A press release from the EFC reads:

"Erik Rudeng was appointed as the new Chair of the EFC at an Extraordinary General Assembly of members on 7 November in Brussels.

Mr Rudeng has been Director of Institusjonen Fritt Ord (Freedom of Expression Foundation, Norway) since 2001, and immediately lead the foundation to become an engaged member of the EFC.

Mr Rudeng has a strong history of involvement with the EFC, namely through his commitment to its Communications and Research Committee, his role as Chair of both the 2008 AGA and Conference Programme Committee and more recently of the Governance Task Force.

The EFC welcomes Mr Rudeng as its new Chair and looks forward to the next years under his guidance."

The European Foundation Centre (EFC) was founded in 1989, and is based in Brussels. The 233 member foundations, based in 37 countries, collectively manage €130 billion in assets and spend around €13 billion annually. The EFC advocates for positive change in the legal and fiscal environments in which European foundations operate. They offer a variety of courses and conferences, collect knowledge about foundations and communicate the story of European philanthropy. Further, the EFC has a goal of strengthening the infrastructure and promoting cooperation within the foundation sector. The EFC hosts Donors and Foundations Networks in Europe (DAFNE), linking the Centre to a further 6000 foundations across the continent.

Erik Rudeng (b. 1946) is educated at the University of Oslo and Wadham College, Oxford (Nordic languages, history of ideas, and modern history). Before he became Director of Fritt Ord in 2001, Rudeng was Director of the National Museum for Cultural History (1990–2000). He has been chair of the Norwegian Museums Association and of the Non-fiction Writers Association, and is i.a. the author of biographies of Johan Throne Holst and William Nygaard