Board of Directors

Murat Ülker
Chairman

Murat Ülker began his business career in 1982 after graduating from the Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Boğaziçi University. After working as the Control Coordinator in the Group in 1984, Murat Ülker attended various training courses (AIB and ZDS) abroad and worked as a trainee at the Continental Baking Company, United States. Mr. Ülker worked in the export field for two years in the Middle East, and also observed about 60 factories and facilities operating in the biscuit, chocolate and food industry in the United States and Europe for three years. Mr. Ülker participated in various IESC projects and realized many investments in keeping with the principle of vertical integration. After working as Assistant General Manager for Enterprises, General Manager, Executive Committee Member and Board Member in various companies of the Group, Murat Ülker was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yıldız Holding in 2000. Murat Ülker is married, with three children, and speaks English and German. His hobbies include sailing as well as traveling with his family.

Orhan Özokur
Vice Chairman of Board of Directors

Having begun working during his high school years, Orhan Özokur carried on his academic and business life hand in hand, and graduated from the Academy of Economic an Business Studies. Mr. Özokur joined the Group as a Commercial Manager in 1973, and served as Chairman of the Board and Board Member in different companies of the Group before being appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yıld›z Holding in 2000. Mr. Özokur is married, with three children, and speaks English. He has a special interest in basketball, and his hobbies also include playing tennis, listening to music and playing the guitar.

Ali Ülker
Member of Board of Directors

After studying at the Economics and Business Management Departments, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Bo¤aziçi University, Ali Ülker attended various academic programs at IMD, Harvard and Wharton. Mr. Ülker took part in De Boccard & Yorke consultancy company's Internal Kaizen Study (1992) and IESC Sales System Improvement and Company Internal Organization Project (1997). He began his business career in 1985 as a trainee at the Quality Control Department of Ülker Gıda A.Ş He served as a trainee, Sales Executive, Sales Coordinator, Product Group Coordinator and Product Group Manager in 1986–1998 at the chocolate production facilities and Atlas Gıda Pazarlama A.Ş. He served as the General Manager of Atlas Gıda Pazarlama A.Ş. in 1998, the Vice-Chairman of the Consumer Group for Marketing and Chainstores in 2000, and the General Manager of Merkez Gıda Pazarlama A.Ş. in 2001. Mr. Ülker was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Food Group in 2002. In 2005, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Ülker (Biscuit, Chocolate, Candy) Group. He is married, with three children, and speaks English and German. His hobbies include fishing, going to the cinema, reading books, and playing basketball and billiards.

Alain Strasser
Member of Board of Directors

Mr. Strasser was born in 1947. He graduated in 1964 from Mathematics and Philosophy with a BA degree. He received a Master Degree in Business and Administration in E.S.C. PARIS in 1968 and Economics in 1970. Then he taught management at Dakar University (Senegal) until 1972. Mr. Strasser started his career in private sector in 1972 at Unilever and took various responsibilities in Sales & Marketing departments, mainly in France. In 1982, Mr. Strasser moved to Tambrands - a Fortune 500, NYSE quoted company, specialized in hygiene products. He stayed in this company up to 1994 in the following positions: Sales and Marketing Director France, 1982 -1983, General Manager France, 1983 - 1987, Managing Director United Kingdom, 1987 -1989, Group vice President Europe, 1990 -1993, President International, 1993 -1994.

After the acquisition of Tambrands by P&G, Mr. Strasser was appointed to Campell Soup in 1994 as President of Campbell Biscuits Europe, based in Brussels. He led the Campbell acquisition of Liebig Soup from Danone and became President Delacre Biscuits and Liebig Soup until 1998.

Alain Strasser then moved to Artal, a Belgian private equity firm, as CEO of Harry’s SAS, a pan European bread and cake company based in Paris between 1998-2007 to restructure, grow and prepare the company to be floated on the Stock Exchange or sold to a strategic partner. Once the company sold to Barilla, he joined Ülker group as Ülker International Division President in January 2008.

Alain Strasser has been or still is a Board member of several companies, as SSL in London, Mood Media, Benedicta sauces, Galapagos, Alpina in France, Mankattan in China. Mr. Strasser is married with three children.

Graduating from the Istanbul Academy of Economic and Business Studies in 1964, Cengiz Solakoğlu began his business career as a salesman at Beko Ticaret A.Ş. He became an Area Sales Manager in 1969, Sales Director in 1975 and General Manager in 1977.He continued working in this position until 1983 before being appointed as the General Manager of Atılım Company, also in the Koç Group. During his 8-year term in this position, he led activities for the “Strengthening of Arçelik Authorized Dealer System”. He was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Consumption Group of Koç Holding in 1991. Also serving as a member of the Executive Committee of Koç Group in 1996–1998, he was appointed Chairman of the Consumption Group of Koç Holding in 2002. Having worked uninterruptedly for 37 years in Koç Group, Mr. Solakoğlu retired due to the Group's policy of mandatory retirement at age 60. Mr. Solakoğlu was one of the founders of 1907 Fenerbahçe Derneği and the Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey, and was elected as a Leader of Civil Society by the Ekonomist magazine. Mr. Solako¤lu is married, with 2 children.

Mahmut Mahir KUŞCULU
Member of Board of Directors (Independent)

After graduating from the Istanbul Erkek Lisesi and then the Faculty of Economics, Istanbul University, Mr. Kuflculu completed his postgraduate education in marketing in the United States. Mr. Kuşculu served as Administrator and Board Member in the family businesses Tamcam A.fi. and Arsal Cam Sanayii in the glass industry from 1970. He established the foreign trade companies Kutafl D›fl Ticaret ve Pazarlama A.fi. in 1982 and Erdem D›fl Ticaret A.Ş. in 1985, also taking part in their management. Mr. Kuflculu has served on the Professional Committees of İstanbul Chamber of Commerce and Istanbul Chamber of Industry for 20 years, and has also been a member of the Assembly of Istanbul Chamber of Industry for 13 years. Mr. Kuşculu is married, with two children.

Güven OBALI
Board Member (Independent)

He was born in 1943 in Konya. He was graduated from Ankara Political Sciences Faculty, Finance and Economics Department.

In 1967 he passed the ‘State Auditor Exam’. In 1972 he was appointed for a research on the Value Added Tax applications in Germany by the Ministry of Finance.

In 1975 he resigned and started to work in the bank of Turkish Military Force at various managerial positions.

He retired in 1994 and then started to work as Chartered Accountant, and left in 2004.

He is married and he has two children.