30 Powerful businesswomen

It is not just in Turkey, being a female executive requires considerable work and effort anywhere in the world. And it is even more difficult for a woman to become a leader who is strong and influential in the field in which she works. But recently businesswomen have begun to be seen more frequently at the head of Turkey’s giant holdings and more are also being appointed to executive positions in influential NGOs. Capital’s “The 30 Most Powerful Women in Turkey” survey, which has now become a tradition, also confirms this picture. It is possible to see the sources of power and the fields of influence of the women in the list in the success they have achieved in the companies in which they work. These successful women have caught the eye through the volume of business, employment and speed of growth they have created. The work they have conducted in the field of corporate social responsibility and the manner in which they have become influential within their sectors have taken these women to the upper echelons of the league of the most powerful women in Turkey.

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1. GÜLER SABANCI
Chair/Sabanct Holding
TL 27 billion / TURNOVER
She has been managing the second largest holding in Turkey since 2004. As a result of her successful strategy, Sabancı Holding grew by 17 per cent in 2012. Her corporate social responsibility activities have made her very influential in every section of society. In addition to her role at Sabancı, this year she was elected to the board of Siemens AG, which has a turnover of €78.3 billion.

2. SUZAN SABANCI DİNÇER
Chair/ Akbank
TL 3 billion / PROFIT
She has been head of Akbank, Sabancı Holding’s flagship, since 2008. She raises the bank’s performance every year. In 2012, she increased the bank’s total assets by 17 per cent compared with the previous year to TL163.5 billion. She secured the highest increase in profitability. The bank’s profits grew by over 18 per cent last year. 16,315 people work in its 962 branches.~

3 ÜMRAN BEBA
Chair/PepsiCo Asia Pacific
25 / NUMBER OF COUNTRIES SHE MANAGES
She is one of the strongest candidates for CEO of PepsiCo. She directly manages 4,400 of the company’s employees in the Asia Pacific region and 70,000 people indirectly. The number of countries she manages is continually increasing. Three years ago, she was responsible for 19 countries; now she is responsible for another six new countries. In 2012, she won the Steve Reinemund Award for work on “Diversity and Inclusion.”

4.SERPİL TİMURAY
Executive Board Chair / Vodafone Turkey
18.9 million / SUBSCRIBERS
She is the first and only female CEO in the telecoms sector. In 2013, she took over the chair of the International Investors’ Association (YASED) from Unilever CEO İzzet Karaca. The “U-Turn” programme she initiated at Vodafone Turkey resulted in a record increase in turnover, market share and the number of
customers. She made Turkey the fastest growing country in the Vodafone group. She has raised the company’s market share from 20.1 per cent to 32 per cent. She has increased the number of subscribers by 2.5 million people,

5. ZEYNEP BODUR OKYAY
Chair/Kale Group
TL 2.4 billion / TURNOVER TARGET
Five years ago she took over the management from her father and was appointed head of the Kale Group. The successful transformation plan she implemented and her foreign acquisitions have resulted in the group increasing its turnover by 12 per cent over the last year to TL 1.2 billion. She is targeting doubling turnover by 2015.

6.Y. BEGÜMHAN DOĞAN FARALYALI
Chair/Doğan Holding
TL 3.1 billion / TURNOVER
She took over as head of Doğan Holding in December 2011 and has succeeded in increasing its turnover by 10 per cent by focusing on productivity, corporate institutionalization and investments. The holding’s net profits have risen to TL 155 million. In the future, she plans to grow in energy and the media. She is looking for acquisition opportunities both domestically and abroad. She is targeting buying the National Lottery when it is privatised.~

7. İDİL YİĞİTBAŞI
Chair/ Yaşar Holding
TL 500 million / INVESTMENT TARGET
She grew the holding’s turnover by 10 per cent in 2012 to over TL 3 billion. Her target for 2013 is to hold growth at the 10-15 per cent level. She has prioritized Southeast Anatolia. She is aiming to take the project that her father launched 40 years ago in the Aegean, and which made it the dairy centre of the region, to Şanlıurfa and provide a living for 5,000 people there.

8. EMİNE KAMIŞLI
Deputy Chair/Esas Holding
TL 3.4 billion / TURNOVER
She is one of the founding partners of Esas Holding, which consists of 13 companies. She oversees the holding’s investments in retailing, foodstuffs, health and entertainment. She has increased the holding’s turnover approximately 3.5 fold over the last six years. Kamışlı’s target for 2013 is a turnover of TL 5 billion.

9. SEMAHAT ARSEL
Board Member/Koç Holding $3.2 billion / PERSONAL WEALTH
She is a board member of Koç Holding, which had consolidated sales of TL 84.8 billion in 2012. She oversees the holding’s investments in tourism as board chair of Setur. She performs an influential role in social responsibility projects as board chair of the Vehbi Koç Foundation.

10.PINAR ABAY
General Manager / ING Bank Turkey 5,400 / NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
She became the youngest general manager in the Turkish banking sector at the age of 34. She secured higher growth than the market average for the Dutch-based ING Bank last year by focusing on SEEs and profitability. Her target for 2013 is 50 per cent growth in retail banking and 30 per cent growth in corporate banking.