warner profile, cached]</ref> With the [[WarnerMedia#Acquisition by AT&T|AT&T purchase of Time Warner]], Olafsson and several other Time Warner executives left the combined company.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Books==
* ''[[Absolution (Olafsson novel)|Absolution]]'' (Pantheon, 1994) {{ISBN|9781400030682}}
* ''The Journey Home'' (Pantheon, 2000). {{ISBN|9780571204748}}
* ''[[Walking into the Night]]'' (Pantheon, 2003) {{ISBN|9781400034802}}
* ''[[Valentines (book)|Valentines]]'' (Random House, 2007). {{ISBN|9780307280558}}
* ''[[Restoration (Ólafsson novel)|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}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[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]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olafsson, Olafur Johann}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Icelandic male writers|Olafur Johann Olafsson]]
[[Category:People from Reykjavík|Olafur Johann Olafsson]]
[[Category:Sony people]]
[[Category:Brandeis University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Icelandic male writers|Olafur Johann Olafsson]]