İlber Ortaylı

History Professor, MEF University, Galatasaray University (Istanbul) and  Bilkent University (Ankara).

İlber Ortaylı is a Turkish historian and professor of history of Crimean Tatar origin at the MEF University, Galatasaray University in Istanbul and at Bilkent University in Ankara. In 2005, he was appointed as the director of the Topkapı Museum in Istanbul, until he retired in 2012. During his academic career, he published numerous articles focused on diplomacy, cultural history and intellectual history. He received various awards and accolades such as the Aydın Doğan Foundation Award, the Medal of Pushkin and an honorary membership to the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Filip Geerts

Director General, CECIMO

Filip Geerts is the Director General of CECIMO. He is specialised in the management of corporate and governmental affairs departments of companies, national and EU trade associations and non-profit organisations. He was deputy-director for the largest Belgian association for the technology industry, public and regulatory affairs manager for IBM (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and secretary general for numerous European trade associations. He has degrees from Insead Fontainebleau and Singapore, London School of Economics, Vlerick, College of Europe, The Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve and the Catholic University of Leuven in commercial engineering.

Marco Ghirardello 

Senior VP, General Manager FA Business Division, FANUC

Marco Ghirardello is a highly experienced professional in the field of industrial automation and manufacturing, with a strong focus on CNC, robotics, and robomachines. Currently Mr Ghirardello is  the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Factory Automation Division at FANUC Europe, where they are responsible for driving business development, management, and continuous improvement. 

Steve Hope

New Business Development Manager at DLL

As New Business Development Manager Europe for the Global Business Unit Construction, Transportation and Industrial (CT&I), Steve has a strong focus on DLL’s key focus industries with machine tools being one of them. Steve began his career at DLL in 2018 and spent over 15 years working in the finance and leasing industry, with focus on managing key commercial partnerships, industry expertise and sales planning and execution. Steve’s role is to engage with new partners and introduce them to  DLL’s comprehensive user-based financial solutions, allowing them to offer affordable pre-approved financing deals that speed up the decision-making process and increase the chance of winning the sale.

MEMİŞ KÜTÜKCÜ

Chairman, Konya Organized Industrial Zones and Board Chairman of OSBÜK

Mr. Kütükcü started his career at TÜMOSAN Inc, as the Chief of ERNA Air and Heat Devices, then served as the Procurement Director in the same company. After being the Operating Manager in a company engaged in on-vehicle crane manufacturing, in 1993, he became the CEO of Hidrokon Co. Ltd. and Merkez Hidrolik Co. Ltd. Between 2004 and 2009, he acquired a seat in the Municipal Assembly of Konya Metropolitan Municipality and the District of Karatay. He has been the Acting President of the Municipal Assembly of Konya Metropolitan Municipality since 2009. Currently, holding a position as a Chairman of Konya Organized Industrial Zones and Board Chairman of  OSBÜK.

Alphan Manas

Innovation and Entrepreneurship at TİM and İHKİB, Technologist, Futurist, Honorary President of the Turkish Futurists Association

Mr Manas received his Bachelor’s degree from Ege University & became Textile Engineer in 1983, received his Master’s degree from F.I.T. of the State University of New York in 1987. He founded (or participated in joint ventures) a total of 45 companies, partnered up with more than 60 partners in 10 sectors. He completed more than 20 M&A transactions. Market values of the companies he invested reached to $1.5 billion with the revenues exceeding $17.5 billion (in 2021). He became the Founding Chairman of Turkish Futurists Association in 2005. He has been serving as the Honorary Chairman of the association since 2008. Wrote columns for Turkish edition of Forbes in 2006 and 2007 as well as Businessweek in 2008 and 2009. Starting from 2006, he was the editor in chief of FUTUREtakes, the publication of World Future Society for 5 years.

Marcus burton

Chairman of the CECIMO Economic Committee

Marcus Burton joined Yamazaki Mazak as Group Business Development Director for Europe in October 2005. He was appointed Managing Director of Yamazaki Mazak U.K. Ltd in October 2007 and European Group Managing Director in January 2010 responsible to Japan for all Mazak’s European operations including Manufacturing, Engineering and the European Sales and Service subsidiary companies. In April 2017 Mr Burton took on the new role of non-executive Director of Yamazaki Mazak UK Ltd, with specific interest in future business direction and external relations.

RECEP DEMİR

Deputy General Director, Ministry of Trade, Türkiye

Mr Recep Demir has vast experience in international economics and trade, development, data analysis and modelling, econometric estimations, understanding the numbers, impact analyses, management, event organisation, commercial diplomacy, public sector decision making. He has a MA degree in Economics from New York University. 

HAKAN GÜLDAĞ

Chairman of the Board and Editor-in-chief at Nasıl Bir Ekonomi newspaper and Editor-in-Chief at Dünya Newspaper 

Hakan Güldağ is a popular name the journalism profession. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Dünya Newspaper and gives remarkable speeches about Turkey’s economy, economics journalism, freedom of press etc. He is Chairman of the Board and Editor-in-chief at Nasıl Bir Ekonomi newspaper, which is the most popular daily economic newspaper in Turkey.

Muzaffer Suat Utku

Deputy Director General of International Banking, Aktif Bank

Born in 1974, Muzaffer Suat Utku holds a degree in Business Administration from U.S. International University, San Diego. He also has an MBA degree from London University College, and has 22 years of experience in the banking industry. He joined Aktif Bank in 2007. He is Deputy Director General of International Banking at Aktif BANK.