Success stories

New customs. New languages. A new life. Moving to another country is a huge leap for anyone. Let yourself be inspired by a few success stories that will show you that anything is possible.
 

Nyamko Sabuni. Photo: Bertil Ericson/Scanpix

Nyamko Sabuni — Minister for Integration and Gender Equality

From her birth in exile in Burundi to becoming one of Sweden’s top ministers, Nyamko Sabuni is clearly a Swedish success story. Sabuni came to Sweden in 1981 at the age of 12, and settled just outside of Stockholm. After pursuing studies in law, migration politics, information and communication, her early career ranged from the fields of public relations to health care. She was voted into the Swedish Parliament in 2002, and has been Sweden’s Minister for Integration and Gender Equality since 2006.

Theodor Kallifatides. Photo: Elis Hoffman/Scanpix

Theodor Kallifatides — author

A very successful contemporary Swedish writer, Theodor Kallifatides was born in Greece in 1938. In 1964, he immigrated to Sweden, where he mastered the Swedish language before graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1967. Later, he taught philosophy at Stockholm University and served as editor-in-chief of Bonniers Literary Magazine between 1972 and 1976. Since his writing debut in 1969, Kallifatides has published 32 books in Swedish, becoming a leading voice for the immigrant experience in Sweden as well as one of the country’s most celebrated writers.

Minoo Akhtarzand. Photo: Johan Adelgren/Scanpix

Minoo Akhtarzand — Director-General of the Swedish National Rail Administration

Minoo Akhtarzand was born in Iran in 1956 and came to Sweden at the age of 17. In 1975, she began her studies at Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology with the goal of becoming an engineer. Her career in the energy sector began in 1979, when she took a position as an engineer at Stockholm Energi. In 2008, after holding a range of management positions at Vattenfall, a leading Nordic energy group, she accepted the offer to become Director-General of the Swedish National Rail Administration (Banverket), a position she holds today.

Zinat Pirzadeh. Photo: Mikael Sjöberg/Scanpix

Zinat Pirzadeh — comedian, writer, actress

Zinat Pirzadeh moved to Sweden from Iran in 1991. Since then, from earning a degree as a school counselor to her work as a writer, film actress, photo model and stand-up comedian, Zinat has both blazed her own career path and gained many fans along the way. Today, her critically acclaimed tours have traveled to all corners of Sweden, leaving audiences nationwide wondering: what’s next?