The New Speakers for Webrazzi Summit 2024 Are Announced!

Turkey’s leading entrepreneurship and technology conference, Webrazzi Summit 2024, will take place on October 23 at the Wyndham Grand Istanbul Levent.

At our conference, we will discuss a broad range of topics, from e-commerce to fintech, digital marketing to artificial intelligence, IPOs to sustainability, covering the highlights of 2024 and the agenda for 2025. You can check what kind of experience awaits you at Webrazzi Summit 2024 here.

By attending Webrazzi Summit 2024, you can benefit from extensive networking opportunities and also listen to our expert speakers to get answers to your curious questions. You can purchase tickets for our conference here.

Now, let’s take a look at our conference’s new speakers.

Barbaros Özbugutu (Co-Founder @DeBa Ventures)

Barbaros Serdar Özbugutu is a significant figure in the European payments industry. He began his finance career at Firstdata in 2005 and moved to Telecash in 2007 as Director responsible for the SME market. His expertise led him to become the Country Manager for Klarna in Germany in 2010, significantly contributing to the company’s success. In 2013, he founded iyzico to democratize financial services in Turkey. iyzico quickly became a leader in the Turkish online payment market, attracting substantial investments and was dubbed “Turkey’s Stripe” by TechCrunch. iyzico supported over 100,000 online stores, including global brands, raising $28 million from prestigious investors, including the International Finance Corporation. In 2019, PayU acquired iyzico for $165 million, and Özbugutu continued to manage the company’s growth. In 2022, he transitioned to Chairman of the Board, founding DeBa Ventures, which invests in early-stage tech startups. Özbugutu also contributes to the entrepreneurship ecosystem as a board member of Endeavor Turkey and a mentor for the “Turcorn 100 Program,” maintaining a lasting impact in the industry with his support for high-impact entrepreneurship.

Barış Aldanmaz (Head of Turkey and Central and Southern Asia @TikTok)

Barış Aldanmaz is a business leader with over a decade of deep experience in various sectors. He started his career at McKinsey & Co as a consultant and continued at Türkven Private Equity as a Venture Capital Investor. He currently manages TikTok/ByteDance’s operations in Turkey, leading the establishment of TikTok’s Turkish business and team while overseeing its revenue and operations. He successfully managed the IPOs of Domino’s Pizza Turkey and DP Eurasia on the London Stock Exchange. Aldanmaz has also served on the board of leading Turkish companies such as FLO Mağazacılık and MNG Kargo as a board observer. He holds a degree in Finance and Management from New York University – Leonard N. Stern School of Business and has competencies in problem-solving, strategic planning, and developing partnerships.

Bülent Karal (Deputy General Manager for Cloud Solutions @SAP)

Bülent Karal completed his secondary education at Kabataş Erkek Lisesi and graduated from Istanbul Technical University with a degree in Electronic and Communication Engineering. He also completed an MBA at The Stockholm School of Economics, supplemented by a Master’s program in International Business at Marmara University. After starting his career at NCR and KOÇ NET, he joined Oracle in 2004. From 2004 to 2012, he progressed from Customer Management to General Sector Management and Telecom Sector Sales Management. He was then appointed as Strategic Industries Sales Director for Retail, Insurance, Finance, and Public in SAP Turkey. Since 2020, he has served as Deputy General Manager for Cloud Solutions.

Burak Ertaş (CEO @sahibinden.com)

Burak Ertaş graduated from the Middle East Technical University with a degree in Electrical-Electronics Engineering and obtained his MBA from Koç University. He began his professional career as a co-founder of Odak Yazılım during his university years and later held various roles including Deputy General Manager at Telsoft and Telenity, as well as General Manager of Turkcell Mapco Service Management and Business Development. Since December 2009, he has served as General Manager of sahibinden.com and has also held positions such as President of the Interactive Advertising Association (IAB) Board of Directors and Executive Board Member of the Foreign Economic Relations Board’s Digital Technologies Business Council.

Cem Küçükcan (General Manager @Danone Turkey)

Cem Küçükcan graduated from the Tarsus American College and obtained his bachelor’s degree from Bilkent University in Business Administration, followed by a Master’s in Marketing and Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. He began his career in the healthcare industry in 1997, holding various senior management and general manager roles in multinational companies. Küçükcan joined Danone in 2010 as General Manager of Danone Medical Nutrition Turkey and HUB. After being appointed General Manager for the UK and Ireland in 2014, he held various leadership roles in the company, including Regional President for Europe and Minister of Health under Danone’s umbrella. As of November 1, 2021, he continues to serve as the Chairman and General Manager of Danone Turkey.

Cem Öztürk (General Manager of Pharmaceuticals and Eurasia Regional Director @Sanofi)

Cem Öztürk completed his secondary education at Galatasaray High School and his undergraduate studies at Galatasaray University, holding an MBA degree from Sorbonne University. He began his career in the banking sector in 2000 and has worked at Sanofi for over 20 years, serving in various roles, including budget control specialist and head of budget control and pricing. He was appointed Finance Director for Romania and Moldova in 2007, where he served for four years, continuing in Operations Excellence (BEX) Director role afterward. In 2015, he returned to Turkey as Director of Sales and Marketing for Sanofi Specialty Therapies & Head of Generics. He later served as General Manager responsible for all of Sanofi’s operations in Thailand and Malaysia. Between 2018 and 2020, he was the Country President and General Director of Sanofi, overseeing all prescription drugs across 16 major therapeutic areas including Diabetes, Cardiology, CNS, Oncology, Rare Diseases, and MS. In 2021, he expanded his responsibilities as the Country President for Sanofi Turkey, Iran, and Levant regions, leading all operations in these countries. Throughout his tenure at Sanofi, Öztürk has successfully assumed various leadership roles in domestic and international organizations and currently serves as Head of Pharmaceuticals and General Manager for the Sanofi Eurasia region, covering Turkey, Russia, as well as the CIS countries and the Levant region, which includes Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Palestine.

Dr. Mahmut Nedim Özdemir (Director @KWORKS)

Dr. Özdemir serves as the Director of Entrepreneurship and Academic Advisory at Koç University and Director of KWORKS-Koç University Entrepreneurship Research Center. In addition to his administrative duties, he is an innovation and strategy consultant. Dr. Özdemir holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University, master’s degrees in Management Science and Industrial Engineering from Sabancı University, and a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. His research is published in leading academic journals such as the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal and Strategic Management Journal.

Dr. R. Erdem Erkul (Founder and Chairman @Cerebrum Tech)

Dr. R. Erdem Erkul is a technology entrepreneur known for his impactful work in the technology sector and is one of the founders of Cerebrum Tech. As of May 2024, Dr. Recep Erdem Erkul has been appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of Korea in Sivas. In his youth, he worked as a content producer at one of Turkey’s first internet portals, Türkport. He continued his career in various firms afterward. With extensive experience holding various positions at Microsoft Turkey and across the Middle East and Africa, Erkul worked as a director and company spokesperson at Samsung from 2014 to 2018, where he contributed to various R&D and innovation projects between South Korea and Turkey. He has led the establishment of innovative and R&D centers in Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa.

Egem Eraslan (Founder and CEO @Midas)

Born in Izmir, Egem Eraslan completed his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering at Boston University and began his career as a software engineer in the United States. He ventured into education by founding Eraslan School in 2015, the first bilingual school in Izmir, which now operates with 900 students at its 14,000 m² campus in Mavişehir. He launched Midas in 2021, facilitating easy investments in Turkish and American stocks, thus creating Turkey’s first next-generation investment application. With 2.5 million users, Midas has become the largest investment platform in Turkey, providing investment opportunities in Turkish and American stocks, TEFAS funds, and cryptocurrencies. Midas raised $60 million in venture capital investment within just 3.5 years.

Erkan Yağcıoğlu (CEO @TIBAS Ventures)

Erkan Yağcıoğlu serves as CEO at TIBAS Ventures and has 18 years of investment experience. He managed venture capital funds, reaching $140 million under the Türkiye İş Bankası Group umbrella after joining in 2015, and was involved in establishing and managing the first VC fund of İş Bankası. Significant investments at Maxis included Trendyol, Figopara, Onlayer, Mindsite, CoOne, MentalUP, and Denebunu. Starting his career in investment banking, before joining İş Bankası Group, he served as an advisor on M&A transactions totaling $900 million, working with global companies such as Cargill, Georg Fischer, and Smith & Nephew. As a VC fund established in the Netherlands under Türkiye İş Bankası, TIBAS Ventures aims to invest in technology startups with exceptional founders. By having an office in Amsterdam, it also seeks to serve as a bridge for the Turkish entrepreneurship ecosystem while investing in global startups. TIBAS Ventures’ portfolio includes some of Turkey’s most successful startups, including Dataroid, Eatron, Heltia, Huma, and Triomobil.

Fatih Otluoğlu (CEO @BitHero)

After completing his Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering at Boğaziçi University and an MBA at the same institution, Fatih Otluoğlu began his career in management consulting, leading numerous domestic and international strategic management and restructuring projects. He held various management positions in leading telecommunications companies, particularly after moving to Vodafone Turkey in 2012, where he occupied various roles including Director of Strategic Planning and Business Development as well as Director of Commercial Marketing and Device Operations. Otluoğlu has been serving as CEO of BitHero since October 2023.

Irina Obushtarova (Co-Founder and CEO @The Recursive)

Irina Obushtarova is the co-founder and CEO of The Recursive, an independent media platform for innovation communities in Southeast Europe. She began her professional career in the media sector in Vienna, Austria, before moving into digital marketing by positioning various software solutions in the DACH region. Her entrepreneurial journey began when she co-founded WelcomeBuddy, a platform for expatriates moving to Austria in 2016. However, her observations of a significant brain drain caused by the migration wave in Europe prompted her to reassess her direction, leading her back to Sofia. Irina holds a degree in Media and Communication Studies from the University of Vienna and speaks English, German, and Bulgarian fluently.

İlker Baydar (General Manager of Used Vehicle Platform @Borusan Otomotive Group)

İlker Baydar joins Borusan Automotive Group as the General Manager of the Pre-Owned Vehicle Platform, bringing over 20 years of experience in e-commerce and digital transformation. Prior to joining Borusan Automotive Group, he held various senior managerial roles in leading companies (hepsiburada.com, Markafoni.com, Bilyoner.com, Metro AG, Naspers). Landmark moments in Baydar’s career include relocating to Shanghai from 2006 to 2008 to lead global strategies for Metro China operations in emerging markets and subsequently leading the digital transformation of Wehkamp.nl, an Apax Partners investment in the Netherlands from 2017 to 2019. As an entrepreneur, before joining Borusan Automotive Group, he co-founded the first premium online food delivery platform in Turkey, leading its seed funding round with prestigious angel investors in 2020-2022. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Marmara University, Executive MBA from Sabancı University, a Global Leadership Certification from HBS, and degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from MIT Sloan.

Kutay Konakçı (CMO @Trendyol Group)

Kutay Konakcı is a professional with extensive experience in customer relationship management in the internet sector. He obtained his master’s degree in Marketing and Logistics Management from Galatasaray University and completed his undergraduate studies in Industrial Engineering at Bilkent University. Throughout his career, he has specialized in analytical skills, demand planning, e-commerce, industrial engineering, and planning. Over seven years, he has held various senior positions at Trendyol Group and currently serves as CMO. Previously, he served as the Director of Digital Engagement and CRM at Trendyol and was the CRM Manager at Hepsiburada.com, gaining experience in supply chain planning and production planning in the pharmaceutical industry.

Murat Onuk (Managing Partner @Arz Portföy)

With over 30 years in the technology sector, Murat Onuk currently serves as Managing Partner at Arz Portföy. Since 1993, he has held various senior positions in the information technology sector, playing influential roles in both local and international markets. From 1999 to 2004, he served as Consumer Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft Turkey and then as Senior Marketing Manager responsible for EMEA and later global markets at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, USA from 2004 to 2009. He also served as Deputy General Manager of Marketing at TTNET from 2009 to 2010 and as General Manager Advisor on strategy, marketing, and business development at Türk Telekom from 2010 to 2012. Between 2012 and 2016, he contributed to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through various board memberships and angel investing in various startups. Additionally, Murat Onuk holds active roles, including being a Board Member of Takasbank and TSPB and Vice President of TOBB Venture Capital Committee.

Pelin Gönül Şahin (CEO @Founder Being)

Pelin Gönül Şahin is the CEO of Founder Being and a Venture Partner at 212 VC. With over ten years of experience in Europe, MENA, and LATAM, she has developed and implemented acceleration and innovation programs for companies and investment firms like Visa, Orange Business Services, Startupbootcamp, and StartersHub. Her extensive work in high-pressure environments of startups and VCs highlighted a significant gap in mental health support for founders, prompting her to pursue a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Applying her diverse experiences and commitment to mental resilience, she aims to enhance the well-being of founders and foster sustainable entrepreneurship and investment ecosystems. Pelin holds master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and International Relations, and she is fluent in Turkish, English, and Spanish. She enjoys meeting new people, exploring culinary trends, and acting as a connector in her international network.

Turan Yurdakul (Business Development Leader @Yandex Ads)

Turan Yurdakul, who has been interested in commerce since childhood, shifted his focus to e-commerce in his youth. Determined to pursue a business education, he studied at Özyeğin University’s School of Business and chose Sales and Marketing as his major. Gaining corporate experience in logistics and insurance during his university years, he also explored e-import and online shopping. After graduating, he worked in various positions at unicorn/decacorn startups and prominent tech brands. He currently works as Senior Business Development Manager at Yandex Ads, focusing on the Turkish market. Yurdakul is fluent in English and has limited proficiency in Spanish and German. He pursued a second degree in Cultural Heritage and Tourism as a hobby. Additionally, Yurdakul, a certified mixologist, enjoys music, travel, and playing billiards.

Volkan Biçer (Managing Partner @Ludus Venture Capital)

Born in Istanbul in 1984, Volkan Bicer is a successful entrepreneur and leader in the mobile app and gaming industry. He completed his undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems at Boğaziçi University and an MBA at Galatasaray University. He started his career in product management at Turkcell and in content management at Yahoo! EMEA. In 2009, he founded Mobilike, Turkey’s leading mobile advertising network, which was acquired by Los Angeles-based AdColony for $30 million in 2015. Following this acquisition, Volkan served as General Manager responsible for AdColony’s growth in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. In 2018, he co-founded Rollic Games with his partners, serving as Chairman of the Board, and participated in its acquisition by Zynga for $220 million in 2020, recorded as one of the largest and fastest transactions in mobile gaming history. Since 2020, Volkan has focused on supporting innovation by investing over $25 million in mobile app and gaming startups through Ludus Venture Capital, while also teaching entrepreneurship courses part-time at Boğaziçi University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences since 2021.

Yahya Ülker (Founder and CEO @Yıldız Ventures)

Graduating from Koç University with a degree in Business Administration in 2016, Yahya Ülker worked in banking and biscuit manufacturing in London and Switzerland after completing his university education. Ülker began his career at Yıldız Holding in 2018, working in the innovation company Northstar Innovation of the Holding where he played an active role in implementing innovation projects, which are the future investments of the Holding in collaboration with universities and industry. Since 2019, at Yıldız Ventures, which he founded, he leads teams working to incubate in-house initiatives that will add value to the Holding’s strategy and supports the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Successfully completing the role of E-Commerce Leader at ŞOK Marketler, one of Turkey’s leading retail brands, Yahya Ülker currently serves as Transformation and Technology Leader at Yıldız Holding and pladis Global. He is a member of TÜSİAD, DEİK Digital Technologies, the New Leaders Association, and Q Angels, and also serves as a Startup Mentor at Endeavor Turkey.

Yiğit Arslan (General Partner @TechOne)

During his master’s education, Yiğit Arslan began his career in finance in the USA, gaining experience in areas such as corporate finance, private equity investments, and securities fund management. He has served in the management of Brook Ventures, a fund investing in technology and healthcare sectors in the US. While providing corporate finance consultancy to medium-sized companies in the telecom, energy, and technology sectors, Arslan has also been an investor, executing successful exits. From 2008 to 2016, he successfully managed funds established in Turkey, Europe, and the United States, ranging from $20 million to $200 million at İş Yatırım, Rhea Portföy, and Azimut Portföy. Since 2017, he has founded and managed several funds in the venture capital sector (private equity and venture capital) totaling $500 million. He co-founded TechOne, twozero, and Logo Ventures from 2020 onwards, through which he has invested in over 50 startups, with a total budget of $90 million. Yiğit Arslan holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Sabancı University and a master’s degree in business and finance from Bentley University, with 10 years of industry experience.