Meet Jónas Þór - driving instructor at Ekill driving school in Iceland and Denmark

It’s hard to describe Jónas Þór Karlsson without smiling a little. He jokingly calls himself a “grumpy, boring workaholic,” because he is “always working,” as he puts it—but anyone who meets him quickly realizes that this is his humor talking, not his personality. In reality, Jónas is calm, grounded, and genuinely fun to be around—except, of course, when he is literally not grounded… because he’s flying.

Jónas was born in Akureyri, has roots in Hrútafjörður, and grew up both there and in Kjellerup, Denmark. Perhaps it’s the blend of these two countries that gives him his unique mix of steadiness, logic, and well-developed humor.

Outside of work, he lives a quiet and inexpensive life… or actually, not at all. His hobbies are undeniably expensive—flying, photography, traveling—and, on the side, the occasional bit of risky behavior like teasing his husband. He’s not particularly social outside of work, which makes sense, considering he spends his days in constant interaction with students. He rarely gets bored, is always juggling several projects at once, and typically has a new idea or goal in the works.

On a free weekend, Jónas would most likely either work, sleep, or accidentally stumble into yet another expensive hobby. If you ask him, locomotive engineer training in Denmark might be next on the list. And to get himself into a good mood? Simple—some solid 80’s pop. Guilty pleasure? Not a chance—he won’t reveal anything of the sort.

Jónas has a deep appreciation for good food and originally studied culinary arts at the Akureyri Vocational School. His favorites include chocolate, his homemade pineapple mousse, and a proper Icelandic leg of lamb.

If he could travel anywhere in the world, his next stop would likely be Australia—having just returned from Canada and newly relocated to Denmark, he’s more than ready for the next adventure.

Jónas laughs easily—cats, for example, are an endless source of joy. But he also has his share of hilarious teaching moments. One of his foreign students struggled with the Icelandic word for “clutch” and one day asked:

“Should I step on the chicken when I start driving?”

No further explanation needed—Jónas managed to hold in his laughter… but only barely.

He has always enjoyed driving and found the idea of teaching exciting, but it was his own driving instructor who planted the seed that eventually led him into the profession. Over the years, he has learned a lot about himself—especially how to manage what he jokingly calls his “road rage,” and how much wisdom can be drawn from the diverse experiences of his students.

What Jónas enjoys most about teaching is simple: the people. Meeting a wide variety of students, getting to know them, watching them grow—and sometimes running into them later on the road, now independent and confident.

When asked which qualities matter most in a driving instructor, he answers:

“Patience and kindness… and the ability to explain things clearly. And of course, being able to drive.”

These are all qualities Jónas embodies naturally.

He says the job itself hasn’t changed much over the years, though the Covid period was certainly an unusual chapter with plenty of challenges. He himself has grown tremendously in the profession and learned a great deal—especially from his students.

Looking ahead, he believes driver education will continue to be essential, but must evolve with changes in technology and society, with greater emphasis on traffic communication and behavior—areas he feels have, unfortunately, declined and need improvement.

His advice to new instructors is professional, grounded, and beautiful:

“It’s not the end of the world if a student fails with you. It will happen, and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad instructor. You learn a lot from your students too.”

And that is Jónas.

Sincere, grounded, funny, professional, and with a heart that beats for both teaching and his students — and occasionally also for the chicken… or, well, the clutch.

We at Ekill are truly proud to have him as part of our team—both in Iceland and in Denmark.