Bård Glad Pedersen is a Norwegian politician and the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, a position he has held since October 2013. An economist by training,Glad Pedersen previously served as a political advisor and state secretary in the Ministry of Defense. He previously worked as a communications manager and press spokesperson for Statoil, and as the head of the public affairs department for global communications firm Burson Marsteller. Glad Pedersen holds a Master of Science in business from Bodø University College.