Gülfem Yorgancılar Perçin

Gülfem Yorgancılar Perçin was born on January 25, 1961. After graduating from Izmir Private Turkish College (ITK), she completed her undergraduate degree in Labour Economics and Industrial Relations at Dokuz Eylül University. Having held various positions at Yorglass since 1980, she currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board.

She served for two terms as an Assembly Member and Chair of the Professional Committee for the Glass and Ceramic Products sector, representing the 45th Professional Group of the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry (EBSO). She also pioneered the establishment of Türkiye’s first Glass Technologies Department at Bayraklı Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.

In 2019, she received the International Women’s Day Achievement Award presented by the Aegean Businesswomen Association (EGİKAD).

She previously served as a member of the Women Entrepreneurs Board of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), Vice Chairperson of the Board of the Family Business Association (TAİDER), and Board Representative of its Sustainability Committee. She currently serves as Chairperson of the Board of TAİDER. 

She is married and has one child.

Dr. Yusuf Soner

Having completed his education at METU (BSc in Mechanical Engineering), ITU (MSc in Nuclear Energy), Harvard Business School (AMP), and Yeditepe University (PhD in Business Administration), Dr. Yusuf Soner has undertaken senior executive roles such as Deputy General Manager at Anadolu Honda and General Manager at Temsa Motorlu Araçlar A.Ş.He has taught courses on management, sales, marketing, and family businesses at Sabancı University and has delivered corporate training programs to more than 150 companies.He currently provides management consulting and executive coaching across various sectors and is a member of the TAIDER Advisory Board. Serving as an Independent Board Member at Petroyağ and Anadolu Isuzu, Soner also has three published books in The field of management.

Mehmet Müderrisoğlu

Mehmet Müderrisoğlu, R.Ph., is the youngest of the three pharmacist sons of Kemal Müderrisoğlu, one of the first graduates of the Republic of Türkiye’s inaugural School of Pharmacy and a distinguished pharmacist who devoted his life to the profession. His brothers, Ali Müderrisoğlu and Ahmet Müderrisoğlu, also built their careers in the pharmaceutical industry and public health. After completing his primary and secondary education at Şişli Terakki High School and his high school education at TED Ankara College, he graduated from Nişantaşı School of Pharmacy in 1970. He is fluent in English, French, and German. He began his professional career by managing the historic Rebul Pharmacy, which he inherited from his father. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing, as well as the import and commercialization of medical devices and healthcare products. Building on his passion for cosmetic formulation, which began during his university years, he played a leading role in the development, production, and marketing of Rebul-branded colognes, aftershaves, and skincare products. He made significant contributions to establishing Rebul as one of Türkiye’s most recognized cosmetics brands before transferring the leadership of the company to his son, Kerim Müderrisoğlu, and proudly witnessing its continued international growth. Today, he continues his work through the MFM NUTRA and MFM Nutraceuticals brands, focusing on the development and production of innovative dietary supplements and cosmetic products. Drawing on decades of professional expertise, he remains dedicated to creating advanced formulations that contribute to the health and beauty industries. Mehmet Müderrisoğlu has also served in various roles within the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). In addition to his professional career, he has contributed to the field through academic activities and authorship. He is the author of several published books, including Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, My Father’s Century, What I Couldn’t Learn at the Faculty of Pharmacy, and The Guide to Health and Well-being. He has also completed a forthcoming publication entitled Home Patient Care. Since 2010, he has hosted and presented health-related television programs on various national television channels, continuing to share his extensive knowledge and experience in pharmacy, cosmetics, and preventive healthcare with the wider public.

Kerim Müderrisoğlu

Born in Istanbul in 1979, Kerim Müderrisoğlu began his academic journey at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science in the United States before earning his degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Marmara University.

Following his graduation, he joined the family business as the fourth-generation representative of Rebul, taking over the leadership from his father, Mehmet Müderrisoğlu. Today, he serves as Co-CEO of Rebul Holding.

With more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the beauty, fragrance, and personal care industry, Kerim Müderrisoğlu is dedicated to transforming a distinguished heritage into future growth opportunities. He believes that strategic vision, innovation, operational excellence, and people-centered leadership are the cornerstones of sustainable success.

His leadership philosophy is built on creating a compelling vision, developing high-performing teams, and delivering long-term value for employees, business partners, and customers. He believes that lasting success is achieved through a strong corporate culture, continuous improvement, and organizations that embrace change.

Under Kerim Müderrisoğlu's leadership, Rebul Holding has accelerated its international expansion while strengthening its manufacturing capabilities, research and development investments, and innovation-driven approach. He oversees the global growth strategy of both Atelier Rebul and Rebul Private Brands, positioning the company for continued success in international markets.

Founded in 1895 in Beyoğlu as one of Türkiye's first pharmacies, Rebul has evolved into one of the country's most established fragrance, personal care, and cosmetics companies. Backed by more than 130 years of expertise, advanced research and development laboratories, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, the company has become a trusted global manufacturer serving international markets.

Today, Rebul Holding continues to represent Türkiye successfully in the global beauty and personal care industry through its strong portfolio of brands, commitment to sustainable manufacturing, continuous investment in innovation, and world-class production capabilities.

Erdal Aksoy

Erdal Aksoy is the Founding Chairperson of Aksoy Holding since 1978.  Aksoy Holding is the parent company to a number of establishments including Turcas Holding (BIST:TRCAS), Shell & Turcas Petrol, RWE & Turcas Power, Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus, The Ritz-Carlton Residences Bodrum, Aksoy International Holding and Aksoy International Trade.

Erdal Aksoy is a Member of TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), and has in the past served as the Vice Chairperson of PODEM (Public Policy and Democracy Studies), Advisory Board Member of TESEV (Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation), Board Member of the Trustees of ADA (Azerbaijan Diplomacy Academy), Board Member of TISK (Confederation of the Turkish Employers Union), Chairperson of the Turkish Shipowners and Employers Union, Chairperson of the Istanbul Province of ANAP (Motherland Party), and President of the Sarıyer Sports Club.

Erdal Aksoy, who is an Electrical & Electronics Engineer from the Istanbul Technical University (1966), speaks fluent English, and is married with two children and three grandchildren. Mr. Aksoy’s inspiring life story has been the subject of the book and documentary titled “Life is all about solving problems” by journalists Messrs. Rıdvan Akar and Hilmi Hacaloğlu.

Ercüment Büyükşener

Ercüment Büyükşener is a digital transformation and artificial intelligence strategist, trainer, consultant, and author with nearly 20 years of experience in digital branding, marketing, and business transformation.

He has provided consulting services to leading organizations such as Sony, Diageo, Eczacıbaşı, and Zorlu Holding, and currently advises more than 30 national and international companies. He has taught at Bilgi University, Boğaziçi University, and Kadir Has University, and regularly writes about technology, digital transformation, and the future of business for Bloomberg Businessweek Türkiye and Harvard Business Review Türkiye.

He also serves as the moderator of “AI Desk (Yapay Zekâ Masası)”, a video series published on the HBR Türkiye YouTube channel.

Hande Yaşargil

Founder of Mentor Consulting, Hande Yaşargil is a pioneering consultant in the fields of executive coaching and leadership development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and Development. She earned her diploma in Organizational Clinical Psychology and an Executive Master’s degree in Coaching and Consulting for Change from INSEAD Business School. Since 2010, she has been serving as a  Lead Coach in various executive education programs across INSEAD’s campuses in France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.

Yaşargil is also a Partner at Praesta UK, one of the United Kingdom’s leading executive coaching firms, and a consultant with the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI), founded by Professor Manfred Kets de Vries—recognized globally as one of the most influential leadership thinkers of our time.

She advises numerous international and local organizations on leadership development and executive coaching.

As a passionate leader for social causes, Hande served in Vice Chair and Board Member roles in PERYON (Turkish People Management Association) and the founding President role in EMCC European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) Turkey, and as Diversity and Inclusion Board Director of EMCC UK. 

Yaşargil serves as the Founding Chair of ‘Women onBoards Association Turkiye’, which leads "The Cross Company Mentoring Program for More Women on Boards” since 2011. She also serves as a Board Director at European Women on Boards (EWOB).

She writes, speaks, and teaches on leadership psychology, leading through change, diversity and inclusion, women’s leadership, gender equality, and family business succession planning. She is the co-author of the books Leading a Board and Coaching in Family-Owned Business.

Yaşargil lives in London and Istanbul with her 16-year-old daughter.

Mehmet Ünlütürk

An entrepreneur and executive with professional expertise in finance, Mehmet Ünlütürk graduated from Electrical/Electronics Engineering at Stony Brook University in New York and completed his MBA in Business Administration/Finance at the University of Toronto. Mehmet Ünlütürk has 17 years of experience in financial analysis, financial markets, accounting principles and fund management with extensive work experience in leading banks and financial institutions in Canada and Turkey.

Currently he is the Chairperson of the Board of MNS Wealth Management and Practical Storage Company.

Ozan Turan

Ozan Turan graduated from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Yeditepe University and subsequently completed an executive education program in Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Stanford University.

He began his professional career at ODE Insulation as an Export Sales Specialist before moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he worked as a Sales Engineer at Viessmann Middle East.

Following his tenure as Russia Sales and Marketing Director at ODE Insulation between 2013 and 2014, Turan assumed the role of Asia Business Development Manager, further expanding his international business experience. He later completed his MBA in Marketing and Management at Bentley University in Boston. Upon returning to ODE Insulation, he went on to serve as International Business Development Manager and subsequently as Export Director.

Since 2013, Turan has served as the Ernst & Young Next Gen Türkiye Ambassador and has actively represented ODE Insulation across leading industry associations. In previous years, he served as a Member of the Foreign Trade Committee of the Turkish Construction Materials Industrialists’ Association (Türkiye İMSAD), Chairman of the Foreign Trade Working Group of the Association of Thermal, Water, Sound and Fire Insulators (İZODER), and a Member of the Board of the Bituminous Waterproofing Manufacturers Association (BİTÜDER).

He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of İZODER and as a Member of the Board of Türkiye İMSAD, while also being a member of the Turkish Family Business Association (TAİDER), continuing his active involvement in industry and civil society organizations.

Throughout his career at ODE Insulation, Turan has held a range of leadership responsibilities across Export, Marketing, Business Development, Domestic Sales, Procurement, and Planning. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of ODE Insulation.

Özlem Eren

Papatya Karkıner

After graduating from the Faculty of Communication at Galatasaray University, Papatya Karkıner completed her master’s degree in Media Communications Management at Middlesex University. She began her professional career in the Strategy Development and International Projects Department of Bornova Municipality, before joining her family business, Şenol Law Firm, where she served as Corporate Development Manager.

While pursuing her PhD in Management and Organization at Yaşar University, Karkıner focused on institutionalization, human resources, and investment. During this period, she co-founded Savatel Call Center with her family and served as its General Manager.

Following her studies in Creative Industries at Utrecht University, she founded Kovan, an art gallery and creative workshop in İzmir’s Kemeraltı district. She continues to expand her art collection and library and also serves as Vice President of the İzmir Tevfik Fikret High School Alumni Association.

Since June 2023, Karkıner has been serving as the Executive Director of TAİDER (Turkish Family Business Association).

Karkıner speaks English and French. She is married and has two children.

Nevra Eker

Nevra Eker was born in Bursa in 1976. After graduating from Bursa Private İnal Ertekin Primary School, she completed her middle and high school education at Robert College. Nevra Eker pursued her university education in International Relations at Duke University in the United States between 1994 and 1998. In 1996, she participated in the Erasmus exchange program at Leiden University in the Netherlands. She is highly proficient in English and has intermediate proficiency in French.

In 2006, she completed the Executive MBA program at Boğaziçi University and earned her master's degree in business administration.

She began her professional career in June 1998 as a Marketing Coordinator at Eker Dairy Products. Nevra Eker, who played a significant role in Eker’s organizational development in the areas of sales, logistics, distribution, product development, brand management, and marketing, currently serves as Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Deputy General Manager responsible for the Supply Chain at Eker Dairy Products.

A mother of two children, Nevra Eker believes that, in addition to the roles of woman, businesswoman, and mother, dedicating time to personal hobbies empowers women as individuals. She herself is interested in sports such as running, sailing, skiing, and yoga, and competes in the J/70 sailing class in Türkiye and around the world with the Eker Sailing.

Merve Yorgancılar Işıtmak

Merve Yorgancılar Işıtmak was born in Istanbul in 1995 and graduated from the Department of Psychology at Sabancı University. She began her professional career at an agency and, after four years of experience in the industry, joined Yorglass, an industrial company operating in the glass sector.

Merve Yorgancılar Işıtmak joined Yorglass in September 2019, initially serving as Corporate Communications and Marketing Specialist and Board Member. In 2020, she was appointed Corporate Communications Manager while continuing her role as a Board Member. During her work in corporate communications, Yorgancılar focused on creating a strong impact in internal communications and founded Ming Technology in 2021 to manage these activities through a single platform with a participatory corporate approach.

Actively serving as the Founder of Ming, Işıtmak continues her work, bringing a fresh perspective to business life. Her memberships include prominent organizations such as the White Goods Suppliers Association (BEYSAD), the Corporate Governance Association of Türkiye (TKYD), and the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD).

Yiğit Küçükkınay

Yiğit Küçükkınay is a co-founder of a venture that has expanded from a family business with a 65-year history in the fuel industry into an entirely different sector. He began his career in the wholesale sales division of the family-owned company, Hedef Petrol A.Ş. Following more than two and a half years of concept development and over two years of construction, he launched Longosphere in İğneada, Kırklareli, in July 2020 together with his family partners. Today, as Co-Founder and Managing Director of Longosphere, he oversees the facility’s operations, concept development, marketing, and investment processes. He also continues to work part-time in the family’s fuel business and, together with his family partners, manages an investment in five vehicle inspection stations across Edirne and Kırklareli.

Serdar Atabek

Serdar Atabek is an entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years of experience in the logistics industry. A second-generation member of the Atabek family and Executive Board Member at Tur Transit Lojistik, he began his career at the family company as a Fleet Management Specialist, later advancing to Fleet Manager and Project Cargo Director. A graduate of Istanbul Bilgi University in Business Informatics, he developed deep expertise in heavy transport and load engineering from 2018 onwards, before founding TITAN Project in 2021 as an intrapreneurial venture within the family business. TITAN Project is an internationally active company focused on project cargo transportation, heavy-lifting, jacking - skidding and load engineering. Atabek also serves as Co-Leader of the TAİDER Entrepreneurship Committee, where he contributes actively to Turkey's entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Uğur Üstünel

Besim Uğur Üstünel graduated from Saint-Joseph French High School and went on to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University. He pursued his graduate studies at Boston University, where he completed dual master’s degrees in Business Administration (MBA) and Manufacturing Engineering.

He began his professional career in the United States as a Marketing Manager at Teradyne Inc. In 2004, he joined his family business and currently serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board of METYX Group. He also serves as a Board Member of EPTA Europe.

Actively involved in sports, Üstünel is the Founder and President of the Manisa Water Sports Club Association. He also served for many years as a volunteer manager of the Turkish national water polo teams under the Turkish Water Polo Federation.

In his professional career, he focuses on sustainable growth, institutionalization, and internationalization.

İrem Arısoy

İrem Arısoy is the second generation of Arısoy Law and a dual-qualified lawyer admitted to the bars of Türkiye and England & Wales. A graduate of the Austrian High School (St. Georg) with a Matura diploma and Özyeğin University Faculty of Law, she was admitted to the Istanbul Bar in 2017. She then practised as a lawyer at Arısoy Law, a firm with over 35 years of experience providing legal-based management consultancy to businesses. During this period, she undertook international legal internships in England and Germany and, following a year-long programme, obtained an American Law certificate from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in European Union Law at Marmara University.

With the goal of institutionalising her family business, Arısoy Law, she joined the Istanbul office of one of the world's leading law firms between 2020 and 2024. Working across all practice areas as a certified legal translator, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, she gained first-hand experience of corporate structure and international operations.

During this time, she passed the England & Wales Bar Examination and then relocated to London to lead the internationalisation of Arısoy Law. Registered as a solicitor by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, she obtained the right to practise in both jurisdictions and established the London Desk of Arısoy Law. She provides legal-based management consultancy to clients in corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, and family constitutions.

Driven by a vision of sound family business governance and healthy generational transition, İrem Arısoy co-leads the Next Generation project "Healing Foundations" under FBN International. The project focuses on strengthening the competencies of next-generation members navigating succession. Since 2023, she has organised over 10 events across 6 countries.

Active on TAİDER's North Star and Next Generation Committees, Arısoy is committed to the sustainability of family businesses globally and in Türkiye. As the second generation of a family business herself, she regards this work as an inseparable part of her professional and private life.

Can Selçuki

Can is the managing partner of Research İstanbul. He graduated from Bilkent University, Department of Industrial Engineering. He received his master's degree in economics from Bocconi University. For 4 years, he worked as an economist at the World Bank Ankara Office. Before joining the World Bank, he worked as an economist at the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS) for 3 years. He has published articles and reports on trade competitiveness, regional competition and innovation policies in Türkiye. He is currently a board member of the Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Research (EDAM). Can also gives talks on global and Turkish trends and consumer habits.

Onur Eren

Onur is the founder of Light Eagle AG, a B Corp-certified Swiss impact family office investing in climate, regenerative economy, financial inclusion and applied AI. Through Light Eagle, he is building Weya, an AI platform for impact portfolio management. He chairs Aren Family Office, a shareholder of İnci Holding, and sits on the board of Maxion Wheels Turkey.

Across impact networks, he supports collaboration for systemic transformation. He is a Family Business Network (FBN) Impact Leader, active in Toniic, and works closely with The Impact Office (TIO). He is the founding NextGen President of FBN Turkey (TAİDER) and chairs the Turquoise Coast Environment Fund.

Before this, Onur founded KolayOto.com, which became Turkey's leading online tyre platform, and exited in 2021. Earlier, he led business development for İnci Akü in Ukraine and Russia and worked at Garanti Bank. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering.

He is a trained Council Guide and steward of StarSeed, a regenerative farm and ceremony ground in Seferihisar. He is also an ultra-distance athlete and a father of three.

Gesa Marie Fischer

Gesa-Marie is a curious explorer, drawn to the raw, unfiltered essence of the world. Having visited over 120 countries, travel has become her greatest teacher. She goes where most people don’t, intentionally seeking places that are overlooked, misunderstood, or portrayed only through conflict, such as Afghanistan, Sudan, and Papua New Guinea. Through these journeys, she challenges assumptions beyond the headlines and inspires others to live with greater curiosity, presence, and compassion.

As the third-generation Managing Director of PETROFER, a global industrial specialty chemicals company with plants across Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa, a warrior spirit and deep commitment to growth are woven into her DNA. Strategy consulting trained her in theory, while leading PETROFER continues to teach her the art of execution and the complexities of human psychology. She is passionate about creating space for others to grow, lead, and shine.