Alumni of the year 2013
The 2013 Alumni of the Year were Kristofer Arwin, who started the price comparison service 'Pricerunner', and Sofia Ledarp, an actress who won the Golden Bag Award.
Kristofer Arwin
- It's nice to be recognized for what you have achieved and that the university thinks I have done something out of the ordinary, it's great, says Kristofer Arwin.
Kristofer Arwin has studied economics at LTU and he has a very successful career after his studies. On Wikipedia you can read a summary:
"Kristofer Arwin, Swedish entrepreneur and economist who in 1999 started the successful price comparison service Pricerunner, many times named Sweden's best site, including by Internetworld. In 2004, Kristofer sold Pricerunner for USD 30 million to the Nasdaq company ValueClick. When he left the company after 7 years as CEO and two years after the sale, the service was available in 6 countries, had 8 million visitors, 120 employees and a turnover of 20 million USD with a good profit margin."
In 2007, Arwin, together with Magnus Wiberg and others, founded the Internet service company Wiral Internet Group, which is now launching the new search service Testfreaks, which goes one step further than Pricerunner by comparing product tests. Kristofer is also a board member of StagePool.
Sofia Ledarp
Sofia Ledarp belongs to the first cohort of actors who attended the Theater Academy in Luleå. Today she is part of the permanent ensemble at the Stockholm City Theatre. In December, she is doubly topical when she appears both as Lady Macbeth at the Stockholm City Theatre and in SVT's midday venture Miss Friman's War.
You are one of this year's alumni. How does it feel?
- I was very flattered. In the theater world, we don't talk much about alumni, but when it was explained to me, I was extremely happy to receive this award.
The nomination states that you contribute to a very large extent to the good reputation that the Theater Academy in Luleå has in film and television Sweden. What do you say about that?
- It is so difficult to look at myself that way. What I work with is based on meetings and I have had the opportunity to do many different things. It's great that the school has gained a place in theater Sweden.
What does it mean that a student from an artistic program becomes alumni of the year at a technical university?
- 'It's very exciting. I have thought a lot about this. Often technology is something that is outside the body, but we work with another form of technology that has a lot to do with what happens inside. It's great that the artistic part and the technical part are at the same university. I think it enriches both worlds.
What was the best thing about your education?
- There was a huge focus on the school up here. We worked intensively and had high concentration. The fact that the Theater Academy is next door to Norrbottensteatern meant that we got to meet the audience early on. It was scary but also very useful.
Do you have any tips for current and future students who want to get to where you are?
- Dare to formulate for yourself what you want and go for it. Don't wait to be invited, find people you want to work with and tell them. Sometimes we are too polite and don't dare to make contact, but if you speak from the heart about what you really want, they will be happy. Don't give up hope at the first stop. There's so much to get right, but suddenly it just does. Build your creativity from the inside out. This is very important.
Why Sofia Ledarp is Alumni of the Year
Sofia Ledarp is one of Sweden's most interesting and popular actresses. As the first actor to graduate from the Theater Academy in Luleå, she has been awarded Sweden's finest award for acting, a Gold Bagge that she received for the lead role in the film "Den man älskar". For that role, she also received TV 4's Golden Sun award. After working at Dramaten, she now belongs to the permanent ensemble at Stockholms Stadsteater. In recent years, she has played several high-profile roles, including in Jösses flickor and the smash hit The Three Musketeers. Sofia Ledarp is a very versatile actress who masters classics, modern drama, musicals and cinematic expression. She contributes greatly to the good reputation the Theater Academy in Luleå has in film and theater Sweden today.
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