Astrid Noklebye Heiberg, born in Oslo, Norway, is a psychiatrist who was formely a university professor and a member of the Norwegian government.

As president of the Norwegian Red Cross, she was elected to head the International Federation with 110 of the 176 National Society votes at the 1997 General Assembly in Seville, Spain.

Heiberg said she had three aims -- to strengthen the development of National Societies by channelling more funds, more materials and more resources to them; to build a good and trusting relationship with the ICRC and to use more actively her vice-presidents and the Executive Council."

"Sometimes the distance between Geneva and National Societies seems to be too far," she said.

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