Bios av kandidaterna för SWEA NY Styrelse 2026
Det är dags för val till SWEA New Yorks styrelse för 2026!
Här är Valberedningens förslag av nya kandidater till styrelsen. Ett email kommer att gå ut till alla som är behöriga att rösta där mer information finns.
Here are the Bios in English, of the new people suggested for the SWEA New York Board 2026.
CARMEN KAPKO
I was born in Gothenburg and came to New York in 2000 to study finance and accounting and ended up staying when I finished school. After school I worked at the Financial Accounting Standards Board and then went to KPMG. I has also worked at Fortress, Jefferies, Synchrony, RBC and currently work as a Director of Accounting Policy at Assured Guaranty.
I live in Queens with my husband, two daughters and our cat.
I joined SWEA in 2022 and I have loved every minute of being a part of this organization and all the new friends I have met. I have been the treasurer for SWEA New York 2023-2025 and now I hope you will entrust me the responsibility to be President of the board.
EVA BRUNO
I moved to the New York area from Tokyo in 2024 for the second time – the first time was in 2006. After joining SWEA in Tokyo in 1998 I have essentially been a member, and many lasting friendships have formed over the years. I was SWEA’s President in Japan in 2023 and for SNS (Studieförbundet Näringsliv och Samhälle) there in the past.
In my free time, I enjoy a variety of interests like reading (“information junkie”), music, art, food & wine, running, but am particularly keen on skiing and am hoping for a good winter, even if the Northeast snow can’t compare with Japanese powder…
After 30+ years at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company I resigned at the end of 2023 to move back to New York to be closer to my husband, having been on different continents for over 4 years. I am now looking for a new job (ideas welcomed!) while taking remote university courses in AI and Machine Learning. I grew up outside Gothenburg and lived in Stockholm as well where I graduated with a M.Sc. in Engineering Physics (Civilingenjör Teknisk Fysik) from KTH and a business degree from Stockholm University.
MALIN LILJERT
Malin grew up in Kil, Värmland, and is an Economist by profession. In 2001, Malin arrived in Pretoria, South Africa, for a posting at the Swedish Embassy. This was the start of an international career that has taken Malin and her family to seven different cities and countries across five continents. Malin, her husband, and two young adult boys arrived in New York in July 2022. Since then, Malin has been an active member of SWEA New York and has served as the Program Committee Chair for the past two years.
Malin is the Director of Consultancy Services at The Centre for Child Rights and Business, a social enterprise owned by Save the Children, and is currently busy traveling in the US investigating child labor in American supply chains.
Malin has been a member of SWEA Geneve, Beijing and Canberra and the organization has always played an important role in her expat life, not only when it comes to celebrating Swedish traditions such as Midsummer and Lucia, but also as a great place to find new friends and to get advise on all sorts of things including schools, housing and where to where to buy Swedish candy!
Malin has served on the Boards of the Swedish School Associations in Dares Salaam and Beijing and looks forward to continuing to serve on the Board of SWEA New York, now in a new capacity.
MARIA MELIN
I was born in Dalsland, and was a reporter and photographer for Väster Norrlands Allehanda and Aftonbladet before moving to New York. Here, I worked in the PR/Publicity Dept of ABC TV for over 14 years, on assignment with the News and Programming divisions, photographing six different US presidents, numerous actors, politicians, celebrities and news anchors. I then started my own business, shooting weddings, portraits, features and various corporate assignments. I continued to pursue this while living in Mallorca with my family for four years.
Since returning to Manhattan, I have also become a qualified personal trainer, and although I enjoy helping my clients feel good, my first love is still the camera.
LOUISE VIKSTRÖM
Born and raised in Jämtland, Sweden, I moved to the U.S. in 2015 and — after a short chapter back home — I’ve now live in Philadelphia. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and my professional path has taken me from administrative work at the Permanent Mission of Sweden in New York to the real estate department in Bräcke Municipality. I’m the happiest when I’m on a ski slope in the Jämtland mountains, out in nature, or when stumbling upon a truly great brunch spot. Always exploring, always curious, and always drawn to good company and good scenery.
MICHAELA WICKMAN
I was born and raised in Gothenburg but moved to Stockholm with my husband after completing a Business Degree at the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg. I have more than 30 years of experience in Marketing, working for various Retail and Food Service companies such as Arla Foods, Coop, and Fazer. Over time, my work evolved into Customer Excellence—now my greatest professional passion.
We moved to New York as expats in September 2024 through my husband’s role at SEB, and this is my first time being involved with SWEA. It is our second expat experience, as we lived in London from 2015 to 2021. Toward the end of that period, I worked for a short time as a Cultural Affairs Officer at the Swedish Embassy—and then came Covid……
Our three grown children live in London and Stockholm, so I now have plenty of time to plan trips (in great detail!), play pickleball, and throw myself into various projects—paid or not. Always open to new ideas as I am a highly project oriented person.
I now look forward to contributing as a Board Member of SWEA.
