A woman from Goa, who is a certified piano teacher and a retired banker, recently received a top award. Interestingly, the award was not related to her music or banking career. Elizabeth Azavedo-Törnquist, 70, was named one of Sweden’s best assistant real estate agents for 2024.
What makes this even more impressive is that she beat candidates in their 20s and 40s to win the honor for her work in real estate. The award was presented by Hemnet, Sweden’s leading housing website, at an event on March 27.
Elizabeth explained, “The jury from different parts of Sweden nominated three people in each category, and I was selected in mine.”
Elizabeth has deep roots in Goa. She was born in Piedade-Divar. Her older brother, Edward, lives in Sweden, and her younger sister, Edna, in Canada.
Elizabeth said, “Both my siblings are doctors. Edward specializes in mammography, and Edna is a family doctor in Canada.”
She grew up in Panaji-Goa. Her late parents, Joseph and Donatina Azavedo, owned and ran the Cappuccina Restaurant until 1980. Elizabeth studied at People’s High School in Panaji and then at Dhempe College of Arts and Science in Miramar. During her college years, she helped her parents at the restaurant. At the same time, she studied music with the Academia de Musica in Panaji, now called Kala Academy. She completed her post-graduation through the University of Bombay before starting her career at the State Bank of India in Panaji. Elizabeth was active in music, singing, and piano performances in Goa. She sang in choirs and performed solos in many concerts. She earned the Licentiate of Trinity College of Music in London (LTCL) for piano and the Associate (ATCL) for solo singing. She studied under her music teacher Mercedes Lobo. Elizabeth also taught piano to students while working at SBI in Panaji. She even won a prize at the Goa Sonata Festival for piano.
In 1988, after 10 years at SBI, she moved to Sweden to visit her brother. That same year, she met Klas Törnquist, and they married in 1989. They have a daughter, Ingrid, who lives in Eskilstuna with her family. Elizabeth has called Eskilstuna home since 1989. With her banking experience, she continued her career in Sweden. She was determined to succeed despite the language barrier. She learned Swedish within two months of arriving. Elizabeth got a job with Nordea Bank, then called PK Banken, in 1989. She was embraced by her community as if she were born there. She made many good friends.
Elizabeth held various roles at Nordea in Eskilstuna. She advised many clients personally. She retired in 2015 after 27 years at Nordea and received recognition for her work. She also sang in local choirs for many years. However, work and family made it hard to stay in the choirs. After retiring from banking, Elizabeth sought new challenges.
In 2017, she began working as a real estate assistant at Eskils Fastighetsförmedling. Her company leads in Eskilstuna, thanks to her team’s skill. Elizabeth feels proud and lucky to have been honored for her work in real estate. Her banking background and experience are major assets. She has always been hardworking, detail-oriented, and passionate about her job.