Board Of Directors
Mr. Ahmet Bal was born in Tokat in 1957. In 1981, he graduated from the Department of Economics and Finance of the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University and entered the Board of Accountants of the Ministry of Finance. He received the title of Chief Accountant and Certified Public Accountant in 1991. Mr. Bal received his MBA degree in Business Administration from Nottingham University in England in 1992. He started to work as an Assistant Financial Affairs Coordinator in Anadolu Endüstri Holding in 1994. He carried his duties as Finance Director in Efes Sinai Yatırım Ticaret A.Ş. in which he was responsible from the International Coca-Cola business operations of Anadolu Group between 1995 and 1998 and as General Manager between 1998-1999. He served as the Financial Affairs Coordinator for the Automotive, Finance and Stationery companies in Anadolu Endüstri Holding’s Financial Affairs Department between 1999-2006. He worked as the Audit Coordinator responsible for all Group companies Anadolu Endüstri Holding between 2006-2012. From 2013 to 2018, he served as the Audit President responsible for the audit of all Anadolu Group companies. Mr. Ahmet Bal is married and has two children.
Mr. Ahmet BAL contributes to the Board through his significant expertise in fast moving consumer goods, supply chain management, Consumer retail and Finance, financial affairs, audit and tax, risk management, cyber security and regulatory affairs, as well as his experience in corporate governance.
Having graduated from Koç University Department of Business Administration in 2016, Yahya Ülker worked at various organizations operating in banking and biscuit production in London and Switzerland upon completing his undergraduate studies. After starting his career at Yıldız Holding in 2018, Yahya Ülker worked at the Holding’s innovation company, Northstar Innovation, and played an active role in implementing the Holding’s innovation projects devised as an investment into the future through university-industry collaborations during his tenure. Since 2019, he has led the teams of Yıldız Ventures, an organization he founded, working to incubate in-house start-ups in industries that would add value to the Holding’s strategy and to support the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Fulfilling his duties as Yıldız Holding Transformation and Technology Leader, Yahya Ülker also acts as the E-Commerce Leader for ŞOK Marketler, one of Türkiye’s leading retail brands. Having successfully completed his tenure as the E-Commerce Leader at ŞOK Marketler, one of Türkiye’s leading retail brands, Yahya Ülker currently serves as the Head of Transformation and Technology / Transformation and Technology Leader at Yıldız Holding and pladis Global. He is a member of TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), DEİK (Foreign Economic Relations Board) Digital Technologies, Yenibirlider Association, and Q Angels. He also acts as a Startup Mentor at Endeavor Türkiye.
Born in 1958, he received his master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and completed his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has attended several training courses in many different areas throughout his professional career. In 1987, he took a training course in Business Management for 6 months in Italy on an IRI Scholarship. He has attended a training course in Strategic Marketing at Harvard BusinesFs School and IMD Switzerland. Also, he completed the Insead program in Singapore.Between 1983 and 1987 he worked at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and from 1987 to 1996, he held various positions in Best Rothmans Entegre Sigara ve Tütün Sanayi A.Ş, such as General Manager.In 1996, Mehmet Tütüncü joined Ülker Gıda A.Ş. and served as a business coordinator until 1998. Following, he worked as General Manager and Vice President of the Ülker Group. In May 2005, he was appointed as Yıldız Holding A.Ş.’s Food Group President. In 2011 he was appointed as the Food-Ülker Group President and in 2014, he had additional responsibility as International Food-Ülker Group President.In 2016, he was appointed as pladis Region CEO, Türkiye, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. He continues to serve as Deputy to the pladis CEO (responsible for TR, ME, NA, CA, SA, LATAM) and Executive Corporate Officer (Information Systems & Business Transformation) with additional responsibilities he took in 2017. In 2018, he was appointed as Vice Chair and CEO of Yıldız Holding. As of May 2025, he continues to serve as Yıldız Holding Chair of the Board and CEO. Additionally, he serves as a Board Member and Chair of the Board at several companies.
Sridhar Ramamurth was appointed as the board member of Ülker Bisküvi in May 2024 and appointed Chief Financial Officer in July 2019 in pladis. Prior to his current role, Sridhar worked for Unilever for 30 years, with the last five years based in London, most recently as Executive Vice President Enterprise Solutions. He was also Chief Auditor and Group Treasurer and Head of Tax, Pensions & Insurance. Before moving to the UK, Sridhar spent five years as Senior Vice President Finance for Unilever South Asia, and Chief Financial Officer for Hindustan Unilever Limited, India. Prior to his roles in India, Sridhar spent six years as Controller for Unilever’s Asia, Africa and Central & Eastern Europe region, based in Singapore. In the early part of his Unilever career, Sridhar held several management positions across finance and supply chain roles in India. Sridhar began his career as Finance Officer for the shipping division of Larsen and Toubro, one of India’s largest engineering companies. Sridhar has lived and worked in India, Singapore and the UK. He is a Gold medallist of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, as well as a member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Mumbai University, India.
After graduating from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department of Middle East Technical University, Kölükfakı completed his master’s degree in the Business Administration Department. He joined Unilever as a Brand Manager in 1998 and held various senior management roles across different geographies and categories for nearly 25 years. From 2012 to 2015, Kölükfakı served as the Vice President responsible for Ice Cream, Food, and Beverages at Unilever Russia. Between 2015 and 2019, he was the General Manager responsible for Iran and Central Asia, and from 2019 to 2022, he held the position of Vice President responsible for the Ice Cream, Beverage, and Food Department in the North Africa, Middle East, Turkiye Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus Region. Before joining pladis, Kölükfakı served as the General Manager responsible for Turkey operations at Hayat Kimya since 2023.Özgür Kölükfakı, who speaks English and French, is married and the father of three children
Mr. İbrahim Taşkın was born on April 15th 1965 in Trabzon. He went to primary school in Artvin and high school in Istanbul. He graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1986. He served his military service as a disciplinary officer at military disciplinary court in Şanlıurfa in 1988.
He is a member of Istanbul Bar as a self-employed lawyer since 1989.
Beginning from 1990 for four years he lectured constitutional law, criminal law, criminal procedure law and police profession code at Florya Police Academy in Istanbul. In between 1996-2004 he was involved in political activities with various assignments in addition to his career as a free-lance lawyer. He has been in charge of Legal Affairs of Yıldız Holding since 2004. Currently he is President of Global Legal Affairs at Yıldız Holding. He is also member of board of directors of many companies and member of board as a founder and/or director at various association and foundations. Besides his responsibilities at Yıldız Holding Group he is President of Discipline Committee, Food Safety and Defense Board and Global Legal Affairs at Yıldız Holding. He is married and father of four children. He speaks English.
Ms. Füsun Kuran, who started her career as an auditor at Arthur Andersen, became the General Manager of Stefanel in 2001, where she continued her career as the General Manager. In 2005, she was deemed worthy of the “Youngest Successful General Manager” award by Capital Magazine. Ms. Füsun Kuran became the General Manager of Brooks Brothers in 2013, served as the CEO of RMK Classic, where Brooks Brothers and Edwards brands are located, until January 2019. Kuran, who served as the President of the Registered Trademarks Association (TMD) for two terms in 2010-2012 and 2014-2016, Experienced businesswoman Ms. Füsun Kuran became the CEO of Make-A-Wish Turkey, an international organization for children struggling with life-threatening diseases. Currently serving as the CEO and Board Member of TUTUMLUDUKKAN.COM which is Turkey’s marketplace for second-hand children’s and women’s products. Since May’22, Ms.Kuran is serving as the independent board member of Ülker Bisküvi
Ms. Füsun KURAN contributes to the Board through her significant expertise in fast moving consumer goods, supply chain management, Consumer retail and Finance, financial affairs, audit and tax , risk management and regulatory affairs, as well as her experience in corporate governance.
Graduated from Izmir Bornova Anadolu High School in 1983. Graduated from the faculty of Administrative Sciences at Bogazici University in 1988 with a degree in Public Administration. After completing the Management Trainee programme at Emlak Bank in 1989, worked in the department of investment credit evaluation. Later, assumed the position of Financing Assistant Manager at Vakıf Financial Leasing Inc. and carried out her mission for the next 3 years. Since 1995 she is working at ARGE Consulting and currently she is carrying out her mission as a managing partner in ARGE Consulting and is taking part in various projects. Under the roof of ARGE, she has conducted management consulting projects for more than 100 different organizations in different sectors in the areas of strategic evaluation, performance enhancement, institutionalization, corporate organization & HR. She is actively providing long term consulting services for leading companies of the retail and food sectors in international retail, production, international sales and marketing. Her services for these companies are focused on areas such as governance, strategy, organization and performance management. She has experiences in Human Resources Management, Organizational Structure & Operations, Institutionalization, Corporate Governance, Total Quality Management areas. She has been Management Board – Vice President at Argüden Governance Academy, Management Board – Vice President at Özel Sektör Gönüllüleri Derneği (Private Sector Volunteers Association), Collaboration Committee Member qt Yönetim Kurulunda Kadın Derneği (Women In Management Boards association) , Social Gender Equality Workgroup Member at Tüsiad (Turkısh Busıness Person Association), Workgroup Member at Wep’s (Women Empowerment Principles – Un Women). She has been selected for the First Class Of “More Women In Management Boards” Programme wıth 40 other women managers and has completed the training that aims to prepare the participants for taking active role in management boards as Independent Members. She has made intellectual contributions to the following: Kurumsal Yönetişim Modeli (Corporate Governance Model) – Arge Publications 2007 , Gönüllü Kuruluşların Yönetimi (Management Of Volunteering Organizations) – Arge Publications 2006 , Değişim Yönetimi (Management Of Change) – Arge Publications 2004.
Ms. Pınar ILGAZ contributes to the Board through her significant expertise in fast moving consumer goods, supply chain management, Consumer retail and Finance, financial affairs, audit and tax, risk management and regulatory affairs, as well as her experience in corporate governance.
