There Have Been Changes In The Rankings In The Power League

This year Capital has once again conducted its closely watched survey of the most powerful names in Turkey and compiled a list of the ‘Most Powerful Members of the Business World”. The 30 most powerful names in the business world are ranked according to the sources from which they derive their strength.

In 2005, as in previous years, it was Koç Holding Honorary Chairman Rahmi Koç who ranked as the most powerful. In fact, Koç has turned over the business to his son Mustafa Koç and embarked on a world tour. But the fact that he heads a group with a consolidated turnover of $16.6 billion and over 60,000 employees has meant that he has retained his influence in Ankara and over the business community.

This year the second in the list comes the most influential figure in newspapers, television and magazines in Turkey, Aydın Doğan, the chairman of the Doğan Companies Group. Moreover, since he sold Dışbank to Fortis, Doğan has generated significant cash inflow.

Sabancı Holding Board Chairwoman Güler Sabancı, who was second in the list last year, ranked third this year. The holding that she heads employs 34,000 personnel, is active in six different business groups and in 2004 had a consolidated turnover of $8.4 billion. In addition to being a board member of the Turkish Industrialists; and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD), Güler Sabancı has also become renowned for  the cultural activities which she has supported.

Professional executives are also powerful

Power does not only come with being the owner of a company. The professional executives who head the companies or holdings also wield power in proportion to the size of their organisation.

İş Bankası General Manager Ersin Özince ranks 10th in the list of the most powerful members of the business community. His power comes from being the top executive at the privately-owned bank with the largest assets in Turkey. Over the last five years Özince has doubled the bank’s market share. Bülent Özaydınlı, who has retained to his position in 14th, is the CEO of Koç Holding, which has a consolidated budget of $16.6 billion and over 60,000 employees. This is the reason why Özaydınlı is so influential in the business world.

Garanti Bankası General Manager Ergun Özen is another professional executive who is included in the list. He manages Garanti Bankası, which is the third largest privately-owned bank in Turkey with assets of over $22 billion. It is seen as the leader in innovative banking.

Türkcell General Manager Muzaffer Akpınar manages one of the ten largest GSM operators in Europe with approximately 26 million subscribers. HSBC General Manager Piraye Antika is the highest executive at a bank with more than 2 million customers, nearly 4,000 employees and total assets of $5.3 billion at the end of 2004. AVEA CEO Cahit Paksoy is the brains of the third largest GSM operator. Avea has 6.5 million subscribers and Paksoy has ambitious targets such as acquiring one third of the total market.

Name       Group/Company       Title   Why were they ranked here?

Rahmi Koç   Koç Holding    Honorary Chairman He manages a group which employs more than 60,000 personnel. In 2004 the group increased its consolidated turnover by 49 percent to $16.6 billion. Even though he has handed the business over to the son he has retained his influence in Ankara and the business community.

Aydın Doğan    Doğan Companies Group Chairman  Head of one of the five largest holdings in Turkey. The sale of Dışbank to Fortis secured a significant cash inflow. The investments he will make in tourism will have an impact. The most influential name in newspapers, television and magazines.

Güler Sabancı  Sabancı Holding Chairwoman  Chairwoman of a holding which had a consolidated turnover of $8.6 billion in 2004, is active in 6 business groups and employs 34,000 personnel. It has 64 companies and investments in 11 countries. Güler Sabancı is a board member of TÜSİAD and has become renowned for her social activities.

Ömer Sabancı  TÜSİAD  Chairman  He is also a member of the board of Sabancı Holding. The chairmanship of TÜSİAD has broadened his influence and power. Recent developments have increased his influence on the government. The business community follows him closely.

Mustafa Koç  Koç Holding  Chairman  He manages the leading holding in Turkey. He targets growth of 10 percent every year. His consumer durable companies export to 101 companies all over the world. He is looking to grow in retailing. He played a major role in the acquisition of Yapı Kredi.

Tuncay Özilhan Anadolu Group Board Chairman He has been the group’s board chairman for 21 years. He has played a decisive role in critical decisions made by the group which has become a regional power with investments in Russia and Eastern Europe. The group employs approximately 12,000 employees and is active in soft drinks, automotives, pens and stationery, finance and tourism.

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu TOBB   Chairman  For approximately five years has been head of the most powerful NGO in the country whose members include 364 chambers and bourses. He recently came to the fore through his support for the Formula One project. A board member of Nuh Çimento, he is generally regarded as the spokesman of the businessmen of Anatolia.

Ferit Şahenk  Doğuş Holding Board Chairman He is head of Tansaş, one of the leading retail companies, and Garanti, the third largest bank. More than 50 companies and the NTV and CNBC television channels give him considerable economic clout. Investments in the tourism sector have added dynamism to the group.

Ahmet Nazif Zorlu Zorlu Holding  Chairman  He heads a group comprised of 64 companies active in the electronics, white goods, textile, energy and finance sectors. It employs 22,000 personnel and exports to 108 countries. Vestel, which is one of the group’s companies, is the third largest manufacturer of the televisions in the world with annual output of 12 million sets.

Ersin Özince  Is Bankası  General Manager He is chief executive of the leading privately-owned bank in terms of asset size. It is directly involved in 47 companies in finance, glass, energy, telecommunications and industry-services and indirectly through participations in another 82 companies. The bank’s market share has doubled over the last five years.

Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ   Doğan Yayın Holding      CEO     He has been in the media sector for 12 years. He played a key role in forming partnerships with global giants such as CNN, Burda and Egmont. The group has 5,400 employees, eight daily newspapers, two national, one international and two cable TV channels, 23 magazines and three radio stations. He is influential in the media sector.

Turgay Ciner  Ciner Group  Chairman  He is included in the Forbes list of ‘The Wealthiest People in the World’. The three holdings and companies affiliated with the group are active in the energy, mining, trade, services, tourism, aviation and media sectors. The group employs nearly 14,000 personnel. It has a powerful presence in the media through Sabah newspaper and the ATV television channel.

Bülent Eczacıbaşı Eczacıbaşı Holding Board Chairman He heads a holding which comprises 36 companies, eight of them with foreign partners, has a total turnover of over $2.2 billion and employs more than 8,000 personnel. He is very influential in TÜSİAD. He has become renowned for the support he has given to the arts. The most recent example of the latter is his contribution to the establishment of the Istanbul Modern art gallery.

Bülend Özaydınlı Koç Holding  CEO   He is CEO of a holding with a consolidated turnover of $16.6 billion and more than 60,000 employees. Koç Holding accounted for 9 percent of Turkey’s total exports of $64 billion in 2004. Özaydınlı played a major role in this.

Cem Boyner  Boyner Holding Board Chairman He is one of the most influential names in textiles and retailing. He manages companies such as Altınyıldız, BBA, Boyner Büyük Mağazacılık and Çarsı Tatil. Boyner Mağazaları has a sales area of approximately 60,000 square meters and is the largest non-foodstuffs retailer in Turkey.

Mehmet Emin Karamehmet Çukurova Holding  Board Chairman His most important trump card is Türkcell, the largest GSM operator in Turkey. Even though the problems experienced by the holding in recent years have reduced its influence, it still plays an important role in the economy. It is an important player in the media with radio and television channels, magazines and newspapers.

Hamdi Akın  Akfen Holding Board Chairman He is a leading name in a holding which is active in construction, industry, trade and the defence industry. It handles the running of Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara Esenboğa and Cairo airports. It recently won the tender for the port of Mersin with a bid of $755 million.

Erol Sabancı  Sabancı Holding Board Vice Chairman He is also Chairman and Plenipotentiary Member of the Akbank Board of Directors, Chairman of the Board of Sabancı Bank and Board Member of Türkiye Sinai Kalkınma Bankası. He is one of the doyens of the banking sector. His strength in this field is accepted by everyone.

Coşkun Ulusoy Oyak Holding  General Manager   He manages more than 40 affiliates active in finance, cement, automotives and energy fields. The holding has total assets of YTL 3.3 billion and provides employment for more than 18,000 people. In 2004 the holding’s companies recorded exports of $2.2 billion.

Hüsnü Özyeğin Fiba Companies Group   Board Chairman He established Finansbank after serving as general manager of Pamukbank and Yapı Kredi. He generated significant cash inflow for the group by selling Gima and Endi to Carrefour. He has also became one of the leading names in clothes retailing through Marks & Spencer.

Ömer Dinçkök       Akkok Companies Group   Board Chairman  The group in which he is an executive has over 30 companies which are active in textiles, chemicals, energy, restaurant and port management and real estate development and management. In 2004 its net sales were approximately $1.4 billion. He has become famous for his support for education and NGOs.

Ergun Özen  Garanti Bankası General Manager He manages Garanti Bankası, the third largest privately-owned bank with total assets of over $22 billion and 8,525 personnel. He played an important role in the offensive recently launched by the bank and in attracting the interest of foreigners. The bank is the leader in innovative banking.

Mural Ülker      Ülker Companies Group Board Chairman He manages the Turkey’s foodstuffs giant with a market share of 60 percent. He has served in different positions in the group. He has played a major role in new investments. He made a major contribution to the aggressive marketing policy which led to Cola Turka seizing an important market share from Coca Cola and Pepsi.

Muzaffer Akpınar  Türkcell General Manager He manages Türkcell, which is one of the 10 largest GSM operators in Europe with approximately 26 million subscribers and 2,312 employees. The Kardenler project which has been run in cooperation with the Association to Support Contemporary Living has made him famous in the field of social responsibility.

Levent Bıçakcı Turkish Football Federation Chairman He was appointed this year and by the end of the August sponsorship revenue for the year had exceeded YTL 8 million. Income had risen by 4 percent to YTL 37.7 million. He is regarded as the man who shapes Turkish football. He also serves as legal advisor.

Jan Nahum   Petrol Ofisi  CEO  After serving as Tofaş General Manager and Fiat CEO, he was appointed head of a giant company in the energy sector with a turnover of approximately $8 billion. He manages 3,885 filling stations, approximately 5,000 distributors and 1,034 personnel. These alone are enough to make him powerful.

Sürreya Serdengeçti     Turkish Central Bank Governor  One of the most important bureaucrats in Turkey. He has been governor of the Turkish Central Bank since 2001. He played a major role in the trouble-free transition to the New Turkish Lira (YTL). He successfully runs the Central Bank which is now autonomous and refuses to make any concessions on this autonomy.

Piraye Antika   HSBC      General Manager She is the highest ranking executive in a bank with more than two million customers, nearly 4,000 personnel and total assets of YTL 5.3 billion at the end of 2004. She has been influential in the bank’s rapid growth in the retail and commercial segments. She is one of the most influential names in the banking sector.

Cahit Paksoy   Avea   CEO  He manages the third largest GSM operator, which has 6.5 million subscribers, and has set an ambitious target of taking one third of the market. In order to achieve this, he stresses communications, advertising and marketing. He has stimulated the telecommunications sector.

Aynur Bektaş  Turkish Clothing Industrialists’ Association  Chairwoman  She established Hey Tekstil with three months capital. Within a short time had it ranked amongst the top 500 companies in Turkey. She became head of the Turkish Clothing Industrialists Association (TGSD), whose members comprise 400 of the leading clothing industrialists in Turkey. She is one of the most influential figures in the textile sector. She also has investments in tourism.

N. ASLI TEKİNAY
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