Board of Directors

GÜLER SABANCI

Chair

Güler Sabancı was born in Istanbul. After finishing high school education at TED Ankara College, Sabancı graduated from Boğaziçi University, Department of Business Administration.

Güler Sabancı is the Chair of Sabancı Holding since 2004, one of the leading and most reputable multi-business groups of Türkiye, operating in 14 countries.

Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sabancı Foundation, Güler Sabancı is also the Founding Chair of Sabancı University and Chair of the Sakıp Sabancı Museum. The first female member of the European Round Table for Industry, she sits on the MIT Energy Initiative’s External Advisory Board. She is also a member of The Trilateral Commission and TÜSİAD.

Besides being an effective industrialist, prominent business figure, and renowned artenthusiast, she has also been accepted as one of the most influential women in the region for her work on gender equality and social development. Her remarkable success has been recognized internationally with numerous awards, including the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award, the Clinton Global Citizen Award, the Raymond Georis Prize for Innovative Philanthropy, and the European School of Management Responsible Leadership Award.

She is the author of the book “Founding a University”, published in 2020.

EROL SABANCI

Vice Chair

Erol Sabancı served as a member of the Akbank Board of Directors between 1967 and March 2018. For a decade beginning from March 1998 Erol Sabancı was the Chairman of the Board of Directors. He has been a Consultant to the Board of Directors since 26 March 2018. Erol Sabancı also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sabancı Holding.

SUZAN SABANCI DİNÇER CBE

Board Member

Suzan Sabancı Dinçer is the Chairman of Akbank. Mrs. Sabancı Dinçer is also a board member of Sabancı Holding and a member of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University and the Sabancı Foundation. In 2009, Mrs. Sabancı Dinçer founded the Akbank International Advisory Board and currently serves as its chairman.

Mrs. Sabancı Dinçer is a member of the Institute of International Finance Board of Directors and Emerging Markets Advisory Board as well as Harvard University’s Global Advisory Council. Suzan Sabancı Dinçer is also co-chair of the New York-based American- Turkish Society, as well as a member of the Global Board of Advisors at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Board of Managing Directors of Venetian Heritage, Inc, and the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Council respectively.

From 2010 to 2014, Suzan Sabancı Dinçer served as the chairman of the Turkish-British Business Council for two terms. From 2009 to 2016, Mrs. Sabancı Dinçer sat on the Global Board of Advisors of Chatham House. Between 2014 and 2018, Mrs. Sabancı Dinçer acted as the Advisory Board President of the Women on Board Association Türkiye, dedicated to promoting social development by increasing female representation on boards. She is a founding member and board member of Endeavor Türkiye, a founding and honorary member of the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye, and chairman of the Executive Advisory Board and member of the board of patrons of the Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair.

SAIME GONCA ARTUNKAL

(Sakıp Sabancı Holding A.Ş. Represented by Saime Gonca Artunkal)

Board Member

Saime Gonca Artunkal received her undergraduate degree in economics from Oglethorpe University and her master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Boğaziçi University. She started her career in 1991 at Andersen Consulting and worked in investment banking and corporate finance at The Chase Manhattan, Morgan Stanley, Citi, Societe Generale and UBS in both London and Istanbul. She was the CEO and Chairperson of UBS in Türkiye until the end of 2018. Saime Gonca Artunkal has extensive risk management experience ranging from credit and market risks to reputational and compliance risks. During her banking career, she has held managerial roles covering various regions including the Middle East, Greece, Israel, Türkiye, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She has also worked on transactions in the UK, Europe and the US. She currently advises Turkish and international companies and families on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and corporate governance. She is a member of the Board of Truestees of Sabancı University, a member of the Advisory Board of FODER - Financial Literacy and Inclusion Association, Member of Audit Committee of KIHP – YC – Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways and a founding member of 65+ Elderly Rights Association.

SERRA SABANCI

Board Member

Serra Sabancı was born in Adana in 1975. She graduated from the University of Portsmouth, and then from the Istanbul Bilgi University Department of Economics at the top of her class. She began her professional career at Temsa, then received training on mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance at the Institute of Directors (IoD) in London.

Acting as a Board Member and Acting Chair at various Sabancı Group companies, including in textiles, chemicals, automotive, and cement, Serra Sabancı also served on the Audit Committee for five years at Sabancı Holding.

Serra Sabancı is currently a Member of the Board of Directors at Sabancı Holding, and a Member of the Board of Trustees at Sabancı University and the Sabancı Foundation. She leads and supervises the Foundation’s project on environmental awareness and animal rights protection for preschool and primary age groups.

CENK ALPER

Board Member and CEO

Cenk Alper received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in 1991. He has a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the same university as well as an MBA from Sabancı University.

Mr. Alper joined the Sabancı Group in 1996 at Beksa, later taking on managing positions in Belgium and the US at Bekaert between 2002 and 2007. In 2007, Mr. Alper returned to Türkiye as the Global Technology Director at Kordsa and completed the establishment of its R&D center and Innovation division. After serving as COO, he led Kordsa’s transformation and secondary public offering as CEO between 2013 and 2017. In 2017, he took on a new role as Sabancı Holding Industry Group President. As of August 2019, Cenk Alper is the CEO and Board Member of Sabancı Holding. In recent years, he has been focusing on sustainable growth, entrepreneurship and technology management.

He is a member of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), the World Economic Forum (WEF), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the CNBC ESG Council, WORLD. MINDS and General Assembly of 30% Club Türkiye Campaign.

AHMET ERDEM

Independent Board Member

Ahmet Erdem graduated from Istanbul Technical University as a Civil Engineer and also studied Engineering Management at Istanbul University.

Mr. Erdem joined Shell in 1990. He worked in top executive roles in Türkiye, Middle East and Europe. After serving as the Investment Manager of Greece and Türkiye and as the Retail Sales Manager in Türkiye; in 2006, he performed a major role in the formation of the Shell & Turcas joint venture where he is still the Chairman of the Board. After his duties as Retail General Manager and Executive Committee Member during the integration of the Joint Venture, he served as the Country Chair Shell Kenya and as the Chairman of Shell Kenya that is the operational center of Shell in East Africa. He participated in Royal Dutch Shell’s risk management trainings in finance and reputation and has experience of 20 years in risk management.

In addition to his role as the Country Chair Shell Türkiye Mr. Erdem also serves as the Chairman of Shell & Turcas and as an Independent Member of the Board of Directors at Sabancı Holding.

Mr. Erdem served as Chairman of the International Investors Association (YASED) for two terms. He also serves as the Petroleum and Petroleum Products Industry Council President at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB); as the Vice Chairman at Oil Industry Association (PETDER); as a Board Member at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD Türkiye), United Nations Global Compact Türkiye and Energy Efficiency Association (ENVER) and as an Advisory Board Member at British Chamber of Commerce.

HAYRI ÇULHACI

Independent Board Member

Having graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences in 1978, Hayri Çulhacı obtained his MBA degree from Northeastern University, USA in 1986.

Between 1979 and 1990, he assumed various audit and management positions at the Ministry of Finance.

Having joined Akbank as Executive Vice President in 1990, Mr. Çulhacı became an Executive Director in 2009 and also served as the Vice President of the Executive Board, Chairman of Audit Committee, Corporate Management Committee and High Level Risk Committee from 2010 on. He was retired in 2020.

Hayri Çulhacı was also a member of the Board of Aksigorta A.Ş. and Avivasa and Chairman of Ak Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş. and Ak Portföy Yönetimi A.Ş. He is still the Vice Chairman and a member of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı Foundation.

MEHMET KAHYA

Independent Board Member

Mehmet Kahya received his double major BS degree in Chemical Engineering and Economics from Yale University and his MBA with majors in Finance, Marketing and Quantitative Methods from Kellogg School of Management.

He started his career as Management Services Manager at Sasa (1975-80) and later was Founder and Managing Director of MKM BV (Holland, 1980-84) and of Sibernetik Sistemler (1984-86). Mehmet Kahya rejoined Sabancı Group in 1986 as Automotive Group Vice President and was EVP/President of Temsa (1986-90) and Member of the Presidency of Toyotasa (1990-94) while serving as Member of the Management and Planning Council of Sabancı Holding and as Member of the Boards of Temsa, Toyotasa, Susa and Sapeksa.

In the period 1994-2006, various positions held by Mr. Kahya was Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the Board of CarnaudMetalbox, President of Uzel Makina and Member of the Executive Committee of Uzel Holding, General manager and Group Vice President of DYO, Member of the Executive Committee of Sarten Ambalaj, Shareholder and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Gierlings Velpor (Portugal, 2002- 2005), President of Assan Alüminyum.

Since 2006, he is advising boards/ shareholders as the Founder and Principal of Kronus. Currently he serves as an independent member on the Board of Directors at Brisa; member of the board at Temsa and Electrosalus Biyomedikal; and as shareholder advisor at various companies.