Why Is My Posıtıon Important For Ceos?

Each year in February, Capital publishes its “CEOs’ Favourite Companies” survey. This year the 180 members of the CEO Club were asked “With the exception of your own company, which company would you most like to be CEO of.” This year was the fifth that the survey has been conducted and, as in 2010, it was Turkcell which ranked first. This company was followed by Garanti Bankası and Coca Cola.

“Turkcell Is The Ideal For Those Who Wısh To Improve Themselves”
Turkcell CEO Süreyya Ciliv says: “Turkcell is the leading communications and technology company in Turkey.” He believes that it is undoubtedly the fact that, over the last 16 years, it has become an internationally successful organization which has made both the comapny and his position attractive. “Turkcell’s desire to create value and make a difference both through its work in its own sector and through its corporate social responsibility projects adds excitement to our jobs,” he says and continues: “I can describe Turkcell as a company which offers leaders every opportunity to realise their goals, supports leaders, opens the way for them and contributes to their development. Turkcell’s partners have a vision which opens the way for its professional executives and enables them to operate comfortably. At Turkcell, undertaking work which will create a difference is always one of the most important goals. We believe that every individual can make a great difference. For this reason, we encourage everybody, all the personnel and exceutives, to bring out their leadership characteristics.”

It Is People Whıch Most Make Garanti Bankası Attractıve
Garanti Bankası Genel Müdürü Ergun Özen says: “I think the basic element which makes Garanti Bankası attractive is its human resources,” and he makes the following observation.

“Garanti Bankası has a large army of people who are highly qualified, possess team spirit, believe in the “Garanti” brand and have internalised its corporate culture. Of course, Garanti’s financial strength, its banking abilities and its technological features should not be overlooked but the foundation is still its personnel.

Our customers equate Garanti most with technology. It is pleasing that the investments we have been making in technology for years have given us the image of being different.  It demonstrates that for our customers it is we who have provided the “first” services and this has given us an “innovative” character. Our applications which make life easier are not limited to technology and the development of new products. The new marketing approaches we have applied have created a difference in the sector and differentiated us from our rivals.”

Doğuş’s Instıtutıonalısed Belıef In Professıonals Is Excıtıng
Doğuş Holding CEO Hüsnü Akhan evaluates what makes his company and his position attractive to other leaders as follows:

“The characteristics which make our company attractive are headed by its innovative and dynamic structure, the working conditions created by its efficient work processes, its corporate identity, its high standards and a system which is based on raising leaders and the importance given to personnel management. As CEO I see myself as a bridge between operations and the board of directors, which can directly and significantly affect prestige and stability.
The elements which excite all levels of our personnel at the Doğuş Grubu are its dynamic structure, its ability to continue to be successful in an increasingly competitive environment, its close monitoring of global trends and the shaping of strategies accordingly and its regional vision.

“Türk Telekom’s Dıfference Lıes In Its Innovatıve Culture”
Since it was privatised in 2006, Türk Telekom has virtually recreated itself through new investments. CEO Paul Doany managed this process and says: “After the creation of a strong management cadre, an exemplary corporate culture was established with innovative approaches. Then steps were taken to move from being a giant without any rivals in the domestic telecommunications sector to becoming a regional player.”

Turnover Increasıng Every Year
In recent years in particular, the company has focused on becoming a global power and has undertaken investments in many areas from infrastructure to R & D, training and employment. It has begun to reap the rewards for the measures it has taken. The company’s turnover reached TL 9.2 billion in 2007, rising to TL 10.1 billion in 2008. It is this structure of the comapny which has caught the eye of the leaders of the Turkish business community. Many professional executives regard Türk Telekom as one of the best companies in which to work because of its concept of strong management and its dynamic and innovative culture.

“Our Evaluatıon Of What Makes Us Popular”

Erdal Karamercan/Eczacıbaşı Holdıng Ceo
I believe that being regarded as one of CEOs’ most popular companies is a reward for, not only our “values” which form the foundation of our business life and understanding of management, but also for our structure which is innovative and open to continual development.

I believe that the most important characteristic of a CEO is to determine priorities, communicate them in a clear manner and apply them accordingly.  As a result, when I was appointed as CEO, I identified three basic priorities: “Our values, our strategies and our human resources.”

The basic reason why I have served for so long in the same holding is “the harmonization between our corporate values and my personal values.”

The result of these values being passed down from one generation to the next with the same sensitivity is the emergence of Eczacıbaşı as a holding which stands out because of its corporate culture. These values form the foundation stone of our holding; and what makes Eczacıbaşı different is its respect for society, the environment and people, its participatory management, its creativity-innovativeness and focusing on the customer.

Hande Yavuz
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