The New Agenda Is Very Difficult

When the crisis broke in 2008, the same item was on the top of everyone’s agenda: survival. Almost everyone survived 2008 by taking measures against the crisis and adapting to changing conditions. Most think that 2009 will also be difficult. As a result, the agendas of the CEOs who manage the giant companies in Turkey are full of challenging tasks.

“We need to prioritize and manage a lot of issues at the same time. The most important of these is identifying our growth areas. My priorities are positioning and managing our brands, particularly on the domestic market. In order to realize all of these goals, ones to manage a strong supply chain. As a result, our supply chain process is one of the leading items on my agenda. The other items on my agenda are productivity projects. The world is changing and our sector is changing. At a time when everything is changing, we at Arçelik also need to change. This means we have to work to implement this change, to determine needs and take the measures that are required.”

This is how Arçelik General Manager Levent Çakıroğlu describes his difficult agenda. It is true that 2009 and the following year really will be difficult for Çakıroğlu. The agenda of the CEOs who manage the giant companies in Turkey are full of challenging tasks. The CEOs who were struggling with the crisis in 2008, were confronted with a major contraction on the market in the first quarter of 2009. It is still not clear when the crisis will finish. As a result, the jobs of the CEOs of the giant companies will be harder in 2009 and 2010 than in 2008.

Türker’s Leadership Calculations
The CEOs who face a difficult task are headed by Melih Türker, the CEO of Petrol Ofisi, which is the largest fuel distribution company in Turkey. In 2008, Petrol Ofisi’s turnover grew by 28.2 percent to TL 17.2 billion. But the fall in the price of oil and the contraction in the sector, resulted in Petrol Ofisi’s turnover decreasing by 14 percent in the first quarter of 2009. In fact, the fall in turnover is less than the sectoral average. All of the segments of the company have maintained their leadership. Moreover, in the same period Petrol Ofisi’s pre tax and amortization profit increased by 41 percent to TL 204 million. This is what makes Türker’s job even more difficult. Türker will attempt to continue this success throughout all of 2009 and protect the company’s market share.

Kotil Is Looking For Opportunities
2008 was a year in which the air transportation sector collapsed all over the world. The crisis meant that consumers looked to alternatives to air travel and the airlines of the world were faced with bottlenecks. There were significant mergers and acquisitions in the sector. It was in such an environment that Temel Kotil became general manager of Turkish Airlines and, using organic methods, succeeded in securing growth of 35 percent. THY’s turnover reached TL 6.1 billion. Kotil describes the most important items on his agenda for 2010 as follows: “We want to increase out transit and business passenger traffic in particular. We shall continue with the 40-50 percent growth we have realized in recent years in the number of transit passengers travelling between foreign destinations. In the second half of 2010, 22 wide-bodied jets will join our fleet. We shall focus on significantly increasing and strengthening our market position on long-haul flights in 2010.

Opet Is Focused On Finance
Cüneyt Ağca became general manager of Opet last year and, in just 12 months, he has raised Opet from 10th in the list of the 500 largest companies in Turkey to seventh. Despite the EPDK setting price ceilings, oil prices and fluctuations in the foreign exchange rate, the company has succeeded in increasing its sales and market share. As a result, Opet ranks third in its own sector. Cüneyt Ağca says that this year they are targeting become second in the sector and adds that a structure which enables them to be dynamic and react rapidly has an importance place in their success. Ağca confesses that the most difficult items to manage on his agenda this year are the financial indicators. Apart from the financial indicators, the list of issues that Ağca needs to follow closely in 2010 is headed by the price ceiling, oil prices and movements in the exchange rate.

"The Priority Is Growth And Productivity”
Foodstuffs retailing’s dynamic structure means that it heads the list of sectors which are most difficult to manage. Customer expectations change rapidly, particularly in time of crisis when spending has fallen. Migros’s young general manager Özgür Tort says that, in this difficult period, they are giving priority to growth and productivity. Tort says that investments are continuing without interruption despite the crisis. The most important item on his agenda is opening new stores. “We are opening eight new stores a week. This year we shall open a total of 400 new stores,” says Tort who is aiming to reach a turnover of TL 6 billion by the end of the year. His four year target is for Migros to double in size and have 3,000 stores.