My good fortune

In recent years more women executives have been coming to the fore on the boards of giant holdings and at the head of influential NGOs. Capital’s list of the “30 Most Powerful Businesswomen In Turkey”, which has now become a tradition, supports this assertion. It is striking that the number of women executives who are being added to the list grows every year. Their success is based on factors such as determination, ambition and working very hard. According to the most powerful women executives in Turkey “good fortune” is also an important factor. Each one of them cites what they describe as “my good fortune” as making a difference.

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SABANCI'S CHOICE OF BANKING
Suzan Sabancı Dinçer, who heads Akbank, is the third most powerful woman in Turkey, Sabancı Dinçer believes that the greatest good fortune in her career was choosing the right profession, “Banking is a sector which is dynamic and constantly changing as a result of technological developments and market movements, I understand better now that these characteristics make it very suitable as a career for someone like me who is open to development and change,” she says, Dinçer says that she has been part of the change the Turkish banking sector has undergone in the last 25 years and describes this as an opportunity for herself, adding: “To be involved in several crisis and changes and to be able to guide the process in a professionally satisfying manner was great good fortune for me, For me, the restructuring process which we implemented at Akbank after the 2001 crisis is a very important example in this regard, I also regard myself as being fortunate in working since the beginning of my career with very valuable mentors such as Oğuz Karahan, Erol Sabancı and Andrew Buxton,”

YİĞİTBAŞI'S GOOD FORTUNE IS HER FATHER
İdil Yiğitbaşı, who heads Yaşar Holding, believes that taking the right steps at the beginning of her career has been what has brought her to her current success, Yiğitbaşı regards having a position in Yaşar Holding,
whose consolidated turnover has today reached TL 3 billion, as the greatest piece of good fortune in her life, and continues as follows: “My father Selçuk Yaşar was one of the most important entrepreneurs in Turkey and
my greatest piece of good fortune was serving under his leadership. As a result of my father's entrepreneurship, our holding became the leader in many sectors and I had the opportunity to acquire experience many diverse fields. This also provided me with the chance to learn from experience. In terms of my career, the greatest opportunity was the support provided by my father Selçuk Yaşar for me working at the Pınar Group. I believe that the experience acquired here benefited me considerably in terms of customer- and consumer-focused management, value chain management, brand management, marketing and human relations.”~

MOLINAS SAYS "MY GREATEST PIECE OF GOOD FORTUNE IS MY HUSBAND"
Gayla Frayman Molinas believes that the greatest plus in her career has been being able to work in a global company such as Akçaoğlu. Indeed, the benefits of this played a major role in her successful performance at Coca-Cola Türkiye, where Molinas was head of the Caucasus and Central Asia Region and responsible for more than nine countries. Gayla Frayman Molinas believes that her good fortune during her business career has
been working with the right people. She describes the opportunities she has had as follows: “I had the opportunity to work with some very special people throughout my business career. They are both people to
whom I'm devoted and colleagues who have considerable experience and leadership qualities. They taught me to think big and that one's most important asset is people.” Molinas says that the support of her husband has made a very important contribution to her current success, and adds: “My greatest piece of good fortune during my career has been my husband. He has always encouraged me. He has brought new dimensions intellectually
and strengthened my self-confidence. I am indebted to him for enabling me to
live life with joy.”

WHAT DID YALÇINDAGS MOTHER SAY?
Just like Frayman Molinas, Arzuhan Doğan Yalçrndağ attributes her success to support she has received
from a very important person in her life. “My greatest piece of good fortune has been my mother. If it hadn't been for her, I would have spent my whole life searching,” says Doğan TV Holding Board Chair Yalçındağ. “I began to work at our group in 1989,” she explains. “It was when my first son Doğan was born.
I became less motivated in terms of business, but I continued to work. Two years later, my second son, Alihan, was born and I took a break from my career. I was on the point of giving up working altogether when my mother said that she could not recommend it. Over a long period of time, through hints, gestures and advice, she warned and encouraged me to restart my career. She persuaded me that it would be possible both to care for my children and to have a career. When I was proposed as head of TÜSİAD, I even spoke with my children before definitely accepting. My mother was completely right and I'm greatly indebted to her. If I hadn't listened to her, I would have missed so much. I'm so grateful that she is my mother. I am very lucky.”