Agenda

Tankut Turnaoğlu

Chair, AmCham Türkiye

Nikolaos Bakatselos

President, AmCham Greece

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President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan

Mr. Dayanat Sadullayev currently serves as the Deputy CEO and Member of the Executive Board at PASHA Holding LLC, where he has been driving strategic initiatives since June 2023. He has been the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan (AmCham) as of June 2024, a role he is excited to undertake.

With over 20 years of experience in finance and management, his career began in the accounting sector, where he progressed from Chief Accountant to Financial Controller before stepping into executive roles. He has also served on the boards of several companies, including PASHA Insurance OJSC and PASHA Technology LLC, reflecting his commitment to growth and innovation. Mr. Sadullayev is passionate about financial management, operational efficiency, and strategic planning, and takes pride in navigating complex challenges in both local and international markets. Actively participating in initiatives aimed at enhancing the business climate in Azerbaijan, he is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of leaders in the industry. 

With a strong background in finance and a collaborative approach, he strives to contribute positively to the Azerbaijani business community and drive sustainable economic development.

Agenda

First Vice President of AmCham Georgia and Senior Executive Vice President, GMT Group

Irakli Baidashvili has been the President of AmCham, Georgia since 2022. Before that, he has been both First Vice President and Vice President and Treasurer.

Irakli is also the Senior Executive Vice President of GMT Group, which is one of the largest US direct investments in Georgia, the owner of two Marriott hotels, the Funicular Restaurant, which is one of the country’s largest restaurant complexes, and several major real estate sites in Tbilisi.

In addition to being President, he is a member of the AmCham Magazine – Investor.ge editorial board. He is also President of the National barcoding agency GS1 Georgia.

Besides AmCham, Irakli has a long history with business associations and in diplomatic roles. He was the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands to Georgia from 1998 to 2002. The First Vice President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1995-2000 and has been involved with other business groups before that.

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U.S Consul General, Türkiye

Julie A. Eadeh, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, assumed duty as the U.S. Consul General in November 2022. From August 2021 to October 2022, she served as the Mission Türkiye Spokesperson in Ankara. Ms. Eadeh has two decades of experience as a diplomat, promoting American political, economic, culture, education, and commercial interests.

Prior to her arrival in Türkiye, Ms. Eadeh was the Political Chief at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. She previously served as the Public Affairs Officer and Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar. Ms. Eadeh covered environment, science, technology, health and energy issues at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, China from 2010 to 2012. From 2007 to 2008 Ms. Eadeh managed press and media relations as the Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Agenda

P&G President, Europe

Loïc Tassel leads P&G’s business across 57 countries in Europe, serving more than 850 million
consumers. He is responsible for nearly a quarter of P&G’s sales and profit and one-third of its global
workforce, operating across 33 manufacturing sites and four global research and development
centers in the Europe region.

Since joining P&G France as an Assistant Brand Manager in 1988, Loïc has spent his career
developing winning organizations, building global brands and growing businesses. Prior to his
current role as President of P&G Europe, Loïc served as Vice President for P&G’s Shave Care division
in Europe & India, Middle East and Africa, leading one of P&G’s biggest businesses worth more
than $2.5 billion in revenue across 135 countries.

Michael Lally

Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Eurasia, and Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs

Michael Lally is Career Minister with the U.S. Department of Commerce.  He was Director for International Economics at the White House National Security Council (2023) and previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in Washington D.C. His area of responsibility included 42 offices with over 400 staff located in the EMEA region, where he focused on trade policy, project advocacy and business facilitation for U.S. firms.

Previously, Mr. Lally was Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs in Europe, based at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium, where he led a team of 200 business development professionals located in 24 countries focused on direct sales, policy and market development and project advocacy in the member states of the European Union. 

Mr. Lally, a Senior Foreign Service Officer, held previous postings in Mexico, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and began his Foreign Service career in the U.S. Embassy, Kyiv, Ukraine.  He also served as the Director of the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Philadelphia. 

In addition to his Foreign Service experience, Mr. Lally was Vice President for Business Development with AES, an independent power producer and an Energy Analyst with the Science Applications International Corporation.

Mr. Lally holds a Master’s degree from Indiana University and Bachelor degrees with Honors from The American University in Washington D.C. He is a graduate of the Wharton Management Program of the University of Pennsylvania. He speaks Russian, Spanish and Turkish. He holds Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals for superior federal service in support of U.S. business development in Turkey, Eurasia and Afghanistan.   He is a recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Service Award for his performance in Moscow during heightened U.S.-Russian tensions and the Rockwell Anthony Schnabel Award for Advancing U.S. – European Union Relations (2023).

Mr. Lally’s writings have been published in the Christian Science Monitor, the Foreign Service Journal, Turkish Policy Quarterly, and Inside a U.S. Embassy. He has studied trade policy and international security at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and international credit and trade finance at the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

In Summer 2024, he will take up his posting as Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs in Ankara, covering Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Agenda

Chief Financial Officer of NEQSOL Holding, Head of NEQSOL Holding Azerbaijan

Imran Ahmadzada has extensive experience in the oil, telecommunications, financial, and industrial sectors. He is the Group Chief Financial Officer of NEQSOL Holding, where he oversees all asset, portfolio, and investment management. Additionally, he serves as the Head of NEQSOL Holding’s Azerbaijan office.

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Senior Economist for Türkiye, World Bank

Claire Hollweg is the World Bank’s Senior Country Economist for Türkiye, where she leads the World Bank’s engagement on macroeconomics, fiscal police and trade. Her previous roles include the Senior Country Economist for Cambodia as well as the Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Trade and Integration Unit where she worked for eight years, contributing to analytical and policy work on trade issues across the globe. Her work emphasizes the importance of enabling environments for private sector growth and integration into global value chains. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked with the Government of South Australia and the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council in Singapore. She received her PhD and Master’s in Economics from the University of Adelaide. 

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Director, Commercial Airplane Sales, Eurasia, Boeing 

Mario Antonio Ebcim is currently Sales Director for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, based out in Istanbul. He was the Director for Strategy and Market Development for the Eurasia region, supporting the Vice President of Sales between August 2022 to August 2023. He joined The Boeing Company in 2017 as the Regional Director for Marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, covering 16 airlines in Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, supporting airlines in the region for their Network and Fleet Planning activities and training of aviation future talents among other duties.

Agenda

Deputy CEO, DFC

Nisha Biswal is DFC’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Biswal was nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 27, 2023.

Ms. Biswal brings over 30 years of experience in U.S. foreign policy and international development programs, including in the Executive Branch, Congress, and the private sector.

Prior to joining DFC, Ms. Biswal served as the senior vice president for international strategy and global initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and oversaw the U.S. India Business Council and the U.S. Bangladesh Business Council.

Emre Karter

CEO & Board Member, Citibank Türkiye

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Turkish Contractors Association Board Member, Doğuş İnşaat, Board Member, Galataport Executive Board Member 

Erdem Tavas achieved his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Civil Engineering at Boğaziçi University. Later he received his master’s degree in Structural Engineering of Civil Engineering Graduate Program at the same university. Tavas started his professional life at Koray Construction in 1997 and then joined Doğuş Group in 2015. He served as the General Manager of Doğuş Real Estate Investment and Management Inc., and Galataport Istanbul Port Management and Investments Inc.

Tavas currently acts as the Board Member of Galataport Istanbul and the Board Member of Doğuş Construction.

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Chairman, Turkish Presidency Investment Office

Burak Dağlıoğlu is President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of
Turkey, a position he took up in February 2020. Reporting directly to the President of Turkey,
the Investment Office is Turkey’s national investment promotion agency responsible for promoting Turkey’s investment opportunities to the global business community and providing investors with assistance before, during, and after their entry into Turkey.

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.

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 master degree in Finance from IE Business School.

Agenda

Deputy Chair of EPİAŞ

Taha Meli Arvas was born and raised in Syracuse, New York in November of 1980. He completed a double major at Syracuse University, in bioengineering and finance in 2003. He continued his master’s studies at the City University of New York Graduate Center majoring in political science. He went on to obtain an MBA from Özyeğin University in 2013 and later a master’s in financial engineering in 2014. He is currently conducting a PhD in Financial Engineering at Boğaziçi University. Mr Arvas started his professional career starting a management consulting company providing advisory services to clients in business and investment strategies. He later was a financial columnist for various leading national and international media outlets and appeared on-air as a commentator on his areas of expertise. He was also a part of the Istanbul Financial Risk Management Laboratory for many years evaluating risks faced by firms and nations. Appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the Capital Markets of Boards of Türkiye in 2020, he aimed to expand access to capital markets for firms, to increase financial literacy among retail investors, and to combat manipulation in capital markets. Arvas also served as an adjunct professor of finance at Özyeğin University in 2020 and Boğaziçi University between 2021 and 2024. He joined the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources in July of 2023 acting as a senior policy advisor to Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, as of February 9th of 2024 he was appointed as the General Manager of EPİAŞ. Mr. Arvas was appointed as Vice Chairman of the Board of EPİAŞ on May 3, 2024.

Onur Candar

Managing Partner, Bain & Company Türkiye

Onur Candar, Managing Partner at Bain & Company Türkiye, is a key leader in the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources and Advanced Manufacturing & Services practices. With extensive consulting experience across Turkey and Azerbaijan, Europe and the Middle East, Onur has developed a deep expertise in helping companies navigate complex challenges.

Onur’s work primarily focuses on energy transition, portfolio strategy, and operating model transformation for energy and advanced manufacturing companies. He has significant experience in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, sustainability initiatives, and implementing innovative solutions to reduce carbon footprints across industries. His expertise extends to driving commercial growth, optimizing cost structures, and designing future-proof corporate centers.

In addition, Onur advises clients on digital transformation strategies, leveraging his knowledge in agile frameworks, design thinking, and digital prototyping. He assists energy and manufacturing firms in developing use cases for digital experiences enhancement, and driving sustainable growth. Onur’s work also includes portfolio planning and corporate resource allocation optimization.

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Senior Advisor, Straife

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Vice President Caspian Region, BP

Ms. Maria-Rita Galli

CEO, National Natural Gas System Operator (DESFA)

Maria Rita Galli is the CEO of DESFA (Hellenic Gas Transmission System Operator). Until recently she held the position of the Executive Vice President Business Development & Asset Management at Snam S.p.A, a leading global energy infrastructure company and was the Chairman of the SENFLUGA Energy Holdings S.A., a consortium controlling 66% of DESFA’s share capital.

Ms. Galli started her career at Eni in 1997, as a graduate in nuclear engineering from the Milan Polytechnic University. At Eni, she went through various roles within the International Business Development Department, joined relevant international projects and was involved in M&A activities. As a member of Eni’s Board of Directors, she also oversaw the operations of some of the Group’s companies abroad (Galp, Distrigas, eni Gas&Power Trading BV, eni Gas&Power France, GVS GmbH, etc.)

Since 2006, she has been in charge of the International Business Development unit and, from January 2010, she has been in charge of the International Business Development and Assets Management department.

In October 2016, she joined Snam as the Head of Business Development and International Asset Management.

Agenda

CEO, SOCAR Türkiye

Elchin Ibadov graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago and in 2002 started to work at the World Trade Center Chicago as Research Specialist. Beginning in 2003, he took on a series of positions at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). In the period 2014-2019, Elchin Ibadov worked as Finance Director and CFO at STAR Refinery. In November 2019, he was appointed as CFO of Petkim, meantime assumed the role of Head of Finance of SOCAR Türkiye Refinery and Petrochemicals Business Unit, including STAR Refinery, Petkim, SOCAR Storage and SOCAR Petrol Ticaret. Elchin Ibadov completed a professional training and certification programs at Harvard Business School. He has authored and translated various textbooks of economics, accounting, finance, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and financial auditing. Ibadov is also a permanent member of international finance and auditing organizations such as ACCA, ACFE and IIA. Elchin Ibadov has been the CEO of SOCAR Türkiye since February 2023.

Agenda

Executive Director, ICGB

Teodora Georgieva has more than 20 years of experience as a strategic manager, leading significant projects in various economic sectors. Currently, Ms. Georgieva is the Executive Officer of the Bulgarian side of ICGB AD and is also a member of its Board of Directors. ICGB is responsible for the overall management and development of the gas pipeline between Greece and Bulgaria and is Bulgaria’s second independent transmission system operator.

Tankut Turnaoğlu

Chair, AmCham Türkiye

Agenda

Deputy Minister of Energy, Republic of Bulgaria

n the period 2000-2009 Iva Petrova worked at the Ministry of Energy, where in 2008 she became Director of Energy Markets and Restructuring Directorate. She was responsible for managing and monitoring energy projects financed under bilateral and multilateral programs, as well as for activities in the field of the establishment of efficient energy markets. Then, since February 2009 until the end of June 2010, she took the position of Director of Projects and Investment in the Bulgarian Energy Holding. Petrova has also worked as an independent evaluator of project proposals.

She is also a part-time assistant at the Faculty of Economics of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Petrova graduated with Master’s degree in “Economics and Management” from the University of Sofia. She also graduated from the University of Birmingham, the United Kingdom. She has completed a number of specialized trainings in Japan, Belgium and Britain. She has been a partner in 3B Advisory Ltd., a company focused on management consulting in the energy sector.

Fluent in English, has good knowledge of Italian language.

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Chair, AmCham Türkiye

Konstantinos (Costas) Fragkogiannis was born in 1959, in Northern Greece (Kavala), where he completed his basic education. Following his graduation from the British Institute of Marketing (HND), he continued his studies in the U.S., earning a BS in Business Administration and an MBA in International Management & Computer Systems from the University of San Francisco.

In June 2023, his term was renewed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, with the portfolio of Economic Diplomacy and Openness, an office he has held since July 2019.  Fragkogiannis has greatly contributed to reforms and legislation pertaining to the Ministry’s restructuring on issues of economic diplomacy and the complete revamping of Enterprise Greece (Greece’s Trade and Investment Agency) and Export Credit Greece. Dozens of FDIs have been supported under his leadership, while fast-track procedures, one-stop-shop services and lucrative incentives have been introduced, resulting in record-breaking foreign investments and a complete turn-around in Greece’s branding. Fragkogiannis has worked towards enhancing Greece’s bilateral relations with Eastern Europe, the USA, Germany, all MENA countries and Libya, among others; while he also leads the ‘positive agenda’ initiative with Turkey. The innovative “Astypalea-smart and sustainable island” project is one of his most-known achievements at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fragkogiannis brings experience of over 30 years in the private sector, where he has held senior executive positions in major companies and groups, such as Emporiki Bank, Interbank, Delta, the Vasilakis Group, Ant1, the Viohalco Group, Vivartia, and the Chipita Group. Having successfully handled development projects worth hundreds of millions of Euro throughout the world, he has gained invaluable experience in negotiating with organizations in countries where he has overseen investments. He has led a total of 18 greenfield projects in 16 countries, 9 investment consortiums, 5 buyouts and, finally, the founding of multiple commercial enterprises in dozens of countries.

Through his many years of international experience, he has gained a wide-ranging and up-to-date perspective on what is required to effectively attract foreign investments and to promote exports and growth in the globalized economy.

Zekeriya Costu

Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology 

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Deputy Country Head, EBRD Türkiye

Sule Topcu Kilic is the Deputy Head, Turkey at the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). She has been with EBRD since 2014 and reports directly to the Managing Director, assisting him to deliver the country strategy with a specific focus on infrastructure, energy and gas sectors and deputize him for the Bank’s operations (administration and budgeting) and lead the policy initiatives in Turkey for infrastructure, energy and natural resources sectors.
Sule Kilic has over 28 years of experience working on a variety of projects in project finance, financial advisory, M&A, private equity, bank acquisition. During the last 18 years of her career, she took an active leading role in the development of BOT and PPP models in Turkish Transportation and Social Infrastructure Projects in Turkey, by taking a leading role in the preparation of legal framework and introduction of financing related regulations as well as the structuring and negotiations of the template Project Agreements with the relevant governmental authorities (including Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Health
and Turkish Treasury). She also took an active role in the coordination of various stakeholders’ efforts to develop the project financing models to achieve the successful finalization of the projects in Turkish PPP Healthcare Program as well as Transportation BOT program.

Roman Matkiwsky

Director of Energy and Infrastructure, Black Sea Trade & Development Bank

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Head of Central Asia & the Caucasus, Citi

Jason is heading 7 hub-managed countries in Central Asia & the Caucasus for Citi and has been in this role for the past 12 years. He provides comprehensive relationship coverage to institutional clients with a full suite of products and services across Citi’s main divisions. He has executed over 50 transactions for clients, such as Eurobonds, Syndicated Loans, ECA-backed Loans and IPOs. Prior to this role Jason held other roles at Citi in Istanbul and New York since 2005 and began his career at Barclays in 2004.

Jason graduated with honors (cum laude) from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 2004 with a bachelor of arts degree. He also completed a professional certificate from New York University in 2006 and is a registered representative with FINRA since 2005.

Oybek Khalilov

CEO, Mosaic Insurance Group, President, AmCham Uzbekistan; Chairman, Insurance Association of Uzbekistan

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Cisco Türkiye General Manager

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Head of Legal and Government Affairs Southeast Europe, Microsoft.

Nick is Microsoft’s Head of Legal and Government Affairs for Southeast Europe.  Nick and his team partner with policy makers and customers to facilitate the adoption of responsible AI and cloud-first policies, and support customers’ digital transformation journeys.  He has been with Microsoft for over 24 years, and past roles in Seattle include Microsoft’s Lead Industry Lawyer (FSI, Telco, Manufacturing, Auto, Retail), General Manager of Microsoft’s National Technology Office, Senior Director of Global Government Affairs, and Senior Attorney on the Corporate Standards Legal Team. 

Before joining Microsoft, Nick practiced law at Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Washington, D.C. and is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to practicing law, Nick was an electrical engineer at Westinghouse Corporation.  He has a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Stevens Institute of Technology. 

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Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PROSOL

I am the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PROSOL, the
first-ever full-fledged cybersecurity company in Azerbaijan, which was cofounded by him back in 2019. The establishment process of PROSOL
Company has been led by my inspiration for building and managing a
cluster of national high-tech entities in Azerbaijan. Thus, I am represented
today in the leadership of four national high-tech companies as a founder
and manager. These are:

• PROCYBERLAB: the first cybersecurity product of Azerbaijan – a web-based cybersecurity lab, developed by our Research & Development centre for the global market
• PROSOL: dealing with information security and cybersecurity.
• PRODATA: dealing with data science and data analytics.
• PRO-ACADEMY: bringing youth into the local high-tech ecosystem by providing education and training in the fields of cybersecurity, data science, and software development.

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Director, Public Policy, Eastern Europe Mastercard

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CEO, Borusan Caterpillar

Born in Mugla, Turkey, Özgür Günaydın studied Mechanical Engineering in Middle Eastern Technical University, has an Executive MBA degree from Sabanci University and attended Stanford University’s Leadership Academy. Günaydın’s career at Borusan Cat began as a Service Engineer in 1995.

He acted as the Manager of Istanbul Region and managed the Company’s international expansion in the following 10 years period. He was responsible from the operations in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Far East of Russia.

Özgür Günaydın is the CEO of Borusan Cat since January 2017. He is a founding member of Caterpillar Digital Council, Caterpillar Dealer Advisory Group Member and a member of Caterpillar Mining Council

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President, Türkiye, Israel & Central Asia at Honeywell

Uygar Doyuran is the President of Honeywell for Türkiye, Israel & Central Asia. In this role, Uygar is responsible for driving strategy and business across all Honeywell businesses, leading great teams across eleven countries and ensuring the best to deliver highest value to Honeywell’s customers. Honeywell’s businesses span over twenty segments across Aerospace, Sustainable Solutions, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical & Process Industries, Performance Materials, Building Technologies, and Safety & Productivity Solutions. Uygar has been with Honeywell since April 2021.

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Senior Advisor to Tourism Development & Education, Straife

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Vice General Manager- Tourism Operations & Development

Fisunoglu’s career in the communication and travel, tourism, industry spans more than 25 years, with senior positions in Europe and in Türkiye. She is a highly regarded expert in destination and nation marketing and international meetings industry, tourism product development in both private, public sectors and non-governmental associations both in Türkiye and regional/ global positions in Netherlands.

Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu (Ph.D) is currently, the Vice-General Manager of Tourism Operations and Development division in Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency which founded by Ministry of Tourism and by law and represents Turkiye and TGA at UNWTO Board of Affiliate Members, WTTC- World Travel & Tourism Council Execuitve Committee and GSTC- Global Sustainable Tourism Council Board of Directors.

Academically holding a Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree in Public Relations with the topic of Strategic Communication and Destination Image.

Hilda Alisandratou

Director Investment Promotion Tourism, Real Estate, Creative Industries, Enterprise Greece Invest & Trade

Hilda is a strong tourism and finance investment professional skilled in
Marketing Management, Investment Promotion, Negotiation, Analytical
Skills, Entrepreneurship, and International Business, holding a master’s
degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the University of
Middlesex in the UK.

Hilda, through her leading role as Director Investment Promotion in
Tourism, Real Estate, Creative Industries at the country’s national
Investment & Trade Promotion Agency, has a demonstrated sixteen-year history of working in the investment management industry, with main activities and responsibilities being, amongst other, attracting FDI in Greece, formulating proposals, planning and coordinating missions
abroad, supporting international companies to establish their operations in Greece, preparing-delivering tailor-made sector & investment framework presentations with an aim to showcase all those characteristics that make Greece a unique business and investment destination.

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President of TÜROB (Hotel Association of Turkiye)

Professional Experience:

• Eresin Hotels Taxim & Premier, Istanbul , Turkiye; Accounting, Front OƯice, Reservation Manager
• (1989)
• The Paragon Restaurant, Bath, United Kingdom ; Food & Beverage Department (1990)
• Bath SPA Hotel, Bath, United Kingdom ; Various Departments (1991-92)
• The Royal Cresent Hotel , Bath, United Kingdom ; Various Departments (1993-94 )
• Eresin Hotels Taxim & Premier, Eresin Hotels Topkapı, Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet: Sales Manager
• (1994-2001)
• Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet: General Manager (2001-2004)
• Eresin Hotels Sales Director (2004 – 2008)
• Eresin Hotels General Manager (2008 – Present)

Additional Responsibilities:

• Vice President, Eresin Hotels, Eresin Turizm AŞ
• Advisory Board Member, Turkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency
• President, Hotel Association of Turkiye

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Founder and CEO of TRANSPORTER Group

TRANSPORTER LLC
Transporter Bike LLC
Mountain Resorts Solutions LLC
Founder and CEO – 2015 – Present

GeoProMining (Gold and Silver Mining Company)
Commercial Director 2011 – 2015

AGARAK Copper Molybdenum Combine CJSC
Commercial Director 2008 – 2011

LLC Quartzite (Gold and Silver Mining)
Various Positions 2004 – 2007

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Executive Director of AmCham Georgia

George Welton has been working for AmCham since 2011. He also works as a professional researcher and founded GeoWel Research in 2009. At AmCham he is responsible for day-to-day operational management and public advocacy work.

At the same time, his company conducts research for development banks like the World Bank, EBRD, Asian Development Bank and KfW as well as for development agencies like  USAID, EUAID, UK’s DfID, SDC, UNDP, UNICEF and charities like CARE and Mercy Corps. Through his company, he has conducted over 150 research projects in the region and has written extensively on issues including economics, business, corporate law and corporate governance, economic development, politics and geopolitics, education, health, poverty reduction and on every major sub-sector of the regional economies.

Dr Welton has a PhD in International Relations, a masters degree in International Political Economy and undergraduate degree in Economics and Philosophy. He is also a partially qualified ACCA.

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Özyeğin University, President

Barış Tan received his bachelor’s degree in electrical and Electronics Engineering from Boğaziçi University in 1990. He continued his studies at the University of Florida and earned his M.E. degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering in 1991, M.S.E. Graduate Certificate in Manufacturing Systems in 1993, and Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering in 1994.

Upon completing his Ph.D., Dr. Barış Tan joined Koç University. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1998 and Professor in 2002. While at Koç, he served as a professor of Business Administration and Industrial Engineering from 1994 to 2024. During this period, he served as Director of the Graduate School of Business (2002-2005, 2008-2010), Dean of the College of Administrative Sciences and Economics (2007-2013), and Vice President of Academic Affairs (2013-2021). On March 1, 2024, he joined Özyeğin University as a professor of Industrial Engineering and Business Administration. He was appointed as President on July 26, 2024. 

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Vice President at Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye

Bekir Polat is the Vice President in charge of Overseas Activities at the Presidential Investment Office of Türkiye. Prior to this role, he served as the Head of the Communications Department at the Investment Office after holding various positions. From 2007 to 2017, he worked as a Project Director, managing investment projects from Germany, Austria, Spain, India, Japan, and China as well as promotion activities in these markets. Between 2017 and 2020, Mr. Polat served as the Deputy Country Manager of a Japanese company in Türkiye.

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Executive Director, Bulgarian Investment Agency

Mila Nenova was appointed executive director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency (BIA) on October 12, 2023.

Mila Nenova has a Master of Laws from the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Since 2016, she has been the director of Confindustria Bulgaria – the association of Italian business in Bulgaria. She has experience in managing and creating bilateral economic ties and promoting Bulgaria as a good investment destination. She also has experience in the field of human resources management and industrial relations, as well as European projects.

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Director & Yeniköy Plant Leader, Ford Otosan

Aysan Hoşver graduated from Boğaziçi University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He started his career at Ford Otosan as a Product Development Engineer, working in Body Engineering.  He had various Leadership roles within PD.  Following these,  he served as the Technical Assistant to the General Manager for 6 months and then returned back to Product Development as the lead for new Ford Courrier. Aysan has lead teams as Basic Design Leader, Project Management Manager, Chief Engineer for Courier, and Body Engineering Manager. He then decided to continue his career in Manufacturing and was appointed as the Director of the Eskişehir Plant. After 4 years of service there, in 2022, he was appointed as the Director of the Gölcük Plant and held the title of Product Leader for Commercial Vehicles (Transit & Custom) in line with the Agile organizational structure. Finally starting by end of 2023, he has been appointed as the Director of the Yenikoy Plant which is manufacturing the new Ford Custom and Volkswagen 1T Commercial Vehicles.