Professor Mari Sundli Tveit (1 May 1975) is from 1 March 2021 Chief Executive at the Research Council of Norway. From 2019 to 2021 she was Deputy Director General of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) with responsibilities: Industrial affairs, sustainable development, international affairs, Brussels office, research, education and innovation including NHO representative in Nordic cooperation and Business Europe. Prior to this she worked 17 years (2002-2019) for the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) where her last position was as Rector (2014-2019). She also held positions as Professor, Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning (2013); Pro-rector for education (2010-2013); Associate Professor (2009-2013), Head of Section, Urban and Regional Planning Section (2008-2010), Head of section, Land and Management Law (2010); Researcher (2008); PhD student position (2002-2007) including Researcher, EU project, VisuLands (2003-2005); National coordinator for the Norwegian campaign for cancellation of third world debt (2001-2002) and finally as Project leader, Green state, environmental report (2000). She holds academic degrees from the same university: PhD in Architecture and Spatial Planning (2007) and Cand. Agric (Master) from 2000 including two undergraduate years at the University of Tromsø.

She has held a number of elected positions, including as board member in the European University Association (2015-2021), President of Universities Norway (2017-2019), board member at Centre for Advanced Studies and Chalmers Technical University, and board member at Science Europe.

Mari Sundli Tveit has extensive leadership experience within academia and in the business, sector including broad experience leading large mergers, organisational integration, strategic development. She also has broad board experience nationally and internationally with large network within academia, the business sector, and politics, and experience working with ministries and government. She has many years of experience in developing, influencing, and implementing research, education, and innovation policies including cross sectoral cooperation and bridging different views and backgrounds.

She is married, two children.