Leadership of the Northern Forum

The highest governing body is the Board of Governors (formerly the Board of Directors in the 1990s). The Board is headed by a Chairman. In 1994, the honorary position of Secretary General was created for Alaska Governor Walter Hickel in recognition of his service.

Chairman 1992-1994

Walter Joseph Hickel

Governor of Alaska, USA

Chairman 1994-1997

Sigbjørn Eriksen

Mayor of Nordland, Norway

Chairman 1997-2001

Mikhail Y. Nikolayev

President of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia

Chairman 2001-2005

Hannele Pokka

Governor of Lapland, Finland

Chairman 2005-2009

Alexander Filipenko

Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk, RU

Co-Chairman 2009-2011

Dennis Fentie

Premier of Yukon, Canada

Co-Chairman 2009-2011

Eva Aariak

Premier of Nunavut, Canada

Chairman 2011-2015

Yegor Borisov

President of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia

Chairman 2015-2017

Viktor Tolokonsky

Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai, RU

Chairman 2017-2018

Alexander Viktorovich Uss

Governor of Krasnoyarsk Krai, RU

Chairman 2018-2020

Alexander Tsybulsky

Governor of Nenets AO, RU

Chairman 2020-2021

Yuri Vasilyevich Bezdudny

Governor of Nenets AO, RU

Chairman 2021-2022

Mika Riipi

County Governor of Lapland, Finland

Chairman 2023-2024

Natalya V. Komarova

Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk AO, RU

Chairman 2024-2025

Ruslan N. Kukharuk

Governor of Khanty-Mansiysk AO, RU

Chairman 2025 - Present

Irina Alfredovna Gekht

Governor of Nenets AO, RU