Trygve Olson

Trygve Olson is a prominent political consultant and the President of Viking Strategies, LLC, a firm he founded that specializes in providing customized sovereign political risk and public affairs solutions to clients globally. His expertise lies in developing strategies and networks to influence high-level perceptions and outcomes in political contexts.12

Professional Background

Olson has an extensive career in political consulting, having worked on elections in over thirty countries. In the United States, he has held senior leadership roles in three presidential campaigns and numerous congressional elections, contributing to the central Republican Party's political committees.12 Internationally, he has been associated with the International Republican Institute (IRI) for over two decades, where he notably opened the Belarus program office in 2001 and trained activists advocating for democracy across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.13

Current Roles

In addition to his role at Viking Strategies, Olson is a Senior Advisor at the Lincoln Project, where he engages in discussions about democracy and autocracy with political leaders, academics, and business executives.23 He frequently speaks on the challenges faced by democracies today and the importance of resilience against authoritarianism.3

Personal Life

Olson resides between Washington, D.C., and Europe with his wife and two daughters. He is also known for his interest in fitness, particularly hockey, which he sees as a way to maintain his health while balancing family life.23

Olson's work emphasizes the need for proactive engagement in democratic processes and the importance of understanding political risks on a global scale.