Nominees for Swedish Woman of the Year 2025
Who will be named Swedish Woman of the Year 2025? Will SWEA International's prestigious award go to one of Sweden's most internationally successful businesswomen, a doctor and humanitarian aid worker, a celebrated actress and director, a Major General in the Swedish Armed Forces, a world record-holding swimmer, or a legendary motorsport icon?
SWEA International has nominated six outstanding women for the prestigious Swedish Woman of the Year 2025 award. The prize is awarded to a Swedish woman who, through her work and dedication, has put Sweden on the global map. The nominees are:
Carolina Dybeck Happe – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft, and one of Sweden's most influential businesswomen internationally.
Elly Reinolds – Medical specialist and founder of the aid organization OperationAID, where she serves as Operations Manager.
Josephine Bornebusch – Actress, director, and author who made her acting debut at the age of two.
Lena Persson Herlitz – Major General in the Swedish Armed Forces and head of the Swedish delegation to the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
Sarah Sjöström – Professional swimmer, Olympic champion, world record holder, and one of Sweden's greatest athletes ever.
Tina Thörner – World champion in rally and Rally Raid, and one of Sweden’s most renowned motorsport figures. She is also a coach, mentor, mental trainer, and HR Manager at Moelven.
Read more about the nominees (Swe): Swedish Woman of the Year – SWEA International
Video Presentation (Swe): Meet the Nominees
The winner of Swedish Woman of the Year 2025 will be announced on Thursday, May 15. The award ceremony will take place during SWEA Sweden’s Summer Days, previously known as the Sweden Dinner (Sverigemiddagen), on August 7 in Stockholm.
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Background Information
Swedish Woman of the Year is SWEA International's highest honorary award and has been presented to 34 women since its founding in 1989. Through their work and expertise, all recipients have served as ambassadors for Sweden on the global stage.
One of the key criteria for the Swedish Woman of the Year award is that she distinctively represents and promotes Sweden in the world. This means that she directly or indirectly enhances Sweden internationally and creates curiosity about the country. Through her actions, Sweden's reputation and standing abroad are strengthened. The Swedish Woman of the Year award aims to showcase the diversity of women's achievements and expertise, inspire growth and development regardless of life circumstances, and recognize both well-known and lesser-known Swedish women.
SWEA International is a global network for Swedish and Swedish-speaking women who live – or have lived – abroad. With approximately 6,000 members in around 70 chapters worldwide, SWEA is the largest nonprofit organization promoting Sweden outside of Sweden. Every year, SWEA awards scholarships and donations totaling more than 2 million SEK.
Media Contact
Marita Holmkvist Lendenfelt
media@swea.org
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