Hamdi Akın was born in 1954. He graduated from Gazi University, Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 1976 he founded Akfen Holding, whose main activity area is to invest in, manage and coordinate partnerships and subsidiaries active in infrastructure and superstructure construction, port management, marine transportation, water distribution and waste water services, energy and real estate sectors. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Akfen Holding, he is also the Chairman of Board at MIP (Mersin International Port), Akfen Renewable Energy (Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji A.Ş.) and Akfen REIT (Akfen Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı A.Ş.). In 1997, he founded the TAV brand to build and operate Turkey's first high capacity airport in the aviation sector, one of the hardest sectors of the world, and he managed the company as Chairman of Board until 2017.
In addition to his private entrepreneurship, Mr. Akın realized projects in infrastructure, energy and investment in scope of privatization efforts. He also carried his dynamism and hard work in business to volunteer efforts and non-governmental organizations as a Manager and founder of many societies, foundations, chambers of commerce. He has served as Vice President of Fenerbahçe Sports Club (2000-2002), MESS-Metal Industrialists’ Union President of Ankara Regional Representatives Council (1992-2004), President of TÜGİAD-Turkish Young Businessmen’s Association(1998-2000), Board Member of TİSK-Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Associations (1995-2001), Board Member of TÜSİAD-Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association President of Information Society and New Technologies Commission (2008-2009) and Board Member of Clean Seas Association/TURMEPA (2011-2018).
Hamdi Akın is a founder of the Contemporary Turkey Studies Chair at the London School of Economics. He is also the Founding Member and Honorary President of the Turkey Human Resources Foundation (TİKAV), founded in 1999 to provide Turkey with well-trained human resources. He is also member of the Board of Trustess at Support and Education Foundation for Basketball and Board Member of Bodrum Promotion Foundation (BOTAV).
After graduating from Surrey University, UK, in 2010, Pelin Akın Özalp started her career in the Deutsche Bank. Following her return to Turkey, she attended the MT Program of TAV Airports Holdings. Later moving on to the parent company, she has been serving as a Board Member in Akfen Holding as of 2012.
She is an active member of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors at TİKAV (Turkish Human Resources Education and Health Foundation) and Vice President of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award-Türkiye National Committee. She is also Chairwoman at the Advisory Board of the Contemporary Turkish Studies Chair founded in London School of Economics since 2010.
She has been serving in DEİK(Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey) as a Board Member in Spanish, British and US Business Councils. She is also a Board Member of Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD), Turkey Business Women's Association (TIKAD), the Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA), Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TURKONFED) and American Turkish Society (ATS) Boards and Steering Committee Member at Inclusive Capitalism at the moment.
Previously, her experience entails different Board Memberships in various networks such as Association of Family Businesses (TAİDER) and Turkey Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Young Entrepreneurs Advisory Councils, Association of Women in Board of Directors (YKKD). She was elected as the youngest deputy board member in TUSIAD in 2014.
Currently serving as Board Member of Akfen Holding, and Board of Directors Member of Akfen Renewable Energy, Akfen REIT, Istanbul Sea Buses (İDO) and Travelex.
She has enjoyed her YPO network from 2013-2020.
Selim Akın, graduated from Surrey University, Business Administration Department in the United Kingdom, and after coming back to Turkey Mr. Akın started his professional career in the Akfen Holding Accounting Department and later served in the Project Development and Finance Departments.
The main projects in which he participated are the privatization and financing of Vehicle Inspection Stations, the privatization and financing of Mersin Port and Akfen Holding’s public offering and bond issue. Besides his Chairman of the Board of Directors role at Akfen İnşaat ve Turizm A.Ş. and İstanbul Fast Ferries (İDO), Mr. Akın also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO at Akfen Holding and its various subsidiaries.
Mr. Akın is a member of TÜSİAD, Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD), Young Businessmen Association of Turkey (TÜGİAD) and Turkish Contractors Association (TMB) Supervisory Board. He has also been serving as DEİK representative since 2018.
In 2001, Mr. Durak graduated from Hacettepe University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences and started his professional career as an Assistant Account Specialist at the Ministry of Finance in the same year. Between 2005 and 2008, Mr. Durak worked as an Account Specialist at the Ministry of Finance and Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance, and served as Group Manager at the Ankara Tax Office between 2008 and 2009. After completing his master's degree in Finance at the University of Illinois between 2010-2011, he returned to Turkey and was appointed as Chief Tax Inspector in 2012. In June 2013, he joined Deloitte Turkey and worked as a certified public accountant with the titles of tax director and tax partner until August 2017. Gündoğan Durak is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) registered in Illinois, USA. He also holds CMA and CGMA certificates. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Independent Auditor, CMB Level 3, Derivatives and Corporate Governance licenses and is also a member of TÜSİAD Tax Working Group.
He currently serves as the Assistant General Manager in charge of Financial Affairs at Akfen Holding A.Ş.
Sıla Cılız İnanç, graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Law in 1995, joined Akfen Holding in 1997 upon having carried out law internship in 1996.She took part in Public Private Partnership projects (PPP) in Turkey, mergers and acquisitions, worked in concern with infrastructure, construction, energy and competition law. She took an active role in secondary legislation of Public Tender Law. She worked at every stage of build-operate-transfer projects, transfer of rights/concession and all process of privatizations implementations including tenders and transfers in which Akfen and its subsidiaries participated, also dealt with establishment of financial structures, facility agreements and both share and bond issues laws and regulations. She conducted company and holding structure works. She is now Board of Directors Chief Legal Counsel of Akfen Holding A.Ş. and also Board Member of various Akfen Holding subsidiaries, Akfen Altyapı Danışmanlık A.Ş. and Akfen İnşaat Turizm ve Ticaret A.Ş.
Having graduated from Gazi University, Department of Economics and Finance in 1977, İrfan Erciyas started his professional career at Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası. After serving as Inspector and branch manager at Türkiye Vakıflar Bankası, he worked as Executive Vice President from 1996-2002 and as CEO from 2002-2003. In 2003, he joined Akfen Holding as Vice Chairman and played a key role in Vehicle Inspection Stations, privatization of Mersin International Port and İDO, establishment of Akfen REIT and Akfen Energy, the IPO of Akfen Holding and Akfen REIT, sales of subsidiaries’ shares and longterm finance. Since March 2010, İrfan Erciyas has served as Executive Director at Akfen Holding; in addition, he is the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Board Member at a number of Akfen Holding affiliates and subsidiaries.
Oğuz Satıcı was born in Istanbul in 1965. He started his education path at Reşitpaşa Elementary School, continued with Mahmutpaşa Junior High and Kabataş Erkek Lisesi ( Kabataş Boys’ School). He started his business life in his family business of Oguz Iplik Company at his early age. He attended to Washington International University and got his Business Administration degree while he was working at the same time. He established in 1991 the textile production and export company Tekfil Iplik Orme Sanayi ve Ticaret AS and Polaris Tekstil Sanayi Ticaret AS in 1994.
He was elected as the youngest Assembly Member of Istanbul Chamber of the Commerce (ITO) in 1990.
He was a board member of Economic Development Foundation between 1996 and 1998.
He was the Chairman of Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Export Association between 1999 and 2001.
He was a board member of the Coordination Committee for the Improvement of the Investment Environment of Turkey (YOİKK) in 2001-2008.
He was a board member of the Investment Advisory Council of Turkey (YDK) in 2004-2008.
He was the Chairman of Turkish Exporter Assembly (TIM) in between 2001 and 2008.
During his leadership period at the TIM, he traveled all around the world in order to increase the Turkish exports. Turkey Export figures has increased % 500 and reached 130 billion USD from only 26 billion USD during Satıcı leadership of Turkish Exporter Assembly.
Oguz Satıcı is known for his innovative and modern ideas and his success in teamwork, and respectfully recognized in exporters and business arena.
Bahattin Yücel was born in Nazilli, 1949 who graduated from Fatih Saraçhanebaşı Elementary School (Istanbul), Bakırköy-Kartaltepe Elementary School, Konya Ereğli High School and then Istanbul University, Faculty of Law in 1968. He started his career in Kayhan Turizm (Hertz Rent a Car) while studying history in Faculty of Literature of Istanbul University and graduated in 1975.
He became co-founder of Esin Turizm A.Ş (Europcar) between 1975-1982 and worked as the general secretariat of Associaiton of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) between 1979-1983. Then he continued his management business in Ekin Turizm in between 1982-1991.
Between 1991-1995, been elected as 19th era senator to the Parliament of Turkey, Deputy, he used to be members of Commission of Public Works, Transportation and Tourism, Commission of Investigation of Unidentified Murders and Commission of Investigation of Events in Gazi District. Committee member in 1995 He was a Parliament of Turkey’s Gazi Neighbor’s case investigation committee member. After he was reelected to Parliament he became the Minister of Tourism between 1996 and 1997.
Aziz Ahmet Kacar after graduated from the Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences in Ankara, started his business career in Vakıflar Bankası as a clerk in 1976. In 1988 he participated in founding Fund Management of Vakıflar Bankası and continued as Group Director of Information Tchnologies in the same bank. Then he took place in establishing new Technologies in Vakıflar Bankası like atm, debit card, call center, call center, phone banking, pos devices and internet banking.
Becoming Manager of Başkent Branch he established the first financial market unit of the bank in 1994. He became CFO and deputy CEO for Information Tecnologies, Retail Loans, Retail Banking, Creit Cards, Corporate Finance, marketing respectively between 1997 and 2003. At the same time he used to be deputy CEO for Güneş Hayat (Vakıf Eemeklilik), member of Board of Directors in Takasbank, BKM, some subsidaries of Vakıflar Bankası and TSKB.
Kacar became CEO of Vakıflar Bankası between 2003 and 2005. He was CEO and also member of Board of Directors in Ankara Sigorta A.Ş. and Ankara Emeklilik A.Ş. until 2007. Fo the followig 5 years he was the member Board of Directors of Kiler GYO A.Ş and its subsidaries. Since 2012, he is an independent consultant.
