Alum and Young Alum of the Year Awards 2025
Alum of the Year Award
Lotta Lyrå, President and CEO of Södra
Lotta Lyrå earned her MSc in Business and Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2004. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a commitment to thoughtful leadership, innovation, and sustainability, guiding organizations through transformation and growth while fostering long-term value.
As President and CEO of Södra, she has championed responsible industry practices and advanced sustainable solutions with global impact. She has built a reputation for creating environments where teams can thrive, empowering others to reach their full potential while driving organizational excellence.
Lotta is recognized as a mentor and role model, emphasizing calm, inclusive leadership and the importance of trust, collaboration, and empowerment. Her journey inspires others to embrace innovation, pursue meaningful change, and lead with integrity, demonstrating how purposeful leadership can create lasting value for both organizations and society.
"We are honored to recognize Lotta for her outstanding leadership and dedication to sustainability and innovation. She has shown how inclusive and thoughtful leadership can empower others, strengthen organizations, and create lasting value for society. Her integrity, vision, and commitment to people make her a role model for purposeful leadership, exemplifying SSE’s FREE values. We deeply admire her accomplishments and look forward to seeing the continued influence of her work in the years to come."
— Lars Strannegård
President, Stockholm School of Economics
I am touched and honoured! From the bottom of my heart - thank you! Studying at SSE gave me friends for life, a solid academic foundation and a broad perspective on business - the platform on which I have built my business thinking. I truly believe in the saying 'no team, no dream' and I am so grateful for all the people I have met in various contexts throughout life, who have both challenged and supported me, allowing me to develop every day as both a leader and person.
Young Alum of the Year Award
Ankit Desai, Founder and CEO of SNAFU
Ankit Desai earned his MSc in Business and Management, specializing in Marketing, from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2015. His career bridges music and technology, with roles at Universal Music Group (Nordics) and Capitol Records, where he used data-driven strategies to identify emerging talent and forecast potential hits for artists like Tove Lo, Avicii, and Shawn Mendes.
In 2018, he founded SNAFU Records, a full-service music label that uses AI to identify undervalued talent and provide financial and creative support to artists who might otherwise be overlooked by traditional music labels.
SNAFU has expanded to operate in Stockholm, Los Angeles, London, São Paulo, and Barcelona. Today, it supports a global roster of more than 400 artists, generating more than 3 billion streams annually, with more than 20 Grammy nominations across 47 genres. Ankit embodies SSE’s spirit through his creativity, innovative approach, and dedication to reshaping the music industry in a fairer, more transparent way.
"It is with great pride that we recognize Ankit for his innovative work at the intersection of music and technology. By reimagining how artists are discovered and supported, he is reshaping the industry with creativity, fairness, and transparency. His entrepreneurial drive and commitment to positive change are truly inspiring. We look forward to following his continued journey and the lasting impact of his work."
— Lars Strannegård
President, Stockholm School of Economics
It is a true honour to receive this award. I am immensely grateful for my SSE education and the mentorship, friendship, and community that I found at SSE. I would not be the person I am today without my classmates, teachers, and SSE staff: the people and traditions that make this school what it is. Thank you so much and I hope I can someday pay forward the invaluable gifts I have received.
The Alum of the Year Award is an honor bestowed on graduates of the Stockholm School of Economics for their professional achievements, contributions to society and support to the school. The Young Alum of the Year Award is bestowed on graduates of the Stockholm School of Economics who graduated around 10 years ago or less for their significant contributions to their field and for setting an inspirational example for future alumni.