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Forbes 30 under 30 recognition for LBU graduates
The influential list highlights 600 of the brightest young entrepreneurs, trailblazers and leaders around the world, with BA (Hons) International Business graduate Sascha Koppe and BSc (Hons) Sports Studies graduate Lucy Bronze recognised in the Europe cohort.
Sascha who graduated from Leeds Business School in 2015 was recognised in the Manufacturing and Industry category which celebrates the people who are creating the products, methods and materials of tomorrow.
Sascha is currently the Europe general manager at sonnen, a renewable energy storage company recently acquired by Shell. He is responsible for the major part of the European markets sonnen is currently operating in.
He began his career at sonnen in 2015 and has since held several positions with a focus on sales and marketing. During this time, he has built up sonnen's inside sales team in Berlin, supported the market entry in Australia and led the partner channel in the DACH region as Sales Director.
Sascha said: “It still feels a little bit unreal to be honest. When I started in 2015 we were working on beer crates and no one really knew storage nor the company. Seeing sonnen, our achievements over the past year and the recognition on the Forbes 30 under 30 list shows me that you can achieve almost everything if you have a great team and you’re passionate about what you do.”
Professor George Lodorfos, Dean of Leeds Business School said: “It’s fantastic to see Sascha’s hard work and dedication recognised with his inclusion in the Forbes 30 under 30 list – we are very proud of his achievements. As a Business School we are committed to equipping our graduates with the skills and knowledge to succeed on the global stage. I’m delighted to see Sascha’s career take off in such an important market, he’s certainly one to watch for the future.”
Also recognised in the list is Carnegie School of Sport graduate and England footballer Lucy Bronze. FIFA’s reigning Best Women’s Player, Lucy is the first English footballer and the first-ever defender to collect football’s most prestigious individual award.
Lucy is a three-time Champions League winner who studied BSc (Hons) Sports Studies at LBU, graduating in 2013. Lucy starred in England’s run to the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and won the French Champions League with club side Lyon.
Lucy was one of five nominees for the 2020 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and scooped the award in 2018. She was also named UEFA’s Women’s Player of the Year in 2019.
Pete Mackreth, Dean of Carnegie School of Sport, said: “It’s fantastic to see Lucy recognised. It’s testament to her hard work and dedication and she is an inspiration to a new generation of players. It’s great to know that Leeds Beckett and the higher education sector has played a part in her journey.”