After the main Secretariat of the Northern Forum was opened in Anchorage, Alaska, USA), branches of the Secretariat were opened; in Bodo (Norway), in Rovaniemi (Lapland, Finland), in Yakutsk (Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russia) and in St. Petersburg (Russia). In recent years, there have been two innovations in the structure of the organization concerning former presidents of the Northern Forum. Thus, in 1994 the post of General Secretary of the Northern Forum was introduced and in 2001 an Advisory Council was established.
The Advisory Board automatically includes the former Chairmen of the Northern Forum.
Chairman of the Northern Forum 1992-1994
Walter Joseph Hickel
Governor of the State of Alaska, USA, 1990-1994
Chairman of the Northern Forum 1994-1997
Sigbjørn Eriksen
Mayor of Nordland Province, Norway 1984-1997
Chairman of the Northern Forum 1997-2001
Mikhail Yefimovich Nikolayev
President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia 1991-2001
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2001-2005
Hannele Pokka
Governor of Lapland Province, Finland 1994-2008
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2005-2009
Alexander Filipenko
Governor of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.
Co-Chairman of the Northern Forum 2009-2011
Dennis Fentie
Premier of Yukon Territory, Canada 2002-2011
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2011-2015
Yegor Afanasyevich Borisov
President of the Republic of Saha (Yakutia), Russia 2010-2018
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2015-2017
Viktor Alexandrovich Tolokonsky
Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia 2014 - 2017
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2017-2018
Alexander Viktorovich Uss
Governor of Krasnoyarksy Krai, Russia 2017 – at present
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2018 - 2020
Alexander Vitalyevich Tsybulsky
Governor of Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2020 - 2021
Yuri Vasilyevich Bezdudny
Governor of Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia 2020 – at present
Chairman of the Northern Forum 2021 - at present
Mika Riipi
County Governor of Lapland, Finland 2013 – at present