High Council

Arda Batu completed his high school education at The Browning High School, he then studied Political Science and International Relations at Bosphorus University and attained his MA degree from Marmara University European Studies Institute. His keen interests in government relations and strategic communications led him to Istanbul-based regional corporate communications firm, StratejiCo. He joined Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TURKONFED) on June 2014 and actually serves as Secretary-General and Board Member.

Arda Batu also holds the titles of independent board member at Federal Mogul Izmit Piston, executive board member of Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), advisory board member of Co-opinion, and the editorial board member of Turkish Policy Quarterly.

Berrak Kutsoy graduated from Koç University, Department of Business Administration. She started his business life in BNP-AK-Dresdner Bank in Foreign Transactions Dept. She then completed his MBA in 2001 at London Middlesex University Business School. In 2002, she returned to Turkey, first she worked as Project Manager in Denizbank A.Ş. and Overseas Marketing Responsible of ÜNSA Packaging. Later on, she served as Export Manager Mitterteich in German brand in 2006. Since May 2009, she has been Consultant to the Chairman of the Board of Pegasus Airlines and to the TOBB Young Entrepreneurs Board. Kutsoy is a member of Koç University Alumni Association, a Board Member of GYIAD (Young Executives and Businessmen Association) and a member of TED (Tennis Fencing and Mountaineering Sports Club). Kutsoy speaks English and German. Kutsoy also is a columnist at Startup magazine and mentors start-up companies.

Fuat Keyman is Director of Istanbul Policy Center and Professor of International Relations at Sabancı University. Keyman is a leading Turkish political scientist and an expert on civil society development, democratization, globalization, international relations, and Turkey – EU relations. He is member of “Think Tank 20″ and the author of four short articles submitted as a part of the project.

Prior to joining Sabancı University, Keyman taught at the Department of International Relations of Koç University from 2002 to 2010 and at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Bilkent University between 1994 and 2002. He was also Visiting Professor at Carleton University in the summer of 1997. He has received numerous prestigious grants from the EU Framework Programme and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. He has been the research director of various projects, such as Peter Berger and Samuel Huntington’s Many Civilizations, CIVICUS, and Mapping Civil Society in Turkey. He holds several post-doctoral Fellowships from Wellesley College and Harvard University. Keyman has conducted extensive research and written copiously on the political and social trends in Turkey, urban transformation in Anatolian cities, the symbiotic relationship between globalization and local development, the impact of this relation on Turkey’s bid for joining the European Union as well as the culture of living together in Turkey.

He is the author and editor of twenty books, including Hegemony through Transformation; Modernity, Democracy and Foreign Policy in Turkey (2013), Türkiye’nin Yeniden İnşası (Remaking Turkey, 2013), Symbiotic Antagonisms: Competing Nationalisms in Turkey (with Ayşe Kadıoğlu, 2011), Cities: The Transformation of Anatolia, the Future of Turkey (2010), Competing Nationalism in Turkey (2010), Turkey in a Globalizing World (2010), Remaking Turkey, Globalization, Alternative Modernities and Democracy (2008), Turkish Politics in a Changing World (with Ziya Öniş, 2007), Citizenship in a Global World: European Questions and Turkish Experiences (2005), Changing World, Transforming Turkey (2005). He received his PhD in Political Science, with a concentration in International Relations and Comparative Politics from Carleton University. He completed his Bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey

Born in 1962 in Ankara, he was graduated from METU in 1987. He started to work as research assistant in Ankara University Faculty of Communication. He completed his Masters’ Degree and PHD studies in Ankara University Social Sciences Institute and Massachusetts University Communication Program respectively. He wrote articles and conducted studies about cultural studies, social criticism, communication theories. He started work as instructor at Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Communication in 2005. He took role as department head between 2009-2011. He is now working as Dean at İstanbul Bilgi University since 2011.

Melsa Ararat is an engaged scholar. She is currently a professor of Strategy and the founding director of Corporate Governance Forum of Turkey at Sabanci Business School.  Melsa has held senior management and board positions in Belgium, Singapore and Japan within Philips group prior to returning to academia in 2003. She is the initiator and supervisor of many projects that mobilizes businesses in support of  Sustainable Development Goals  including  Business Against Domestic Violence Project, Independent Women Directors Project and Carbon Disclosure Project in Turkey. She is a governor of ICGN (International Corporate Governance Network), a board member of UN Global Compact Turkey Network and a member of 30% Club Global Advisory Board. She was instrumental in formation of Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index in 2014. Melsa’s research focuses on corporate governance and sustainability in emerging markets.

Rana Birden, born in 1975, graduated from Galatasaray University with a degree in International Relations in 1998. She completed her Master’s Program in European Union at Galatasaray University in 2005.

Between 1999 and 2012, Birden held various positions including Senior Research Specialist at the Economic Development Foundation, Deputy Project Coordinator of the European Union Civil Society Development Program, Coordinator of the EU Research and Documentation at Bahçeşehir University, and Director of the Social Participation and Development Foundation. She also served as a consultant for many foundations and associations such as the Sabancı Foundation, Third Sector Foundation of Turkey, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. From 2012 to 2014, Birden worked as the General Manager of the Global Relations Forum Association, and from 2014 to 2016, she served as a Board Member of the Turkey Europe Foundation and the C20 Steering Committee. In 2016, she joined the Kale Group.

Joined INGEV as a management advisor by April 2016. After Graduating from İstanbul Technical University, majored in Management Engineering, moved to US. Earned a MSc. degree in Computer Science from University of Lowell, Massachusetts; followed by MBA from University of North Florida. Worked on a PhD program in Logistics in cooperation of Bosphorous University and Ohio State University. Worked in Nielsen between 1996-2001; left the company to become one of the founding members of Retailing Institute (A Company of KMG Research) specializing in Retail & Shopper Research. Recently worked as CEO of Ipsos Market Measurement, newly formed global unit headquartered in İstanbul, Turkey.

She has published articles in international Logistics  magazines; cited over 100 times in many logistics and finance books and articles. Gives speeches in the areas of Category Management, Shopper Research, Retail Management and Consumer Behavior.

Born in 1985, Tal Garih studied a double major in International Relations and Psychology at the University of Virginia where he graduated from in 2007. In 2010, he completed his graduate studies with honors at New York University, mastering a joint degree in International Business and Politics. Tal has been working in various roles within the Alarko Group of Companies since 2010. Currently, he is the Strategic Planning Manager at Alarko Holding. In addition, he serves as the Chairman of the Board and faculty member of Bahçeşehir University’s Graduate School of Business, and as a Board Member of “Yeni Bir Lider Derneği / A New Leader Association”.

Graduated from METU – Department of Economics and after a short experience of advertising and banking, Vural Çakır took place in the foundation of Zet Research Company. After the merger with ACNielsen in 1993, he became the trading partner and the general manager of the company until the end of 2000. He founded KMG Marketing Services Group in 2001 and acted as president of this group until 2007. In 2007, a partnership was established with Ipsos which is the second largest research company of the world and which has also acquired Synovate in 2011. He acted as the CEO of Ipsos Turkey and as the member of Ipsos Global Management Council until the end of 2015. After selling all his company shares to Ipsos, he pioneered the establishment of INGEV in order to work in civil society field. Substantially, he continues his works in the field of human development and supports innovative entrepreneurships. Having many articles published in various business magazines, Vural Çakır gave lectures at Bilgi University, Adschool Marketing Communications Master Programme between 2008 – 2013.