KONUŞMACILAR
Mehmet Şimşek
Republic of Türkiye Minister of Treasury and Finance
Christian Wulff
Executive Board Member at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye
Christian Wulff
Executive Board Member at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cem Öztürk
Eurasia MCO Lead
Cem Öztürk
Eurasia MCO 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.
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.
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.
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.
Fuat Tosyalı
Founder and Chairman of Tosyalı Holding
Fuat Tosyalı
Founder and Chairman of Tosyalı Holding
Fuat Tosyalı, the founder and the chairman of Tosyalı Holding, which is operating in 3
different continents with nearly 40 production facilities and nearly 15.000 employees, was
born in 1961. Starting his business life as an apprentice in his father’s Hacı Şerif Tosyalı pipe
store in 1967, he took over the business in the 70s. Fuat Tosyalı founded the companies
Tosyalı Metal Trade in 1988, Tosyalı lronandSteelCompany in 1993 andTosyalı lnternational
Trade in1996.
Following domestic and international market growth in varying steel segments, Fuat Tosyalı
initiated the institutionalization of the group by founding Tosyalı Holding in 1998 as a
progressive step in the group's history. Since then, Fuat Tosyalı hasbeen serving
astheChairman of Tosyalı Holding Board of Directors.
As chairman, he played a leading role in drawing the path to open the doors to global
markets & international cooperations. Tosyalı Algérie (2011) which, is the biggest investment
of Türkiye abroad, Tosçelik Niksic Montenegro (2012), Tosyalı Toyo (2012) - partnership with
Japanese Toyo Kohan, Tosyalı Harsco (2017) - partnership with US Harsco, Tosyalı Senegal
(2019), Tosyalı Angola (2020), Tosyalı STS Spain (2024) and Tosyalı SULB (2024) have
been the successful implementations of the global focus strategy of him.
During the 50 - year term of Fuat Tosyalı, Tosyalı group not only widened the gap with its
competitors in domestic market but also managed to be listed among the top 100 global steel
players.
Fuat Tosyalı has also been the Chairman of BMC, one of Türkiye's most established
commercial and military vehicle manufacturers, since 2021.
Fuat Tosyalı is also serving as the Chairman of the Board of the Turkish Steel Producers
Association, Chairman of the Board of Mediterranean Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals
Exporters' Association, Executive Board Membership of Foreign Economic Relations Board
(DEIK) – Africa Business Councils Coordinator Presidency, Senegal Business Council
Presidency, Türkiye Wealth Fund Board Member, Board Membership of the Turkish Tax
Council, Chairman of Türkiye's Automobile EnterpriseGroup(TOGG) aswellasbeingamember
oftheTurkishExporters Assembly (TiM).
Fuat Tosyalı has been honored by many respectful organizations and public authorities:
• 1999 Honorary Award by Turkish Republic President
• 2007 Distinguished Service Medal by Grand National Assembly of Türkiye
• 2017Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Honorary Doctorate
• 2017 People & Environment Award by Istanbul Trade Union
• 2022 Türkiye's Power of Production Award by lndependent lndustrialists' and
Businessmen's Association
• 2024 Ambassador Award by Japan Embassy Türkiye
İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp
Rönesans Holding Chair of the Board of Directors
İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp
Rönesans Holding Chair of the Board of Directors
İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp graduated from the Economics Department of the Middle East Technical University in 2000. She worked in the field of asset management and finance at various international companies until 2006. In 2006, Kayaalp began her role as a member of the Executive Board of Rönesans Holding and as the Head of Treasury Group for Rönesans Holding Group Companies. As of 2014, she is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Rönesans Holding. İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp was ranked first in the “40 Under 40” list in 2017, and in 2018, she was among the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders. In the same year, Kayaalp was selected as the “Social Responsibility Leader” in the “Women To Watch”-Women Making a Difference list. In addition to being a member of the Board of Trustees and the Board Member of “Rönesans Education Foundation”, she is also the member of Business Advisory Board at UNICEF Turkiye and the founder of the “Bir Adım Var” Foundation.
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.
Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ
Turkish Businessman and Executive Board Member at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK
Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ
Turkish Businessman and Executive Board Member at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK
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.
Murat Özyeğin
Fiba Group Chairperson of the Board
Murat Özyeğin
Fiba Group Chairperson of the Board
Murat Özyeğin began his career in 1998 as a financial analyst in the Merger and Acquisition Group of Bear Stearns & Co., a New York-based global investment bank and transferred to the company’s London office as a Senior Analyst in 2000.
He returned to Türkiye in 2003 to take an active role in the management of Fiba Group, founded by his father Hüsnü Özyeğin. He established the Strategic Planning and Business Development divisions at Finansbank (owned by Fiba Group until 2006) and Fiba Holding.
Before assuming the role of Chairperson of Fiba Group in 2019, Murat Özyeğin served as a member of the Board of Directors of Fiba Group between 2003-2019.
Murat Özyeğin also serves as the Chairperson of Türkiye–U.S. Business Council (TAİK), and Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Women on Board Association Turkey. He served as Vice President of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) between 2017-2023 and is a member of Board of Trustees of Özyeğin University, Board Member of Hüsnü M. Özyeğin Foundation, member of Harvard University Global Advisory Council, member of Board of Dean’s Advisory of Harvard Business School, member of Endeavor Board of Directors and member of Global Relations Forum.
He has been serving as Honorary Consul – General of the Republic of Singapore since 2016.
He graduated Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in Industrial Management and Economics and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
He is 48 years old and has four children.
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.
Stephen King
HSBC Senior Economic Adviser
Stephen King
HSBC Senior Economic Adviser
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
Vahap Küçük
Chairman of LC Waikiki Executive Board
Vahap Küçük
Chairman of LC Waikiki Executive Board
Mr. Vahap Kucuk was born in 1961, in Dogansehir, Malatya and completed his education in Dogansehir. He was engaged in trade for a while in Malatya and then moved to Istanbul in 1990. Mr. Vahap Kucuk was one of the founding partners of Tema Tekstil Pazarlama A.S.
In the meantime, he completed the Strategic Business Management Expertise Programme in Marmara University.
Mr. Vahap Kucuk had been the General Manager of Tema Tekstil Pazarlama A.S. for 8 years. Throughout that period, LC Waikiki succeeded to have the most prominent and widespread dealer network in Turkey and became a market leader in several segments. Within the same period, Tema Tekstil globally obtained all the rights of LC Waikiki and thus, LC Waikiki became a Turkish brand. As for today, with the mission of “everyone deserves to dress well”, LC Waikiki sustains its activities as a global Turkish brand in 82 countries in 5 continents, with 1300 stores and 45.000 employees.
Küçük, who has worked as CEO until 2003, has become the Chairman of the Executive Board after 2003. At the same time, he has accomplished the establishment of Küçükler Holding where all the partners belong to Küçük Family and he worked as Chairman of the Executive Board. In 2013, Küçük has become the first Chairman of the Executive Board of the Shopping Malls and Retailers Association Federation (TAMPF) which was established by Turkey’s modern retail sector’s joined collaboration and performed his task until April, 2015. Vahap Küçük, currently works as the Chairman of the Executive Board of LC Waikiki and the board member of Taha Holding. He is married and he has three children.
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.
