Education
New York University 1986 (Master of Science Reporting)
1984 (Filkand in Biology, mathematics and physics).
New York University 1986 (Master of Science Reporting)
1984 (Filkand in Biology, mathematics and physics).
Maria is also a Partner with Living Waters, a London-based consultancy focusing on CSR, public affairs and developing fundraising strategies. She is an advisor to the Karolinska Institute, which awards the Nobel prize in medicine, and to Lund University and works as a columnist with the Swedish business daily, Dagens Industri, mainly covering areas of Entrepreneurship, Science, research, globalization and politics. Between 2007 and 2012 Maria Borelius was the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hand in hand International, a United Kingdom based charity, working with partnering organisations in the developing world to promote enterprise and job-creation among marginalized women in the bottom billion.
During these years the organisations in India, South-Africa, Afghanistan and India grew from 150,000 women in programs, to over 1 million women, with an international fundraising organization being created with United Nations partnership, and donors among businesses, private individuals and bilateral institutions.
Maria Borelius has been active on several boards of listed companies on the Swedish stock exchange, with a focus on technology companies such as Active Biotech, Sweco and Telelogic, and within academia, such as the Swedish National Science board. In 2006 stood for Election for the Swedish Moderate Party, on an agenda of promoting entrepreneurship and strengthening schools and universities.
Within a few weeks two ministers had resigned, and Borelius was one of them. The Swedish Government has since then changed the system by which private child care is partly paid through the so-called “RUT” reforms.
Before this Maria Borelius was active as science journalist, and editor for the evening news “Rapport” on Swedish national public television, and the face of the science program NOVA for many years.
She produced numerous television-programs on popular science, such as “To give birth” which got record audiences. She has written several books on popular medicine, such as “Sedan du fött”, translated into German, Norwegian and Danish, and “Motboken” with Marie Bloom. In 2013 Maria joined the advisory council of Open Europe.
Maria Borelius has lived in Great Britain since 2000, is married to Greger Larson, and has four children born 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1995.
Maria is a member of the advisory council of Open Europe, a European think tank with offices in London, Brussels and Berlin promoting ideas for economic and political reform of the European Union. Maria Borelius was elected a Member of Parliament from the Stockholm County, and became Minister for Foreign Trade in the centre-right government that was formed after the election.
