SPEAKERS
Mehmet Şimşek
Republic of Türkiye Minister of Treasury and Finance
Christian Wulff
10th President of the Federal Republic of Germany, President of German Turkish Business Council
Christian Wulff
10th President of the Federal Republic of Germany, President of German Turkish Business Council
Christian Wulff, the 10th President of the Federal Republic of Germany (2010-2012), works to integrate people of immigrant origin and to strengthen dialogue between people of different beliefs, in addition to his many duties. In 2011, the German Jewish Central Council honored him with the Leo Baeck Award. In 2014, the German-Turkish-Society was honoured with an award and received the Tolerance Award from the Protestant Academy in Tutzing.
Christian Wulff operates in the field of foreign policy as Honorary President of EMA (European-Mediterranean-Arab Union) and GASME (Global Alliance for Small and Medium Enterprises). He maintains close relations with Asia as an honorary doctor of Tongji University in Shanghai and Hefei University in China and Tokyo-Tsukuba and Osaka-Gakuin Universities in Japan. As the former President, he recently represented Federal Germany in the swearing-in ceremonies of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City in 2024, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, and Ghanai President John Dramani Mahama in Accra in 2025. Christian Wulff served as the Prime Minister of the State of Lower Saxony between 2003-2010, Chairman of the CDU Parliamentary Group in the Province of Lower Saxony between 1994-2003 and Chairman of the CDU party between 1994-2008. He served as Vice President of the CDU during the Presidency of Wolfgang Schäuble between 1998-2010 and Angela Merkel since 2000.
After his resignation as the President of the Federal Republic of Germany and being acquitted of all charges against him, he published his book "Ganz oben Ganz unten", in which he also described the role of the media, politics and the judiciary.
Christian Wulff´ has many honorary duties: He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Deutschlandstiftung Integration, the President of the German Multiple Sclerosis Association and the President of the German Association of Choirs. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Felix Nussbaum Foundation, the Board of Trustees of the Dieter Fuchs Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the German-Japanese Forum.
Christian Wulff established the German-Turkish Business Council together with DEIK in 2024 and became the founding President.
Christian Wulff lives with his family in Burgwedel near Hannover. As a former President, he has an office in Berlin and works as a lawyer in the law firm of which he is a partner in Hamburg.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Prime Minister of Spain (2004-2011)
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Prime Minister of Spain (2004-2011)
President Zapatero has a Law degree from the University of Leon (Spain) where he then taught Constitutional Law before being elected Member of Parliament in 1986.
He became PSOE Secretary General in 2000 and won his first general elections in 2004.
As President of the Spanish Government, he worked on the creation and extension of civic and social rights for all in Spain, dedicating his second term to working on reducing the effects of the financial and economic crisis in Spain. He also achieved that the terrorist group ETA declare a cease of violent activity in October 2011. Internationally he worked for peace and reducing poverty, with the creation of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, a Water Fund in Latin America and the Debt for Education swaps.
President Zapatero published “El Dilema. 600 días de vértigo” (Planeta) in 2013 and “No voy a traicionar a Borges” (Huso) in 2021.
Currently President Zapatero is President of Gate Center and Foundation Onuart Advisory Councils; President of the Foro de la Contratación Socialmente Responsable; patron of the Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad and of Fundación CERMI Mujeres. He is a Member of Club de Madrid and of the International Commission against the Death Penalty.
He has received Honorary Doctorates from the Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, France (2015); the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivia (2015) and la Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (2017), a from the University of Leon, his alma mater, in February 2023.
As Prime Minister of Spain, President Zapatero welcomed President Nazarbayev to Madrid on 20 May 2004, less than a month after being sworn in. In 2011, during an official visit to Kazakhstan, President Zapatero was able to strengthen the political and economic relationships between Spain and Kazakhstan.
President Zapatero has travelled to Kazakhstan three times since leaving the government. In 2013 he visited Astana to attend a World Bank meeting; in September 2009 he participated in the Center of Political and Foreign Affairs “Kazakhstan Peace Talks” and in November 2019 he attended the V International Astana Club. During the pandemic, President Zapatero participated in the II Astana Economic Forum online in November 2020.
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu
President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
A. Burak Dağlıoğlu
President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye
Burak Dağlıoğlu is President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, a position he took up in February 2020. Prior to his appointment as President of the Investment Office, Mr. Dağlıoğlu held a number of posts within the Office; from 2010 to 2015, he worked as Project Director in charge of investment projects from the Gulf Countries, India, Japan, and USA. From 2015 to 2020, Mr. Dağlıoğlu served as the Vice President of the Investment Office in charge of overseas promotion and lead generation activities. In November 2020, he was appointed Member of the Board of Türkiye Wealth Funds. Earlier in his career, Mr. Dağlıoğlu worked in the private sector in consulting industry at various positions. Mr. Dağlıoğlu holds a BA in Economics from Boğaziçi University and MA degree in “Global Master in Finance” from IE Business School
Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu
Professor of Systems Biology, King’s College London & KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Prof. Dr. Adil Mardinoğlu
Professor of Systems Biology, King’s College London & KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Professor Adil Mardinoglu works as a Professor of Systems Biology at the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions at King’s College London, UK, and Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) at KTH-Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. At the helm of a 25-strong research team, Professor Mardinoglu spearheads the development of novel treatment strategies for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as certain cancers, blending multiomics, systems biology, AI and drug development.
A key contributor to the Swedish Human Protein Atlas program, Professor Mardinoglu has aided in the construction of a comprehensive human tissue, single cell, subcellular, blood and pathology atlas. His scholarly output includes more than 250 research and review articles published in journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Cell Metabolism, Nature Metabolism, Nature Communications, PNAS, Cell Reports, Molecular Systems Biology, and EbioMedicine. Furthermore, as a co-founder of SZA Longevity, Trustlife Therapeutics, ScandiBio Therapeutics and ScandiEdge Therapeutics, he has made substantial entrepreneurial contributions to the biotech sector.
Ahmet Akyol
ASELSAN CEO
Ahmet Akyol
ASELSAN CEO
Born in İzmit in 1982, Ahmet Akyol graduated from Kocaeli University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Computer Engineering in 2005. Akyol, who received “Innovation Leadership” training at Stanford University, attended trainings on Electro-Optics and Communication at Cranfield University. Akyol, who completed his Master's Degree in Public Administration at Yıldırım Beyazıt University, is currently continuing his thesis work in the same department.
Akyol served as an Engineer, Manager, Consultant, Board Member and Vice President at the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, Ministry of National Defense, TÜBİTAK, HAVELSAN, HTR and Quantum3D. Akyol was appointed as the Head of Communications Electronics and Information Systems (MEBS) Department of the Presidency of Defense Industries in 2018 and continued his duty for three years. In 2021-2022, Akyol served as the Head of the Electronic Warfare and Radar Systems (EHRS) Department at the Presidency of Defense Industries.
Having assumed responsibility for numerous critical defense industry projects, Akyol was appointed as ASELSAN Deputy General Manager and Head of Microelectronics, Guidance and Electro-Optics (MGEO) Sector by the decision of the ASELSAN Board of Directors in June 2022 following his duties at the Presidency of Defense Industries. Akyol was appointed as ASELSAN CEO by the decision of the Board of Directors as of June 22, 2023. Akyol also continues to serve as a Member of the Board of Directors of TÜBİTAK-SAGE and as a Member of the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) Sensor and Electronics Panel on behalf of our country. Married with three children, Akyol speaks English.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kasım Han
Vice-Rector of Beykoz University in Istanbul and Vice President of the Board of Trustees of TED University in Ankara
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kasım Han
Vice-Rector of Beykoz University in Istanbul and Vice President of the Board of Trustees of TED University in Ankara
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kasım Han is an academic, policy expert, and media figure acclaimed for his contributions to the fields of strategic thought, geopolitics, and international relations. He serves as Vice-Rector of Beykoz University in Istanbul and Vice President of the Board of Trustees of TED University in Ankara. With a proven track record in academic leadership, he has held key roles, including Vice-Rector, at Istanbul, Bilgi, Kadir Has, Altınbaş, and Aydın Universities. His extensive teaching portfolio includes strategic thought and negotiations at the Turkish Armed Forces War Academy and National Defense University, where he also served as Chief Advisor for the Armed Forces Higher Command and Control College. A prominent voice in media, Prof. Han is a frequently sought-after commentator on Turkish and Middle Eastern politics, economics, and systemic transformation in international relations. He appears regularly on NTV's "Political Affairs" and co-hosts "Nereden Nereye?" on TarihTV. His insights have been featured in prestigious outlets including The New York Times, The Economist, as well as Turkish media platforms. Prof. Han has played a pivotal role in public policy and leadership development and leads the Political Leadership Excellence Program of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. Additionally, he serves as Vice President of the Turkish Democracy Foundation and is a board member at EDAM. As an internationally recognized expert on Prof. Han has delivered speeches at over 300 conferences worldwide and testified before the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in 2014. He served as a NATO observer in Afghanistan in 2005 and 2010. His expertise spans Middle Eastern politics, energy geopolitics, and strategic risk management, making him a trusted advisor in high-level diplomacy initiatives across the MENA region, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.Prof. Han's academic background includes studies at Istanbul, Boğaziçi, Koç, and Harvard universities, as well as visiting fellowships at the University of St. Andrews and Tel Aviv University and the U.S. State Department recognized him as one of the "Fifteen Young Leaders of Europe”. He possesses robust hands-on professional experience in executive and board-level leadership roles as well as comprehensive experience consulting for organizations extending across multiple industries. He has advised corporate leaders on strategy, planning, and leadership while supporting decision-making processes on challenges concerning political and economic risk management. His strategic insights have supported organizations in the processes of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and complex intercultural negotiations. Prof. Han has also advised key organizations such as the Turkish Exporters Assembly and the Turkish-American Business Council.
Akan Abdula
FutureBright Group Founding Partner
Akan Abdula
FutureBright Group Founding Partner
Akan Abdula is a strategist specializing in data tech, analytics and insight research. As the co-founder of FutureBright Group, he focuses on scientific methods for understanding consumer behavior and subconscious data. His data-driven analyses contribute to decision-making processes in the business world, helping brands shape their strategic directions.
Prof. Dr. Ali Hakan Kara
Professor of Central Banking and Financial Markets at Bilkent University, Economics Department
Prof. Dr. Ali Hakan Kara
Professor of Central Banking and Financial Markets at Bilkent University, Economics Department
Hakan Kara is a former chief economist of the Central Bank of Turkey and currently a full professor of Central Banking and Financial Markets at Bilkent University, economics department. Mr. Kara worked at the Central Bank of Turkey as the head of research and monetary policy department and chief economist between 2008-2019. He collaborated with five different central bank governors and played a leading role in the analysis, design, communication and implementation of monetary and macroprudential policies in Turkey during the past two decades, before joining Bilkent University as a full time faculty in 2020. His social media account where he shares macroeconomics posts has reached half a million followers in three years. Hakan Kara has a Ph.D. from New York University economics department. He received his M.A. degree from Bilkent University on economics and B.A. from METU on electrical and electronical engineering. He has published regularly in leading scholarly journals, including Journal of International Economics, NBER Working Papers, Journal of Money Credit and Banking, and International Journal of Central Banking. Dr. Kara’s work has been cited more 5K times in academic papers.
Dr. Ali Taha Koç
Turkcell Ceo
Dr. Ali Taha Koç
Turkcell Ceo
Dr. Ali Taha Koç was born in Ankara in 1980. He completed his undergraduate degree in 2001 at Bilkent University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering with full scholarship. Later, he received his master's and doctorate degrees in the Department of Electrical Engineering at University of Texas at Dallas, both with full scholarships. Dr. Ali Taha Koç joined Intel in 2006 as a research and development (R&D) engineer in the USA. During his tenure at Intel, he developed 61 patents, published 23 scientific articles, and developed and managed several international projects. In 2013, he became one of the 10 awarded engineers who developed the most patents at Intel. After returning to Türkiye in 2014, he began work as the Chief Counsellor of the Prime Ministry and in the same year was appointed as the Head of Information Technologies of the Presidency. During his tenure at the Presidency, he also managed the formation of the State Information Coordination Center (SICC) in the Presidency Security Policies Department, and started the information flow from all ministries and security units to the Presidency. Koç was appointed as the Head of the Digital Transformation Office on 12 September 2018. Besides his duties at the Presidency, he also served as a board member of Türksat Uydu Haberleşme Kablo TV ve İşletme A.Ş. (Türksat Satellite Communications Cable TV and Business Inc.). As of October 2023, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Turkcell and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mobile Telecommunication Operators Association (m-TOD). He is also a board member of the International GSM Association (GSMA), TOGG and Siro. He is also a licensed pilot, fluent in English, and married with one child
Ali Ülker
Chair of Yıldız Holding
Ali Ülker
Chair of Yıldız Holding
Ali Ülker was born in 1969 and educated in the Business Administration Department of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul. He has also attended various programs at IMD and Harvard. He worked in the Internal Kaizen Projects at De Boccard & Yorke Consultancy (1992) and on IESC Sales System Development and Internal Organization Projects (1997).
Mr Ülker joined the group in 1985 as an intern in the Quality Control Department of Ülker Gıda. From 1986 to 1998 he worked at chocolate production facilities and at Atlas Gıda Pazarlama in positions including Sales Manager, Sales Coordinator, Product Group Coordinator, and Product Group Director. In 1998 Mr Ülker became General Director of Atlas Gıda Pazarlama, and in 2001 became the General Director of Merkez Gıda Pazarlama.
In 2002, he rose to Vice Chairman of the Food Group and in 2005 Chairman of the Group. After worked as Vice Chairman of the Yıldız Holding Board of Directors for nine years, as of January 29, 2020 Ali Ülker became the Chair of Yıldız Holding.
Ali Ülker is married with three children. He enjoys fishing, cinema and literature, as well as playing basketball and billiards
Alper Şengül
BSH Türkiye CEO
Alper Şengül
BSH Türkiye CEO
Alper Şengül graduated from the Mechanical Engineering Department of Paderborn University in Germany and earned his master's degree from the same department. He joined the BSH Home Appliances Group in 1999 as a Planning Manager and held various roles in areas such as commercial marketing, brand marketing, and sales. At BSH’s headquarters in Munich, he took on responsibilities in sales control and regional brand management for Asia, CIS, and North Africa. From 2018 to 2024, he served as the CEO of BSH Home Appliances Group in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. On January 1, 2024, Şengül was appointed as the CEO of BSH Türkiye.
BSH Türkiye, operating under the Bosch, Siemens, Profilo, and Gaggenau brands, employs approximately 9,000 people. Additionally, it manages the world's largest production facility within the BSH Group, located in Çerkezköy, covering an area of 550,000 square meters. With this facility, BSH Türkiye operates across five different product groups, producing approximately 7 million units annually.
Aslıgül Atasagun
Journalist
Aslıgül Atasagun
Journalist
Aslıgül Atasagun is an internationally acknowledged journalist, producer, and TV host. She began her career in 1999, worked with leading news channels in Turkiye as a prime-time news anchor and senior news reporter. Over the years, she has covered many high-profile international events and interviewed distinguished figures from diverse fields.
For a decade, Aslıgül produced and hosted the acclaimed news program "Dün, Bugün, Yarın" on TGRT Haber, where she featured exclusive interviews with world-renowned personalities.
Her unwavering commitment to social inclusion, women's rights, and women's empowerment has been a hallmark of her career. Her upcoming book “ Listen for a Better World “, a collection of interviews from across the globe, brings together champions of gender equality and human rights, survivors of abuse, along with prominent figures in governmental positions, international policy and peace-making.
Aslıgül has engaged in compelling conversations with an array of international figures, including Alexis Tsipras, Evangelos Venizelos, Silvio Berlusconi, Alexander Kwasniewski, Bill Clinton, Bineta Diop, Nouriel Roubini, Mark Mobius, Andrew Liveris, HRH Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Maria Teresa, HRH Michael of Kent, HRH Martha Louise, HRH Intisar Al Sabah, HRH Dina Mired, Maye Musk, Natalia Vodianova, Shirin Neshat, Patricia Kaas, Frida Escobedo, Hussein Chalayan, and Dr. Mehmet Öz.
She moderates international conferences focused on finance, technology, environmental sustainability, arts and culture.
Aslıgül holds a Bachelor's Degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in International Relations, Law & Organization (SFS '98) and a French Baccalaureate A1 in Philosophy from Lycée Pierre Loti in Istanbul. Fluent in French, Italian, and English.
Aykut Tarakçıoğlu
Tekstar Tekstil Founder & CEO
Aykut Tarakçıoğlu
Tekstar Tekstil Founder & CEO
Aykut Tarakçıoğlu was born in Izmir in 1971. After graduating from Bornova Anatolian High School, he graduated from Ege University, Faculty of Textile Engineering in 1993. After his university education, he started his professional career as a representative of an international trading company. Aykut Tarakçıoğlu worked in New York until 2000 and established his own companies during this period: Tekstar USA LLC, Tekstilci Tekstil San. Tic. AŞ. and Tekstar Tekstil San. Tic. AŞ.
Tarakçıoğlu holds a master's degree in fashion design and published her book “Clothing Research in the Ottoman Palace” with her thesis advisor Prof. Dr. Hülya Tezcan.
He is also a lecturer at several universities and an active member of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association, ITKIB (Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters' Association), TMMOB (Union of Chambers of Textile Engineers and Architects), DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Board), Bornova Anatolian High School Alumni Association, Ege University Alumni Association and Galatasaray Club Congress.
He is also proud to be the father of 17-year-old Kaan Tarakçıoğlu.
Bekir Ağırdır
Data Institute Founding Chairman of the Board
Bekir Ağırdır
Data Institute Founding Chairman of the Board
Ağırdır was born in Çal, Denizli in 1956. He has graduated from the department of Business Administration at the Middle East Technical University. Ağırdır has worked as manager at several industrial companies between 1979 – 2003. From 2003 to 2005, he served as the Coordinator and then as the General Manager of the History Foundation. He served as the General Manager and Member of the Board of Directors at KONDA Araştırma ve Danışmanlık Limited Şirketi between 2005-2022, and a member of the Board of Directors from June 2022 to May 2024.
He is the Vice Chairperson of the Board of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), the Founding Member of the Yanındayız Association, the Democratic Republic Program and the EYMIR Culture Foundation, a member of the METU Alumni Association, a writer for Oksijen Newspaper, and a commentator for the T24 Internet Newspaper.
Ben Legg
CEO and Co-Founder of The Portfolio Collective
Ben Legg
CEO and Co-Founder of The Portfolio Collective
Ben Legg is CEO and Co-Founder of The Portfolio Collective, which helps professionals understand, launch, manage and grow successful portfolio careers. It has grown to 14,000+ members globally since foundation during lockdown. Ben also has his own portfolio career - mentoring entrepreneurs, building businesses and educating investors.
Ben's early career included British Army Officer, McKinsey strategy consultant, executive at Coca-Cola, COO of Google Europe and various global technology CEO roles. He has lived in nine countries and is the author of the award-winning book: Marketing For CEOs - Death Or Glory In The Digital Age. He has five children (!) and lives in London.
Burak Ertaş
sahibinden.com CEO
Burak Ertaş
sahibinden.com CEO
Burak Ertaş graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and received his Master of Business Administration degree from Koç University. He started his professional career as a founding partner at Odak Software during his university years, worked as AGM/EVP at Telsoft and Telenity, as EVP responsible for Turkcell Mapco Service Management and Business Development, and as Product and Service Management Division Head at Turkcell, respectively.
Mr. Ertaş is also serving as the Chairman of the Board at Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Turkey and as a member of the Foreign Economic Relations Board / Digital Technologies Executive Committee.
Bülent Öztürk
ArsaVev Chairman Of The Board Of Directors
Cem Öztürk
Sanofi Eurasia Multi Country Organisation Lead
Cem Öztürk
Sanofi Eurasia Multi Country Organisation Lead
After graduating from Galatasaray High School, Cem Öztürk completed his undergraduate education at Galatasaray University and received his MBA degree from Sorbonne University. With over 20 years of experience at Sanofi, he has successfully held a range of leadership roles across the company's domestic and international operations. Öztürk, currently serves as the Eurasia MCO Lead and Pharma General Manager in Sanofi, overseeing operations in Turkey, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (including Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), as well as the Levant region, which covers Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Palestine. Cem Öztürk is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AIFD) in Turkey.
Cenap Doğru
Managing Partner & Board Member
Cenap Doğru
Managing Partner & Board Member
As Papara's Managing Partner and Board Member, Cenap Doğru has been leading global partnerships, sales, card systems, and operations since September 2018.
Prior to joining Papara, Doğru held key leadership roles at PayPal, serving as Head of Sales for Central & Eastern Europe and Head of Merchant Services for the MENAT Region, gaining extensive expertise across 17 countries. He began his career at Garanti BBVA, one of Turkey's leading banks, where he spent over 14 years in senior roles within payment systems and merchant acquiring services.
With his deep experience in banking and fintech, Doğru continues to play a pivotal role in driving Papara's growth. He is a graduate of Istanbul Technical University.
Cenk Alper
Sabancı Holding CEO and Board Membe
Cenk Alper
Sabancı Holding CEO and Board Membe
Cenk Alper has been serving as the CEO and a Board Member of Sabancı Holding since 2019, leading the sustainable, technology-driven, entrepreneurial, and operational excellence transformation of the Group’s business areas, while working diligently for the maturation of these concepts on both global and Turkish scales.
Between 2017 and 2019, Mr. Alper served as the President of Sabancı Holding Industrial Group. From 2007 to 2017, he held successive positions as CTO, COO, and then CEO at Kordsa.
Cenk Alper’s career in Sabancı Group began in 1996 at the Sabancı-Bekaert partnership, Beksa. Between 2002 and 2007, he held management positions at Bekaert in Belgium and the USA.
In addition to his executive roles, Mr. Alper contributes to discussions on business and sustainability by being a part of various boards and councils, including the Global Impact Coalition CEO Advisory Board and Chapter Zero Türkiye Advisory Board as well as being a member of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the the CNBC ESG Council, and WORLD.MINDS. Furthermore, Mr. Alper has been appointed as a member of the prestigious committee of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), effective January 1, 2025.
Cenk Alper holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University and has completed an MBA at Sabancı University.
Çağrı Emre Korkmaz
Strategy, Transformation and Tech/Product of General Manager of DeFacto
Çağrı Emre Korkmaz
Strategy, Transformation and Tech/Product of General Manager of DeFacto
Çağrı Emre Korkmaz, who has held many senior management positions throughout his nearly 16 year career in the retail sector and has been a Board Member at DeFacto for more than 4 years, has assumed the position of General Manager of Strategy & Transformation, Tech/Product & IT, Planning & Data Science, International Retail, Marketplaces, Franchise, Expansion, Supply Chain & Warehouse Operations.
Mr. Korkmaz, who graduated from Sabancı University, Department of Industrial Engineering, had served in Head of Sales & Marketing Intelligence and Head of International Business at Trendyol Group for 7 years and he worked for the Swedish fashion brand NA-KD.com for 5 years, serving as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer positions.
Korkmaz continues his role at DeFacto, with the mission of transformation, ensuring the company's success through his leadership skills and experience.
Elisabetta Falcetti
EBRD Managing Director for Türkiye and the Caucasus
Elisabetta Falcetti
EBRD Managing Director for Türkiye and the Caucasus
Elisabetta Falcetti is the EBRD Managing Director for Türkiye and the Caucasus. She is accountable for EBRD investment and policy activities in the region.
Prior to this role, from September 2021, Ms Falcetti was the Regional Head, Poland and Baltics. During this period, Annual Business Investment in Poland doubled from €598m in 2021 to a record of €1.3bn in 2023, becoming the 3rd largest country after Türkiye and Ukraine, while business activity in the Baltic States sustained to a new high of €300m per year on average.
In 2013, she became Director, Sector Economics and Policy in the Vice Presidency, Policy and Partnerships. She was also a member of the EBRD Investment Committee. Ms Falcetti joined the EBRD in 2000 in London as a Country Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist, where she held a number of roles, including Senior Sector Economist in Ukraine, Lead Economist for Turkey.
Ms Falcetti, a dual Italian and British national, holds two Ph.D.s in Economics, from L. Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) and the London School of Economics (UK).
Erdem İnan
Trendyol Group CEO
Erdem İnan
Trendyol Group CEO
Erdem İnan is the CEO of Trendyol Group, a position he has held since August 2023. He previously oversaw the company’s Growth activities, including Marketplace, Customer Experience, CRM & Digital Engagement, Data Science, Digital Marketing, and Marketing Communications.
Prior to joining Trendyol Group in 2017, Erdem held leadership positions in tech companies in Türkiye and in the Middle East, Peak Games and Rocket Internet.
Erdem holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bilkent University and a master’s degree in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology from Bocconi University.
Erdem İnan
Trendyol Group CEO
Erdem İnan
Trendyol Group CEO
Erdem İnan is the CEO of Trendyol Group, a position he has held since August 2023. He previously oversaw the company’s Growth activities, including Marketplace, Customer Experience, CRM & Digital Engagement, Data Science, Digital Marketing, and Marketing Communications.
Prior to joining Trendyol Group in 2017, Erdem held leadership positions in tech companies in Türkiye and in the Middle East, Peak Games and Rocket Internet.
Erdem holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bilkent University and a master’s degree in Economics and Management of Innovation and Technology from Bocconi University.
Erdoğan Çoban
Member of the Board of Directors of Şölen
Erdoğan Çoban
Member of the Board of Directors of Şölen
Erdoğan Çoban received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Yeditepe University and completed a Project Management Program in the USA. Throughout his educational life, Çoban gained experience in a variety of positions, mainly in the supply chain, at Şölen, a family-owned company. After completing his education, he started his full-time career as Project and Investment Manager at Şölen in 2014. In 2016, he became Quality and R&D Director. After two years, he added the Iraq Region sales processes and then all export processes to his portfolio, becoming the International Business Unit & R&D & Quality General Manager in 2020. In July 2022, he took over the position of Şölen’s Chief Executive Officer. Erdoğan Çoban, who is married and has two children, is also a member of the Board of Directors of Şölen.
Dr. Erman Ilıcak
Honorary Chairman of Rönesans Holding
Dr. Erman Ilıcak
Honorary Chairman of Rönesans Holding
Dr. Erman Ilıcak graduated from Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1990. He earned an MBA degree in 2002 from the Vienna University of Economics and Business in conjunction with the University of Minnesota. In addition, he obtained a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the International Business School in Paris in 2011. In 1993, he founded the engineering company Rönesans Holding, which entered the "Top 250 International Contractors" list published by ENR in 2006 and has been ranked among the top 10 largest international construction companies in Europe since 2015. He accelerated Rönesans Holding's growth in Europe through three acquisitions in Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Dr. Erman Ilıcak views the company’s ability to combine international financing with construction experience as one of its greatest achievements. He has led Rönesans Holding’s partnerships with leading global organizations such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Meridiam, Sojitz, TotalEnergies, Samsung C&T Corporation, and Sonatrach.
In recognition of his substantial efforts to strengthen cooperation and develop friendship between Türkiye and Japan, he received Japan’s highest state honor, the 'Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon,' from Emperor Naruhito in 2022. Today, Dr. Erman Ilıcak continues his work to improve educational opportunities for young people in Türkiye. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rönesans Education Foundation, established in 2009.
Erol Bilecik
Chairman, INDEX GRUP
Erol Bilecik
Chairman, INDEX GRUP
Erol Bilecik was born in 1962 in Antakya. He completed his primary, secondary and high school education in his hometown. He graduated from Istanbul Technical University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering in 1987 as one of the first computer engineers in Turkey. In 1989, Erol Bilecik founded İndeks Bilgisayar A.Ş. and became the CEO of the company. With a mission to be a technology product supply centre for computer companies throughout Turkey, İndeks Bilgisayar A.Ş. has been offering the products of more than 200 global brands to individual and business consumers in Turkey through more than 8,000 business partner channels. Erol Bilecik served as the president of TÜBİSAD (Informatics Industry Association of Turkey), one of the oldest non-governmental institutions in Turkish computer industry between 2002 and 2005, and ITU Alumni Council and ITU Alumni Association between 2010 and 2014. He has completed his assignment as a President of TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association) which he has carried on since Jan 12 2017, with the General Assembly dated 20.02.2019. He has been a board member at Fenerbahçe Sports Club since June 5th 2018. As of 4th September 2020 he has been appointed to a Vice President and continues his responsibilities at Fenerbahçe Sports Club. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey honoured Erol Bilecik with the Meritorious Service Medal in 15 July 2010, for his support and contribution to the field of education. Mr. Bilecik is married and has two children.
Esin Güral Arat
Vice President of The Board of Gürok Group
Esin Güral Arat
Vice President of The Board of Gürok Group
After completing her undergraduate degree in business, Esin Güral Argat pursued her master's education at the Istanbul University Institute of Business Administration and Economics, and founded Güven Çini ve Seramik in 1992. Since 1998, she has been instrumental in determining Gürok Group's growth and international investment strategies, as well as leading the creation processes of all brands within the group. Since 2009, she has served as Vice President of The Board of Gürok Group. Esin Güral Argat has led from concept and strategy development to the establishment of her commercial network, earning numerous prestigious awards globally for her leadership in various ventures, including LAV, the 5th largest glassware producer in the world; GCA, an international player in the glass packaging sector; Ali Bey Hotels & Resorts, bringing innovation to the tourism sector; JOALI Maldives, providing services in the ultra-luxury segment; and JOALI BEING, the first well-being concept hotel in the Maldives. In 2023, she introduced BIJAL, a new perspective in the ultra-luxury segment within the tourism sector.
Esin Güral Argat, who aims to make a difference in every role she undertakes, prioritizes sustainability goals and particularly regional development and gender equality through her civil society work on the Boards of TİKAD, GİRVAK, and TÜRKONFED.
Having served three terms as a Board Member of TÜSİAD, Esin Güral Argat led the Digital Transformation Roundtable. She also served on various committees as a member of TÜSİAD, including the Tourism Working Group, Regional Development, Business Community, and Civil Society Relations Commission, the Social Relations Commission, the Women's Working Group in the EU Process, and the Social Policies Forum. In 2022, she chaired the W20 (Women20) delegation on behalf of TİKAD, one of the outreach groups of the G20.
As Turkey's first and only elected female Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Esin Güral Argat holds the presidency of the Kütahya Chamber of Commerce and Industry and is also a member of the TOBB High Coordination Board.
Esin Güral Argat currently serves as a Board Member responsible for Fenerium at Fenerbahçe Sports Club.
Filiz Yavuz Diren
Philip Morris Türkiye General Manager
Filiz Yavuz Diren
Philip Morris Türkiye General Manager
Filiz Yavuz Diren has held senior executive positions across various departments at Philip Morris Türkiye, including Finance, Strategic Planning, Corporate Affairs, and Sales, during her career spanning more than 23 years. After serving as the company's first female Director of Corporate Affairs and subsequently the first female Sales Director, Diren went on to become the first female Managing Director of Philip Morris Turkey.
Throughout her career at Philip Morris Turkey, Diren has been instrumental in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness across commercial operations. She spearheaded the company's digital transformation, introducing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and sophisticated data analytics. By significantly digitalising traditional retail channels, she laid the foundations of an innovative business model.
Diren also led the establishment of Philip Morris International’s first global "Oriental Tobacco Agronomy Centre," aiming to improve sustainability and productivity in Turkish tobacco farming. Furthermore, she initiated the "Tobacco Agriculture and Development Programme," designed to cultivate high-quality oriental tobacco for export, enabling hundreds of farmers from Southeast Anatolia to become exporters.
Diren holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Istanbul Technical University and an MBA from the University of Hartford in the United States. She is actively involved in several prominent NGOs, including TÜSİAD, SwissCham, Catalyst Organisation, and the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association.
She is married and a mother of three.
Gökhan Mataracı
Partner at KPMG Türkiye, Innovation & Technology Consulting Leader
Gökhan Mataracı
Partner at KPMG Türkiye, Innovation & Technology Consulting Leader
Throughout his career spanning over 19 years, Gökhan Mataracı has led technology and data-driven transformation projects and gained strategic consulting experience at some of Turkey’s leading institutions. He currently serves as a Partner at KPMG Türkiye, where he is the Innovation & Technology Consulting Leader and the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) Sector Leader.
Gökhan began his career in software development and held various roles during his nine years at Ereteam, ranging from technical specialist to Director of Solutions and Technical Sales. During this time, he built strategic partnerships with international vendors and successfully delivered numerous projects across both the public and private sectors.
Following his tenure at Ereteam, he expanded his consulting perspective through Big Four experience, leading numerous data-driven value creation projects. Later, at Akbank, he established and managed the Corporate Data Office as part of the Data and Analytics Strategy program, laying the foundation for enterprise-level data management in a large-scale organization.
Today, through the Innovation & Technology Consulting unit at KPMG, he delivers innovative solutions in areas such as data and AI governance, MarTech, digital strategy, artificial intelligence, and customer experience. He leads strategic initiatives designed to not only meet current business needs but also prepare organizations for the future. Gökhan’s approach centers on data-driven decision-making, the integration of technology into business processes, and embedding innovation into corporate culture.
Beyond the projects he leads at KPMG, Gökhan also curates industry events like the annual Analitik Rota Summit to foster knowledge sharing across the sector. Through collaborations with universities and mentorship programs, he actively contributes to the development of young talent.
A top graduate of the Mathematical Engineering Department at Yıldız Technical University, Gökhan is recognized for his expertise in executive leadership, program and project management, team leadership, and technological vision. His leadership philosophy encourages team members to take initiative, while maintaining a focus on ideal perfectionism and proactive problem-solving
Hakan Karamanlı
CEO of Tam Finans
Hakan Karamanlı
CEO of Tam Finans
Hakan Karamanlı graduated from Bilkent University, Department of Computer Engineering in 1992 and began his professional career the same year as a Software Specialist at Türkiye İş Bankası. In 1995, he joined Anadolu Group as a Systems Analyst. In 1997, he moved to Garanti Bank, where he held several senior positions including Systems Specialist, Manager of Open Systems, Head of Operations and Customer Services, and Head of Platform and Application Management.
In 2014, Karamanlı joined Tam Finans as Executive Vice President responsible for Operations and Information Technologies. In 2015, he was appointed Executive Vice President overseeing Credits, Intelligence, and Information Technologies.
Renowned for his leadership in technology and digital transformation, Karamanlı was recognized with the “CIO 100” award by CIO Magazine in 2016 and the “Premier 100 Technology Leadership” award by Computer World in 2017. In 2020, he was named one of Turkey’s top 100 digital leaders by Fast Company.
Since July 11, 2019, Hakan Karamanlı has been serving as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tam Finans.
Haluk Kayabaşı
Kibar Holding CEO
Haluk Kayabaşı
Kibar Holding CEO
Haluk Kayabaşı was born in Kayseri in 1957. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Management at Marmara University in 1980.
In 1981, he was employed by Assan Demir ve Sac Sanayi A.ş. an Associate Export Specialist to work at the Export Department. Then he worked as Export Specialist, Assistant Export Manager, Export Manager and Foreign Trade Manager at the same company. In 1998, he started to work as the Foreign Trade Coordinator at Kibar Holding, and then he was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Kibar Holding. In 2012 he became the Head of the Kibar Holding Metal Group.
In addition to his role as a member of the Board of Directors at Kibar Holding, Kayabaşı was appointed as the COO of the same company in April 2014. He also worked as the General Manager of Assan Alüminyum from 12.10.2015 to 19.07.2016.
With his leadership roles, Haluk Kayabaşı made a significant contribution to the institutionalization and growth targets of Kibar Group, where he is still leading transformation programs such as the company’s digital transformation.
He is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Kibar Holding, a member of the Board of Directors at Posco Assan, and the Chairman of Board of Directors at Assan Hanil and in April 2018, he became the CEO of Kibar Holding along with all of his duties.
He was appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee of IICPSD (Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector in Development), which is one of the six global Policy Centres of UNDP. Thus, in 2020 he stood as the only member to represent private sector in Turkey within the committee. Kaybaşı is also a member of the Board of Directors of UNGC Turkey and the Vice Chairman of TALSAD (Turkish Aluminium Industrialists Association).
İbrahim Halil Öztop
Chairperson of Turkish Capital Markets Association CEO of Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye
İbrahim Halil Öztop
Chairperson of Turkish Capital Markets Association CEO of Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye
He received his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical University, in 1991, and later received his master’s degree in Business Administration from Bilkent University.
Mr. Öztop was appointed as “CEO and Board Member” at Development and Investment Bank of Türkiye in August 2018. In addition, Mr. Öztop is also Member of the Executive Committee of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Turkey (KOSGEB) and Board Member of TII (Turkish Investment Initiative). He was assigned as the Chairperson of the Board of TCMA in October 2021 and serving as the Deputy Chairperson of Board of Directors of Central Securities Depository (CSD) of Turkey since February 2021 and also serving as Chairperson of Board of Directors of Türkiye Kalkınma Girişim Sermayesi Portföy Yönetim A.Ş. since November 2020
Having approximatley 30 years of experience in the Banking Sector, ÖZTOP worked as a senior executive invsetment banker in Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş. (TSKB), in Körfezbank A.Ş. and in Garanti Yatırım Menkul Kıymetler A.Ş.
İhsan Gökşin Durusoy
Akkök Holding of CEO and Member of the Board
İhsan Gökşin Durusoy
Akkök Holding of CEO and Member of the Board
Born in Denizli in 1964, İhsan Gökşin Durusoy graduated with a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Boğaziçi University in 1987. He started his career as a Production Engineer at Arçelik. Between 1988 and 1989, he worked as the Financial Affairs and IT Manager at İzmir Demir Çelik Inc. In 1989, Durusoy joined the Akkök Group, starting as the Budget Planning Chief at Ak-Al Textile Industry Inc.
In the same company, Durusoy successively took on the roles of Budget Planning Manager and Strategic Planning Director. In 2007, he joined Akiş REIT, established with the aim of creating unique and large-scale real estate projects, first serving as the Deputy General Manager and then as the General Manager and Board Member from 2009. As of January 2023, Mr. Durusoy is serving as the CEO and Board Member of Akkök Holding. Additionally, he holds the position of Chairman at Aktek , Vice Chairman at Aksa Acrylic, Akkim, and Akiş REIT, and serves on the boards of various Akkök Group companies.
İlke Toptaş
Regional Director, Northern Europe (Turkey | Benelux | Nordics), Meta
İlke Toptaş
Regional Director, Northern Europe (Turkey | Benelux | Nordics), Meta
İlke Toptaş is the Regional Director for Northern Europe at Meta, where she oversees strategic operations across key markets, including Turkey, Benelux, and the Nordics. Based in London, she leads Meta’s business growth and innovation across these dynamic and influential regions.
Prior to her current role, İlke held dual responsibilities as Turkey Country Director and Regional Gaming Director at Meta. In these roles, she spearheaded initiatives that significantly expanded Meta’s reach and drove transformative growth across the region.
With over two decades of leadership experience, she has held senior roles in leading global and local companies and later expanded her expertise by co-founding a consultancy business. Known for her entrepreneurial mindset and ability to identify untapped opportunities, İlke has a proven track record of driving innovative strategies and business growth.
İlke holds a degree in Economics from Istanbul University and furthered her education at UC Berkeley, specializing in Integrated Marketing Communications and Finance. A former professional athlete, she represented Turkey’s National Women’s Basketball Team, earning a gold medal and showcasing her resilience, discipline, and commitment to excellence.
Beyond her professional endeavors, İlke is passionate about empowering women in technology. She serves as a Board Member of the Women in Technology Association, championing diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities in the tech industry.
İmran Gürakan
CEO of Ankara TEKMER
İmran Gürakan
CEO of Ankara TEKMER
Imran Gürakan is a professional with a degree in Statistics from Middle East Technical University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Hacettepe University.
As of 2021, Imran Gürakan, who has been working on technology entrepreneurship in Turkey for more than 12 years, started working as the CEO of Ankara TEKMER and is also the co-founder and CEO of LEAP Investment, which provides smart capital to technology startups and invests in technology startups as an angel investor.
As one of the 30 members of the Techno-Initiative Council of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Gürakan plays an active role in the development of technology and the improvement of policies.
At the same time, she is actively working on studies, research and articles on digital transformation and society 5.0 at the Institute for Community Studies.
Kerem Orbay
Garanti BBVA Payment Systems CEO
Kerem Orbay
Garanti BBVA Payment Systems CEO
Kerem Orbay graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of Civil Engineering and received his MSC degree in Business Administration from Hacettepe University.
Since 2007, Kerem Orbay has been working in different positions within Garanti BBVA, most recently as “Garanti BBVA - Retail Banking Marketing Director” between 2017 and 2023, and as of December 2023, he assumed the position of Garanti BBVA Payment Systems CEO.
Mr. Orbay has many years of professional experience in the banking sector, particularly in Business Development, Customer Relationship Management, Analysis and Finance.
Koray Gültekin Bahar
Co-Founder & CEO – Figopara
Koray Gültekin Bahar
Co-Founder & CEO – Figopara
After graduating from Department of Computer Engineering at Eastern Mediterranean University, Koray Bahar started his career as a software developer at FIT Solutions. During this period he founded his first company, Dotto and worked on Microsoft platforms and mobile applications. After selling his shares in Dotto in 2012, he returned to FIT Solutions as a partner in 2013.
After that, continuing his career as the General Manager and Partner of Foriba, a company operating in the RegTech sector, he managed the acquisition of Foriba by Sovos, one of the world's leading tax technology company, in 2019. Following the Foriba exit, which was recognized as one of the most notable "exits" of recent years, Koray Gültekin Bahar took on the role of VP of EMEA Strategy, guiding Sovos' strategy in the Middle East and Asia. At the end of January 2020, he left Sovos Foriba to focus on Figopara, a fintech firm he had previously founded to help companies manage their cash flow and working capital.
Since February 2020, Bahar has been serving as the CEO of Figopara. He was elected as the President of the TOBB Turkey Financial Technologies Assembly and is an Endeavor entrepreneur as well as a Board Member of Endeavor Turkey, contributing to the ecosystem as both an entrepreneur and investor. Through the YouTube channel www.yollarda.tv and his columns on bloomberght.com, he
Levent Çakıroğlu
CEO and Board Member of Koç Holding A.Ş.
Levent Çakıroğlu
CEO and Board Member of Koç Holding A.Ş.
He is a member of the Word Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Advisory Board, Consumer Industry Community Governors and CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal. He also served as Chairperson of Türkiye Climate Change Leaders Group between 2010 and 2013 and as Co-Chair of Trade and Investment Task Force of B20 in 2021.
Levent Çakıroğlu graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences, Business Administration Department and received his master’s degree from University of Illinois.
He started his career as an Assistant Auditor at the Ministry of Finance in 1988, where he worked as a Senior Auditor between 1991 and 1997.
He served as Vice President of Financial Crimes Investigation Board between 1997 and 1998, meanwhile he taught as a Part Time Instructor at Bilkent University. Çakıroğlu joined Koç Group in 1998 as Koç Holding Financial Group Coordinator. He was the General Manager of Koçtaş between 2002 and 2007 and the CEO of Migros between 2007 and 2008. He was assigned as the CEO of Arçelik in 2008 and also became President of the Durable Goods Group of Koç Holding in April 2010. Çakıroğlu was appointed as the CEO of Koç Holding in April 2015.
He currently serves as the CEO and has also been a Member of the Board of Directors of Koç Holding since April 2016. Levent Çakıroğlu is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of Arçelik- LG and TürkTraktör, the Vice Chair of Yapı Kredi Bank and Member of the Board of Directors at various Koç Group companies.
Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ
DEİK/Türkiye-Germany Business Council Chairperson
Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ
DEİK/Türkiye-Germany Business Council Chairperson
Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ is a Turkish businessman and Executive Board Member at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK). Yalçındağ, is recently elected as Chairman at Türkiye-Germany Business Council, the leading non-governmental platform for facilitating trade and investments between Türkiye and Germany as well as facilitating joint ventures and cooperation in third countries within the business diplomacy. He was the former Chairman of the Turkey-US Business Council (TAIK), Turkey’s oldest and largest business council for 6 years.
Born in Istanbul and educated in London, Yalçındağ began his career at Dogan Holdings, one of Turkey’s most important conglomerates operating in the energy, media, insurance, and tourism sectors. At Dogan, Yalçındağ managed the group’s considerable media interests, eventually rising to head the conglomerate’s media arm, namely Dogan Media Group owner of the respected daily newspaper Hurriyet, as well as television channels Kanal D and CNN Turk. During his term of 22 years Dogan Media Group became a vertically integrated conglomerate while he initiated the international strategic partnerships with Time Warner, News Corp and maintained the growth through the M&A’s with Egmont, Burda and Axel Springer.
In March 2012, Yalçındağ became the Chairman of the Executive Board of Arvato in Turkey, a leading Bertelsmann company. At the same time in July 2012, he became the Partner and Chairman of the Executive Board of Yandex Turkey.
Currently, he is the Chairman of MADA Venture Capital of the Yalcindag Family Office. Since 2018, MADA has been managing the venture capital and real estate investments of the Yalçındağ family. It invests in "growth"-focused medium-sized companies and sectors that create value both in our country and in different geographies. Among the companies MADA has invested in are BluTV, recently acquired by Warner Discovery, ., production companies MAY Productions, SAGA, and Curious Gremlin, the fintech app Ortak, Turkey's largest co-working space service provider Kolektif House, the integrated communication platform VimeSoft, Champs, which offers flexible customer service through its technology, health tourism company Hop.Health, leading exporter of Bathroom Furniture company ORKA jointly invested with Maxis Venture Capital owned by Is Bank.
Mehmet N. Erten
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tekfen Holding
Mehmet N. Erten
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tekfen Holding
Born in 1951, Mehmet N. Erten graduated from Saint-Joseph French High School and Istanbul University, Faculty of Business Administration, Department of Finance. Having started working with the Tekfen Group in 1971 as a Technical Translator, Mehmet N. Erten assumed various executive positions with different companies between 1972 and 1981. Erten, who has returned to the Tekfen Group as the Financing Manager of Toros Fertiliser, remained in this position for 3 years, and was then promoted as the Assistant General Manager of Toros Fertiliser. After 1989, he served as the General Manager and Member of the Board of Directors first at Tekfenbank, then at Eurobank Tekfen, and he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors first with Eurobank Tekfen, and then with Burganbank between 2008-2019. Erten, who has been served as a Member of the Board of Trustees for 20 years until 2018, at the Turkish Culture Foundation, whereby he is the founder, and has chaired for three terms, is also a member of the Saint Joseph Graduates’ Association. Erten has also played a role in the vocational training of the employees at the organizations he worked with. Erten speaks English and French. As of 13 th of May 2024, Erten has been elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tekfen Holding
Mustafa Sani Şener
Chairman of TAV Construction & Co-founder of TAV Airports
Mustafa Sani Şener
Chairman of TAV Construction & Co-founder of TAV Airports
Founded in 1997 with the Istanbul Atatürk Airport Build-Operate-Transfer project, Mr. Sani Şener was the co-founder of TAV Airports and served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the first 25 years and Vice Chairman for the last two years. Today, TAV Airports serves approximately 100 million passengers at 15 airports in 8 countries and has become a global brand. Mr Şener has led TAV Airports on this historic journey.
As of 2024, he continues his business life as the Chairman of TAV Construction.
Graduated from TED Ankara College in 1973. Mr. Sener graduated from Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in 1977, Şener earned his master’s degree (M. Phil) in fluid mechanics in 1979 from the University of Sussex in the UK. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in engineering from KTU for “his invaluable contributions to the development of Turkish engineering at the international level”, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the New Hampshire University “for his accomplishments in project and risk management throughout his tenure at TAV”. Prior to his career at TAV Airports, Şener served in various positions, from project manager to general manager, in national and international projects.
He attended the executive education programme on the management of complex systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He gave a lecture in Harvard Business School MBA Programme on TAV Airports Case Study by HBS.
Mustafa Sani Şener previously served on the Board of Airports Council International (ACI World) and acted as chairman of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEIK) Turkey-France, Turkey-Croatia, and Turkey-Kazakhstan Business Council. In 2016, Şener was awarded the Legion d'honneur by the President of the Republic of France François Hollande, due to his contributions to the relations between Turkey and France and he was given the High Honour of Service by the Georgian state. In 2019 he was honored with Medal of Merit for the Republic of North Macedonia for the improvement of business and commercial relations in Macedonia and Turkey.
In the voting conducted by Thomson Extel among national and international financial companies, he was selected as the top candidate in the “Best CEO” category in Turkey in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016, and placed third in the European Transport Sector in 2014.
Dr. M. Emre Çamlıbel
Chairman of RePie Yatırım Holding
Dr. M. Emre Çamlıbel
Chairman of RePie Yatırım Holding
He began his career in 1992 as a civil engineer at STFA. He later worked in the United States as a project engineer and manager at Kennedy & Rossi Inc. and Walsh Brothers Inc. He first joined the Soyak Group in 1998, serving as Assistant General Manager at Soyak Construction. He then continued at Soyak Holding as Project Development Coordinator. From 2001 to 2008, he held the positions of General Manager and Board Member at Soyak Yapı. In 2008, he was appointed CEO of Soyak Holding. Dr. Çamlıbel is also active in academia, with internationally published work in the fields of energy, real estate, and sustainability. He teaches as a visiting lecturer at MIT and Columbia University, and continues his academic work as an Associate Professor at Vilnius Business College in Lithuania. He serves on the boards of several companies in which RePie Portföy has invested, including Turknet, ARF Bio, and GTC Solar. In addition, he is a Board Member of the Affordable Housing Institute in the United States. Dr. Çamlıbel holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Yıldız Technical University. He completed his master’s degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. and earned his PhD from Boğaziçi University, focusing on energy efficiency and conservation, energy systems, sustainability, and carbon applications.
M. Hakan Safi
Chairman of the Board of Safi Holding
M. Hakan Safi
Chairman of the Board of Safi Holding
M. Hakan Safi was born in 1973 in Istanbul. After graduating from FMV Özel Işık High School, he completed his undergraduate studies in the Department of Economics at Marmara University. He then earned his master’s degree in the English Economics program at the same university. Continuing his education in the United States, Safi completed the Executive MBA program at Boston University’s School of Management before returning to Turkey.
During his high school years, while continuing his studies, he began his career working alongside his father. Since 1965, the Safi Family has been engaged in various commercial activities, particularly in the mining sector. Under M. Hakan Safi’s leadership, the family business has expanded significantly into multiple industries, including port management, cement, sugar, shipping, and energy. M. Hakan Safi has been serving as the Chairman of the Board of Safi Holding for many years.
Under his leadership, the group has undertaken significant social responsibility projects, contributing to sports, healthcare, and social fields through various sponsorships while embracing a corporate vision of giving back to the community.
A member of various social and sports-related associations and clubs, Hakan Safi is married and has three children.
M. Selman Dönmez
Member of the Board of Directors at Pasifik Teknoloji
M. Selman Dönmez
Member of the Board of Directors at Pasifik Teknoloji
Muhammed Selman Dönmez was born in 1984 in Karadeniz Ereğli, Turkey. He completed his undergraduate studies in Control Engineering at Istanbul Technical University and earned his master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Karabük University.
In 2007, he entered the business world as one of the founders of Teknoplan Engineering. In 2013, he joined HAVELSAN as a Business Development Manager responsible for the Gulf countries. Since 2016, he has continued his professional career as a Co-Founder and CEO at SBI Bilişim A.Ş.
In 2020, he founded TİTRA Teknoloji A.Ş. and served as the Chairman of the Board. In 2023, following Pasifik Teknoloji’s investment in TİTRA Teknoloji A.Ş., he was appointed as the General Manager of Pasifik Teknoloji. He currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors at Pasifik Teknoloji.
Nezih Sipahioğlu
Sipay Founder
Nezih Sipahioğlu
Sipay Founder
After completing his business management studies at Regent’s College in London, Nezih Sipahioğlu earned his bachelor's degree in Business and Financial Management from City University of London. He began his career by founding Global Trust, a company that provides consultancy to entrepreneurs in Turkey on establishing businesses abroad, globalization, and corporate structuring. During this time, he recognized the rapid rise of financial technologies and payment systems and founded Sipay in 2019. Sipay is a fintech company that offers individuals and businesses innovative financial solutions from a single platform. Under Sipahioğlu’s leadership, Sipay quickly became a leading player in the industry.
Dr. Nora Berra
Minister of Senior of France (2009-2010) Minister of Health of France (2010-2012)
Dr. Nora Berra
Minister of Senior of France (2009-2010) Minister of Health of France (2010-2012)
Nora Berra began her career in 1990 as a doctor at the University Hospital of Lyon, where she dedicated 20 years to the fight against AIDS, providing patient care and conducting clinical research on antiretroviral therapies. After being elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2009, she was immediately called into government by Nicolas Sarkozy. Between 2009 and 2010, Nora Berra served as Minister in charge of the Elderly. She developed an innovative and integrated political approach to population aging, convinced that increased life expectancy represents an opportunity for economic and social development, particularly through the contribution of new information and communication technologies. As Minister of Health from 2010 to 2012, she successfully managed several health crises (Mediator, PIP breast implants) and initiated a comprehensive strategy to modernize the French healthcare system by integrating digital health. Regulatory and governance reforms facilitated the transformation of hospitals and the deployment of tools and services to improve patient care. From 2012 to 2014, she served in the European Parliament, focusing on health issues, consumer protection, the internal market, and international trade. From 2014 to 2021, she held political mandates in Lyon and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region. Since then, she has continued her commitment to health by supporting innovation through advisory boards. She has also co-founded, alongside nine other former African ministers, the Union for Global Health foundation, aimed at strengthening healthcare systems across the African continent through a participatory and multidisciplinary approach
Prof. Nouriel Roubini
Chairman & CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, LLC
Prof. Nouriel Roubini
Chairman & CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, LLC
Nouriel Roubini is the Chairman & CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, LLC, a global macroeconomic consultancy firm in New York. He is also Senior Advisor to Hudson Bay Capital, a hedge fund based in New York and serves as the Chief Economist & Portfolio Manager at Atlas Capital Team L.P, a fintech ecosystem developed to serve as a source of stability for the challenging times ahead. He has been Professor of Economics (1995-2021) and is now Professor Emeritus (2021-present), at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Previously, he served as the Senior Economist for International Affairs in the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers and has worked for the International Monetary Fund, the US Federal Reserve, The World Bank and was on the faculty of Yale University’s Department of Economics. Dr. Roubini’s views on global economic issues are widely sought and cited by the media, having recognized ahead of others the 2008 global financial crisis, the effects of which reverberated around the world lasting well into the next decade. He is a frequent commentator on various business news programs and has been the subject of extended profiles in many leading current-affairs publications including the New York Times Magazine & The Financial Times. He is published monthly as a columnist with Project Syndicate. He also co-runs the site www.theboombust.com, an economic indicator research service. His most recent book, published in October 2022, is “Megathreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future and How to Survive Them” (Little Brown). He has also published numerous theoretical, empirical and policy papers on international macroeconomic issues and coauthored the books “Political Cycles: Theory and Evidence” (MIT Press, 1997) and “Bailouts or Bail-ins? Responding to Financial Crises in Emerging Markets” (Institute for International Economics, 2004) and “Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance” (Penguin Press, 2010). Dr. Roubini received an undergraduate degree at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and a Doctorate in Economics at Harvard University.
Osman Okyay
Kale Group Vice Chairman and President of Technical Division
Osman Okyay
Kale Group Vice Chairman and President of Technical Division
He received his BSc. degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Bogazici University
(formerly Robert's College), Istanbul, Turkey, in 1988, then his MSc. degree in
Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Hampshire, NH, USA, in 1990. He
also attended the Executive MBA program at the Koc University, in Istanbul in 1994.
In 1990, he started working for Digital Equipment Corp., Istanbul Office, as a Field
Service Engineer, later promoted to Services Planning Manager. He then joined Kale
Group, in 1994, and worked as the Deputy General Manager of Kalekalip, then General
Manager of Kalekalip. Today, he serves as the Vice Chairman and President of
Technical Division at Kale Group.
Osman took the initiative to diversify Kale Group into high-tech fields and international
partnerships. Robotics & Automation, Industrial Energy Equipment, Software
Simulation, Defense & Aerospace are to name a few.
Kale’s partnerships with Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce were also led by Osman.
Kale has also become a direct supplier to worlds leading defense & aerospace
companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman.
Osman serves as the Chairman of Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Canakkale
province. He is the Chairman of Turkey-UK Business Council, Board Member of
Turkey- Canadian Business Council, and Board Member of Turkey-USA Business
Council under DEIK (Foreign Economic Relations Board) of Turkey. Osman also
served as the 2nd term Chairman of the Turkish-American Business Council formed
under the Framework for Strategic, Economic and Commercial Cooperation (FSECC)
mechanism between Turkish and US Administrations. He is a member of the Board of
Trustees at the Eisenhower Fellowships. Osman is a Board Member at YASED
(International Investors Association). He is currently serving as the Chairman of
Defense and Aerospace Manufacturers Association of Turkey (SASAD) and the
Chairman of Aerospace Cluster Association (ACA-HUKD) in Izmir. He is also a
member of the General Assembly of OYAK Holding. Osman also serves on the Board
of Directors of Bogazici University and Fatih Sultan Mehmet University Foundations.
Osman lives in Istanbul with his wife Zeynep and their son Ibrahim.
Onur Özkan
CEO of TOM Group of Companies
Onur Özkan
CEO of TOM Group of Companies
Onur Özkan is an experienced leader in the finance industry, having successfully served in various key positions at QNB Finansbank for 13 years and 4 months. Mr. Özkan graduated from Boğaziçi University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and received a Master's degree in Financial Engineering from Boğaziçi University, where he graduated with high honors.
Prior to starting his career at Finansbank in 2004, Mr. Özkan studied business management at Western Michigan University as an exchange student for one year. Mr. Özkan started his career at Finansbank in 2004 and has held various positions of responsibility for 13 years, continuously adding value to his career.
During his tenure at QNB Finansbank, Mr. Özkan served as Executive Vice President in key departments such as Micro and SME Banking, Private Banking and Wealth Management, Retail Banking and Sectoral Banking. He also served as Vice President in strategic roles such as Payment Systems and Retail Banking and led the implementation of successful projects.
In his later career steps, he held senior management positions in major brands such as CarrefourSA, Teknosa, and Sigortam.net and gained experience in various sectors in his career. In particular, he served as Chief Commercial Operations Officer at CarrefourSA, leading in critical areas such as management of food and non-food categories, marketing and strategy, hyper sales management.
Since 2022, Onur Özkan has been the CEO of TOM Group of Companies, and in this role, he is the Vice Chairman of TOM Pay, TOM Digital, and TOM Finance companies. On March 21, 2023, he was the CEO of the World's Fastest Growing Digital Bank, which started with the first customer acceptance on March 21, 2023.
With his extensive industry experience and leadership skills, Onur Özkan has made a significant impact in the fields of finance and technology and was recently accepted to the Sorbonne University.
Ömer Barbaros Yiş
Karaca International General Manager
Ömer Barbaros Yiş
Karaca International General Manager
Ömer Barbaros Yiş graduated with a double major degree in Business Administration and Economics from Koç University. He later obtained his Master’s and Ph.D. qualification degrees in Economic Analysis from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. After his academic career, he began working at Turkcell, holding various positions in the marketing department. He then joined the strategic consulting firm Peppers & Rogers, where he provided management consultancy in the telecommunications sector across more than 30 countries.
In 2013, he joined Türk Telekom and served as the Marketing Director until 2017. In 2017, he rejoined Turkcell, where he worked for one year as the Director of Strategic Marketing and Corporate Revenue Management. As of December 2018, he was appointed as the Executive Vice President of Marketing at Turkcell. In April 2020, he left Turkcell to join LC Waikiki, where he was served as the General Manager responsible for E-Commerce.
YİŞ, who joined Karaca in December 2024, continues his career as "Karaca International General Manager"
Ömer Barbaros Yiş is married and has two children.
Ömür Tan
Chairperson of the Board of Directors of QNB Faktoring and the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors at QNB eSolutions
Ömür Tan
Chairperson of the Board of Directors of QNB Faktoring and the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors at QNB eSolutions
Born in 1971, Ömür Tan graduated from Ankara Atatürk Anatolian High School, and after obtaining his BA degree at Hacettepe University, Department of Statistics, he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Bilgi University. Tan started his career in banking as an MT at Yapı ve Kredi Bankası in 1995 and joined Finansbank in 1998. He held various positions in corporate branches and served as Corporate Branch Manager, Head Office Key Account Management Group Manager, and Group Manager responsible for Corporate Banking. In 2011, he served as Executive Vice President of Corporate and Commercial Banking and was responsible for Project Finance, Cash Management, and Foreign Trade Finance. Between 2014 and 2022, he served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors, and a Board Member at QNB eSolutions, QNB Faktoring, QNB Leasing, and QNB Invest. He was appointed as the General Manager of QNB Türkiye in January 2022. Ömür Tan also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of QNB Faktoring and the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors at QNB eSolutions.
Özlem Koç
General Manager, Bahçeşehir College
Özlem Koç
General Manager, Bahçeşehir College
Özlem Koç, who has been serving as an executive in various sectors since 1994, holds a bachelor's degree in Physics from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Istanbul University. She has also completed a master's degree in the same field and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Bahçeşehir University Faculty of Communication.
Joining Bahçeşehir College in 2012 as the Deputy General Manager responsible for Corporate Communication and Marketing, Özlem Koç has been serving as the General Manager since 2016. She leads a team of communication and education professionals dedicated to advancing the institution’s core values under the principle of “progressing through quality and innovation in education.” She oversees the professional management of all operational processes, including human resources, finance, and logistics support units.
In addition to her role at Bahçeşehir College, Özlem Koç is a member of the Bahçeşehir University Board of Trustees, a Board Member of the Bahçeşehir College Basketball Team, and the President of the Association of Educational Technologists. She is also actively involved in various non-governmental organizations, including Kagider and the Yanındayız Association, supporting social initiatives in different fields. She continues her work in the areas of sustainability in education, innovative approaches, and women's employment both within and outside the institution.
Phil Sham
CEO and Co-Founder, Aquanow
Phil Sham
CEO and Co-Founder, Aquanow
Phil is CEO and Co-Founder of Aquanow. He is responsible for the firm's strategic direction and spends much of his time building out Aquanow’s partnerships in the Middle East, Asia and Turkey.
Prior to launching Aquanow in 2018, Phil spent over a decade working in traditional capital markets at sophisticated financial institutions. He is a leading market structure expert in Canada, having previously been responsible for global electronic trading at CC&L Investment Management ($50bn AUM) and launching electronic trading solutions during his time at CIBC Capital Markets.
Phil holds a Bachelor of Science (Engineering) from Queen’s University and a Master of Financial Engineering from Cornell University.
Dr. R. Ruşen Kömürcü
General Manager of ULAK Communications Inc
Dr. R. Ruşen Kömürcü
General Manager of ULAK Communications Inc
R. Ruşen KÖMÜRCÜ Ph.D. was born in 1976 in Kastamonu. He completed his undergraduate studies in Public Administration at Marmara University. He earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Galatasaray University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Science.
He began his professional career as a consultant at the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. He later held various positions at Türksat A.Ş., including Cable TV Marketing, Cable TV Customer Relations, Satellite Services Customer Relations, and Corporate Communications Director. He also served as Secretary General of the Defense and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SaSaD). Currently, he is the General Manager of ULAK Communications Inc.
KÖMÜRCÜ Ph.D. is also an academic, serving as a Visiting Lecturer at the Turkish Military Academy and the Alparslan Defense Sciences and National Security Institute of the National Defense University.
He is fluent in English and French.
Seba Gacemer
General Manager of Sinpaş GYO
Seba Gacemer
General Manager of Sinpaş GYO
Gacemer, who graduated from Anadolu University Faculty of Business Administration, started working as a Sales Specialist in the IT sector after she completed the “Apple Business School” Sales Specialist program of Apple Computer’s Turkey representative Bilkom A.Ş.. She took part in the promotion and sales activities of the computer-aided architectural drawing program in Turkey. She chose the real estate sector in order to develop her sales and marketing experience which she gained in the IT sector. She managed the marketing, sales and after-sales processes of many projects in the Sinpaş Group beginning from the concept stage. She was chosen as the most successful businesswoman in the construction sector by Dünya Newspaper at that time.
In 2007, she became the Assistant General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Sinpaş GYO and took a role in the public offering activities. In 2011, she was promoted to the General Manager of Eviya Real Estate Development and Investment Inc., established within Sinpaş. Gacemer, who successfully managed all processes at Eviya A.Ş. including land development, design and license processes of projects, bidding, construction, sales and marketing, became the General Manager of Sinpaş GYO, the largest publicly traded company of Sinpaş Holding, in 2014.
In addition to her duties at Sinpaş GYO, which has grown even further as we enter 2023, she also represents her institution and the sector by taking part in various civil society organizations. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Board of GYODER, as the President of the GYO Committee, and as a member of the Audit Board. She is a member of the Capital CEO Club. She has been among the 50 Strong Women CEOs of Turkey every year since 2015. She has been among the CEOs who have led their own sector and who are R&D, Innovation and Sustainability Leaders in the last 4 years published by Capital and Ekonomist magazines. In 2019, she was among the "Inspiring Women" in Turkey, selected according to the turnover and employment figures they managed, in Platin magazine. She represents her sector and institution as a speaker at many summits, conferences and panels in the construction and real estate sectors.
Sedef Seçkin Büyük
Capital & Economist Magazines Publication Director
Selim Kervancı
Chief Executive Officer – Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye
Selim Kervancı
Chief Executive Officer – Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye
Selim Kervanci is Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye and was appointed to the role in January 2025. Mr Kervanci started his career with HSBC in 1996 and has held a series of roles across investment banking, client coverage, and capital markets advisory since joining. Most recently, Mr Kervanci was the Chief Executive Officer for HSBC Türkiye from July 2016. Prior to this, Mr Kervanci held the roles of Head of Investment Banking responsible for Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye, Head of Global Banking and Investment Banking in HSBC Türkiye, and Head of Trade and Financial Institutions in HSBC Türkiye. Prior to joining HSBC, Mr Kervanci worked for Alcatel Cable. Mr Kervanci currently sits on the board HSBC Bank Middle East Limited. Mr Kervanci is a graduate of Istanbul Technical University, Department of Electrical Engineering and holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Vrije University in Brussels. He is married with two children
Dr. Semra Demircioğlu
CEO, Kredim & Chief Risk Officer, Param Group
Dr. Semra Demircioğlu
CEO, Kredim & Chief Risk Officer, Param Group
Dr. Semra Demircioğlu graduated with honors from the English Economics program at Marmara University, subsequently serving as an economist at various brokerage firms. During this time, she also appeared in newspapers and on television channels as an economic commentator. She later completed her master's degree in English Economics at Marmara University. In 2016, Demircioğlu joined Ziraat Portföy as an economist, focusing on risk management, while also finishing a master's degree in Economics and Finance at Boğaziçi University. In 2019, Demircioğlu became part of the Param Group as an economist, later taking on roles as Treasury Director and Deputy General Manager. In August 2021, she assumed the position of CEO at Turk Finansman A.Ş., leading the introduction of the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) system to Turkey under the Kredim brand. Since August 2022, she has also served as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) at Param Group, further expanding her scope of responsibilities. In 2024, Dr. Demircioğlu completed her doctoral program in Finance and Banking at Medipol University, earning her PhD. Deeply committed to the development of innovative financial technology products and services that positively impact the daily lives of individuals and businesses, Dr. Demircioğlu adheres to a principle of lifelong learning, pursuing both academic and professional endeavors with diligence. Drawing on her theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in the fintech sector, she adopts solution-focused, people-centric approaches that inspire both her team and the broader industry. By sharing her expertise, Dr. Demircioğlu aims to encourage women to take on more prominent roles within the fintech ecosystem, highlighting the importance of equal opportunities and inclusive practices so that women can overcome barriers in finance and contribute more significantly to the sector
Serdar Marangoz
CEO of Aydem Energy
Serdar Marangoz
CEO of Aydem Energy
Serdar Marangoz, a graduate of METU Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, started his career at Siemens AG in 2006 and has an experience of nearly 20 years in the energy sector. Since 2009, Mr. Marangoz has assumed senior management positions in different companies under the umbrella of Aydem Energy and has continued his career as Aydem Electricity Market and Regulation Manager and as the Executive Board Member in Adm Electricity Distribution and Gdz Electricity Distribution companies, respectively. In 2019, he was appointed as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to Aydem Energy and as a Board Member to Aydem Renewables. In addition to his board memberships of Aydem Retail and Gediz Retail companies, to which he was appointed in 2019, he has also assumed the position of general manager as of 2021.
Marangoz, who has served as the general manager of retail group companies until 2023, was serving as the General Manager and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aydem Renewables as of October 25, 2023. Marangoz has been appointed as the CEO of Aydem Energy as of November 1, 2024.
Serkan Kaptan
TAV Airports CEO
Serkan Kaptan
TAV Airports CEO
Serkan Kaptan received his BA degree from Istanbul University, Department of Business Administration and his MBA from Marmara University in 2002. He joined TAV Airports in 1998 with the build-operate-transfer project of the Istanbul Ataturk Airport. Until 2001, he served as a consultant at Airport Consulting Vienna, a company owned by VIE which was a partner of TAV Airports. From 2002 on, he was responsible for business development, airline marketing, R&D and investments. Having 25 years of experience in airport and airline operations and public-private partnership infrastructure projects, Kaptan was appointed as Deputy CEO of TAV Airports in 2016 and served as a Board Member for all TAV Airports’ subsidiaries. In May 2022, he was appointed as the CEO of TAV Airports. Kaptan is also a Member of ADP Executive Board in charge of Central Asia, Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and CIS. Serkan Kaptan, serves as a Board Member of the Service Exporters’ Association (HIB) and the Chairman of DEIK Turkey-Latvia Business Council. In 2021, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the European Region of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe). Kaptan is married with two daughters.
Sina Afra
TİKO Founder Entrepreneur
Sina Afra
TİKO Founder Entrepreneur
Sina is a Serial Entrepreneur. His latest endeavor is Tiko which he founded and serves as CEO. Before that he was the Founder of Markafoni, the first Online Fashion site of Turkey. Markafoni became the first Turkish internet company expanding beyond the borders of Turkey: Markafoni launched sites in Australia, Ukraine, Greece and Poland. Sina served until 2014 as Chairman and CEO.
The Naspers Group acquired in July 2011 a majority stake at Markafoni and signed for one of the biggest deals in the Turkish internet.
Sina is also an active Business Angel and invests in early stage start-ups. He has 35 angel investments. He is the President of the Entrepreneur Foundation, former Board Member of Endeavor Turkey and served at the Board of Fenerbahçe Futbol AS as Board Member.
Sina has been elected as the “Internet Entrepreneur of the Year” and “Business Angel of the Year” in Turkey. Markafoni won several awards: “Best Web Start-up” and “Best Online Fashion Site” in several years. The Wired UK magazin elected Markafoni two times to the hottest 100 companies in Europe. Sina was also selected (2014 & 2015) to the Top 100 most influential tech people Europe. In 2016 he was selected as one of Top 100 most influential tech people in the World (Wired Magazine). The Forbes Magazin selected him 2019 as one of the 100 brightest minds in Turkey.
Sina is also president of 1907 Fenerbahçe esports – one of the biggest esports organizations in Turkey.
Prior to his Entrepreneurship career, Sina spent more than 5 years with eBay and 12 years with KPMG. Sina received a “Diplom Kaufmann” from Münster University and joined later Harvard Business School. He speaks five languages. He shares his thoughts on eCommerce in his personal blog www.sinaafra.com and on twitter (@sinaafra).
Stephen King
Economist, Adviser and Author
Stephen King
Economist, Adviser and Author
Stephen King is an economist and author. Stephen’s fourth book, ‘We Need to Talk About Inflation,’ was published by Yale in April 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. The Financial Times described the book as “highly readable and informative…essential reading for economic policymakers everywhere” while the Times said it was “brilliantly clear and concise”. Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England, described it as “timely, well-researched and very well-written”.
His last book, ‘Grave New World: The End of Globalization, the Return of History’ (Yale, 2017), was long-listed for the FT-McKinsey Business Book of the Year and later picked as a ‘book of the year’ by the Financial Times. It has since been translated into multiple languages.
Between 2018 and 2023, Stephen was a regular columnist for the London Evening Standard. He has also written for, among others, the Financial Times, the Times, the Independent and the New York Times.
Between 2015 and the 2017 General Election, he was a Special Adviser to the House of Commons Treasury Committee. In 2023, he was invited to provide oral evidence on inflation to both the Treasury Committee and the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee. Stephen is an accomplished public speaker and has presented at conferences all over the world.
As part of a portfolio of interests and following 17 years as HSBC’s Chief Global Economist, Stephen was appointed HSBC’s Senior Economic Adviser in 2015. Stephen’s career began at H.M.Treasury, where he was an economic adviser within the civil service. Stephen studied at New College, Oxford. In his spare time, he plays the piano
Tankut Turnaoğlu
Turnaoglu Turnaround Consultancy Founding Partner
Tankut Turnaoğlu
Turnaoglu Turnaround Consultancy Founding Partner
With a career that spans over three decades at Procter & Gamble, my journey has culminated in the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager for Turkey, Caucasus, and Central Asia. My mission is to drive strategic growth and sustainable practices within the region, leveraging my expertise in key account management , strategic marketing research and use of AI technology in FMCG.
As a board member of multiple organizations, including AMCHAM Turkey as the chair between 2019-2025, I have honed my competencies in corporate citizenship and innovation. Our team's efforts have been instrumental in fostering a new work culture that resonates with today's diverse workforce, underpinned by my belief in the transformative power of sport and entrepreneurship in building confident, forward-thinking communities in initiatives such as " Yıldız Anneler/ Star Moms".
Now my objective is other companies also benefit from my experience and expertise to increase the value of their companies thru my new company Turnaoğlu Turnaround Consultancy.
Ümit Nuri Yıldız
Board Member & CEO, Alarko Holding
Ümit Nuri Yıldız
Board Member & CEO, Alarko Holding
Ümit Nuri Yıldız was born in Erzurum in 1966. He graduated from the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University in 1986. He obtained his MSc degree from University of Illinois. In 1987, he started working as Assistant Auditor at Board of Auditors of the Ministry of Finance. Yıldız continued to work in the Ministry as Auditor and Chief Auditor until 1997. He was appointed Deputy General Manager of the Turkish Employment Organization in 1997. He resigned from his position and joined the Alarko Group of Companies in 1998. Mr. Yıldız worked as Senior Vice President, Financial Analysis, System and Planning between 1998-2018. Having been appointed as General Manager of Alarko Holding A.Ş. in 2018, Ümit Nuri Yıldız was elected as Member of the Board of Alarko Holding A.Ş. in 2020. Mr. Yıldız has been appointed as the CEO of Alarko Group of Companies in 2021, and still serves as Board Member of various companies included in Alarko Group of Companies. Mr. Yıldız speaks English.
Z. Burak Mercan
General Manager, Altınay Defense Technologies
Z. Burak Mercan
General Manager, Altınay Defense Technologies
Z. Burak Mercan is a seasoned executive with a strong background in mechanical engineering and extensive experience in the defense industry. He earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and later completed an Executive MBA at Istanbul University’s Institute of Business Economics, equipping him with advanced leadership and strategic management skills.
He began his career in 2003 as a Mechanical Design Engineer at Beko Elektronik A.Ş. before joining Altınay Robotics Technologies in 2008, where he took on key roles as Project Manager and Operations Manager. In 2014, he transitioned to Altınay Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, where he held critical leadership positions, including Business Development and Projects Director, Engineering Director, and Deputy General Manager (Engineering & Projects), spearheading impactful projects.
Between 2020 and 2024, Mercan served as the founding General Manager of DASAL Aerospace Technologies, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s vision for delivering innovative and cutting-edge solutions in the defense sector. In 2022, he was appointed as the General Manager of Altınay Defense Technologies, where he continues to shape the company’s strategic direction in key areas such as motion control systems, unmanned systems, naval systems, weapon systems, and demilitarization solutions.
Since 2019, he has also been serving as a Board Member at TAAC Aerospace Technologies. Known for his innovative and dynamic leadership approach, Mercan continues to lead projects that drive transformation and progress in the defense sector.
With his visionary perspective and disciplined work ethic, he remains committed to advancing Altınay Defense Technologies on the global stage. Despite his demanding professional responsibilities, Z. Burak Mercan values his family life; he is married and the father of one child.
Wiebke Schloemer
IFC Director for Türkiye and Central Asia
Wiebke Schloemer
IFC Director for Türkiye and Central Asia
Wiebke Schloemer is IFC’s Director for Türkiye and Central Asia. She leads IFC’s operations in the region, driving the strategy in sustainability, innovation, Public-Private-Partnerships, and digital transformation to enable private investments across the region. Ms. Schloemer has vast global experience in finance and impact investing across industries, in particular infrastructure, energy, telecoms and industrials. She has spent the last 20 years in various leadership positions with the IFC/World Bank Group across the globe, working with innovation and growth driven companies and advising Governments on sustainable private sector development. As an executive and experienced board director, her expertise spans business transformation, risk assessment and management, sustainability and governance, and leading under complexity.
Prior to joining IFC, Ms. Schloemer held positions with the European Investment Bank and DEG/KfW Group in Germany. She has a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Göttingen, a Postgraduate degree in Development Policy from the German Development Institute, and the Corporate Director Certificate from Harvard Business School.
