Silver for Founder of the Year, Medium Size Companies: Leija Graf Founder of Select Collection Win Award for Dedication to Creating Unique and Sustainable Journeys

Leija Graf, founder of Select Collection, received the Growth Rings in Silver for the global award Founder of the Year category Medium Size Companies at the Founders Awards Gala on September 25.

The Impactful Journey of Leija Graf, founder of Select Collection
Founded in 1992 by Leija Graf, Select Collection is one of Europe’s leading luxury tour operators, curating exclusive hotels, cruises, and trains personally vetted for quality, authenticity, and sustainability - defining responsible luxury travel.

How the Winners Are Chosen as Founder of the Year Medium Size Companies
The Founder of the Year award honors successful global founders who have built one or more strong private or public limited companies. It aims to spotlight these founders and inspire growth in medium to large-sized internationally expanding companies.

To honor founders across various stages of company development, the award has three categories: small, medium, and large companies. In the category Founder of the Year Medium Size Companies are active founders of a private or public limited company with a revenue of approximately 10-50 million euros with approximately 20% ownership in a profitable company, based on the fiscal year 2024.

The finalists have been assessed by the Founders Alliance Index, which takes into account past performance, future potential, and social benefits, and they have been evaluated by a jury of experienced founders.

The Founder Jury consisted of Chair of the jury Therése Lorentzon, co-founder of PRO TEMPORE & Cobelest, Lilia Yeghiazaryan, founder of Dexatel, Malin Lindfors Speace, founder of Ethos International, Ulf Stenerhag, founder of Wayout International and Sami Niemi, partner of Spintop Ventures.

Photo: David Thunander & Evan Pantiel