Major

Semiha Güneş began her professional career in 1982 by founding Epig Architecture, Engineering, Trade and Tourism Ltd. Co. She graduated from İzmir Girls’ High School, and later completed her education at Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Architecture in 1977.

Since its establishment, the firm has received numerous awards for various projects across different regions of Turkey. Some of these award-winning projects include:

• First prize in the Bornova Municipality Social Housing Project Competition,
• Best Building Award for the Ege Ospar building,
• First prizes in invited competitions for projects such as EBSO, Boliva, Narova, Yaşar University, and Bakırçay University,
• Best Mixed-Use Project in Turkey at the Sign of the City Awards for Ontan Tower and Mahall Bomonti İzmir,
• Best Residential Project in Turkey at the Sign of the City Awards for the Mesa Urla Kekliktepe Phase 3

In the early years of her career, she was actively involved in the Izmir Chamber of Architects, particularly in areas related to professional distinctions and chamber audits. She has held several leadership roles, including:

• Board member and Vice President (two terms) of the Izmir Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (İZSİAD),
• Executive Board Member of Yeşilova Sports Club.

She currently continues her roles as a Board Member of İZSİAD and a Member of the High Advisory Board of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce.

Driven by a strong sense of civic responsibility, she has contributed to various social projects. Her notable designs include:

• Karşıyaka Monument and Women’s Museum,
• Konak Toros Marketplace,
• Multi-purpose Hall,
• Urla Landscape Design,
• Balçova Municipality Cultural Center.

She has also provided consultancy services to major firms such as İŞGYO, Zorlu Group, Suryapı, and Türkerler Holding. Additionally, she has been involved in numerous high-profile projects across various categories, including:

• Izmir Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurship Center,
• Serel Complex in Bilecik,
• Selçuk Pharmaceutical Warehouses,
• Şile Ege Construction Project,
• Megapol Izmir,
• Renaissance Yalı,
• Velux,
• Navac Konak,
• Izmir Dünya Göz Hospital, among many others.

On February 23, 2024, she was elected as the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at the General Assembly of the Federation of Western Anatolian Industrialists and Business People’s Associations (BASİFED). She has been serving in this role since then.

Özden Monkul Erten completed her undergraduate studies in Computer Engineering at Ege University in 1997 and earned her master’s degree from the same department in 2003.

Erten began her career as a systems analyst and later worked as a project manager and consultant at companies such as Teba, Vestel, and T-Systems. In 2006, she co-founded CMA Consulting and Information Technologies Inc. in Technopark İzmir, providing services in software development, project management, and SAP consulting for corporate clients. In 2024, she founded MONERT Consulting, under which she continues her work in digital transformation, software development and project management.

Actively engaged in civil society as well, Erten joined the İzmir Businesswomen’s Association (İZİKAD) in 2014 and, after serving in various roles, was elected Chair of the Board of Directors in 2024. Within İZİKAD, she develops and manages national and international projects that support women’s entrepreneurship and focus on gender equality. She also serves as Vice President of BASİFED and Coordinator of the Youth, Entrepreneurship, and Education Commission, while being a board member of GİFED, of which İZİKAD is a founding association. Through the TÜRKONFED “Women’s Power in Entrepreneurship” Project, she provides mentorship to women entrepreneurs and scholarship recipients of the İZİKAD Future Businesswomen Scholarship Fund, working to ensure women’s equal participation in economic life.

Dr. Süleyman ELBAN was born on June 6, 1969, in Kırşehir. He completed his primary education in Germany and Kırşehir, and his secondary education in Kırşehir. In 1992, he graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Public Administration.

After serving as a research assistant at Abant İzzet Baysal University and as an Assistant Expert at the Prime Ministry’s Directorate of State Personnel, he began his career as a district governor candidate in 1994 in Eskişehir.

Between 1995 and 1996, he spent eight months in England for language and public administration training. Following his assignments as Acting District Governor of Edirne-Havsa, District Governor of Samsun-Yakakent, and District Governor of Elazığ-Karakoçan, he was appointed as Branch Director at the Directorate General of Local Authorities in 2003.

At the Directorate General of Local Authorities, he also served as Head of Department and Deputy Director General.

He holds two master’s degrees: the first in Local Governments from Fırat University Institute of Social Sciences in 2003, and the second from the University of Portsmouth (UK) in 2008, in Public Administration and the European Union, focusing on Public–Private Partnerships (PPP).

During his 13 years of service at the Directorate General of Local Authorities, he took part in the preparation of laws, as well as secondary and subordinate regulations, within the scope of local government reforms. He also served as an instructor in many training programs organized in the field of local governments and has published various articles on the subject.

In addition, he is the author of four published books: Municipal Revenues Law (August 2012), Applications of the Municipal Law (March 2013), Golden Guide to Municipal Legislation with Questions and Answers (October 2014), and Questions and Answers on Local Governments’ Revenues and Expenditures (May 2015).

He is married with two children and has a good command of English.

Betül Sezgin has carried her entrepreneurial journey from Turkey to Belgium, making significant contributions in women’s entrepreneurship, human resources consulting, and interior architecture at both national and international levels. As the founder of Brussels-based Pard Consulting BV and İzmir-based Betül Sezgin Studio, she has built her business vision on the principles of sustainability, innovative design, and social transformation.

Between 2020 and 2024, Sezgin served as the President of the Board of the İzmir Businesswomen’s Association (İZİKAD). She currently chairs İZİKAD’s Advisory Board and supports the association’s magazine İş’te Kadın with editorial contributions. At the same time, she actively contributes to the international expansion of GIFED, a federation representing nine women’s associations across Turkey, in her role as Vice President.

Sezgin stands out with projects that place women’s economic and social empowerment at the center. She is the driving force behind innovative initiatives such as the Equal Build Index, aimed at establishing gender equality certification in the construction sector; EKO-KOOP, a branding and digitalization program for women’s cooperatives; and Femmentors, an international mentorship program for women architects and designers.

Having spoken at numerous international platforms including Tashkent, Bishkek, Barcelona, Alexandria, Brussels, Istanbul, and İzmir, Betül Sezgin is recognized for her efforts in strengthening women’s leadership in business.

Born in Adana in 1985, she completed her primary education in Adana and her secondary and high school education in Bandırma. She graduated from Bilkent University, Faculty of Business Administration, Department of International Trade and Management, and subsequently completed programs in Maritime Trade, Ship Management, Ship Brokerage, and Foreign Trade at the National Business Academy.
She began her professional career in 2008, taking on various roles within the family businesses. She currently serves as a Board Member of Marmara Agricultural Products Crude Oil Factory and is a co-founder and board member of Pacific Line Shipping & Logistics and Siren Agro Food companies.
Actively engaged in non-governmental organizations, Funda Seçil Dedeoğlu is a Board Member of TÜRKONFED (Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation), the President of the South Marmara Industry and Business Federation (GÜNMARSİFED), Assembly President of the Bandırma Chamber of Commerce, and Vice President of the Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce Women Entrepreneurs Provincial Executive Committee.
She is also a member of numerous civil society organizations and an active member of the Family Business Association (TAİDER).
She is married and the mother of one child.

Deniz Celep was born in İzmir and represents the second generation of her family in the agriculture and food sector. She combines her professional experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and visionary perspective to contribute to the development of the sector on both national and international levels.
Since 2001, she has been serving as the Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Akcelep Pamuk Gıda Tarım Ürünleri Ltd. Şti. She is also the Founding Partner of Mezita A.Ş. and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors at 2E Tarım ve Gıda San. Tic. Ltd. Şti. Under her leadership, these companies specialize in canned foods, sauces, and ready-to-eat meals, and today employ around 300 people, exporting to a wide range of markets from the United States to Europe, and from Asia to the Middle East.

Deniz Celep also holds active responsibilities in civil society and corporate platforms:
• Chairperson of the Executive Committee, TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board
• Board Member, İzmir Commodity Exchange
• Chairperson, Ege Exporters’ Association Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Committee
• Vice Chairperson of the Board, İzmir Agricultural Technologies Center

Across all platforms she serves, her shared goals have been to ensure stronger representation of women in economic life, to promote the culture of entrepreneurship, and to implement projects focused on sustainable growth.
Her vision emphasizes innovation, R&D, digitalization, branding, and societal benefit as core values. Through internship programs for university students, mentorship activities for women entrepreneurs, and export support projects, she aims to contribute not only to today’s entrepreneurial ecosystem but also to the future one.
Deniz Celep believes that increasing the role of women leaders in business is one of the strongest engines of economic development, and with this belief, she continues to develop inspiring, innovative, and sustainable entrepreneurship models across all platforms.

Dr. Reem Samir Albaghdadi is Co-Founder and CEO of Rimara Pak Company (est. 2005) and a Partner at Diamond Plastic Factories (est. 1992). With over 20 years’ experience in industrial manufacturing, she is an expert in managerial processes, good manufacturing practices, and quality systems.

Dr. Albaghdadi combines private-sector leadership with active public-service roles. She has served as Chairwoman of the Jordan Forum for Business and Professional Women since 2021 and represented Jordan in the G20 Women Empower Alliance (2020–2022). Her national leadership positions include Vice President of the Sectorial Technical Skills Council for Plastic Industries at the Jordan Chamber of Industry (2020–present), Vice President of the Industrial Women Council at the Amman Chamber of Industry (2019–present), and Vice President of the Committee of Competitiveness Law Affairs at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply (2023–present). She is also a member of the Economic and Social Council’s Economic Policies Committee and served on the Women Economic Empowerment Task Force established by the Prime Ministry. Dr. Albaghdadi co-founded and chaired the Jordanian Industrial Women Association (2013–2018).

An internationally recognized leader, she received the Inspirational Business Woman Award (Australia, 2018), the Jordanian Women Business Entrepreneur Award (2020), and the IWEC Award (2023). She holds a PhD in English Language Methodology from Amman Arab University and has completed executive leadership programs at Stanford University, the IFC/World Bank, New York University.

Economist, MBA, speaks fluently seven languages (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Catalan, German and Portuguese), has 35 years’ experience in management in industrial, high consumption and services companies. She worked for 10 years in Marketing in multinational companies (CLOROX, CINZANO, PERNOD RICARD, SEALY). Currently, CEO of a family owned companies, including Congost Plastic, a Spanish leading company manufacturing and distributing industrial plastic products for maintenance (www.congost.com), already selling in more than 40 countries. Global Marketing and International Business Professor. Board member of MUTUA UNIVERSAL and other established companies and institutions in the country like Centro Español de Plásticos (CEP), Asociación Española de Industriales de Plásticos (ANAIP). Vocal in the Board of Directors of the French Chamber of Commerce in Barcelona. Also, member of the Board of AFAEMME and WOMENALIA, and member of the IWF and EWMD in Spain and WIN internationally. Living in Barcelona, married with three sons with ages 26, 21 and 18 respectively.