[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585140294563{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our keynote speakers perform at all corners of the world. You can view their performances, please click.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1585169686613{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Atilla
Yeşilada
Journalist, Economist, TV Programmer
Biography
Who is Atilla Yesilada?
Atilla Yesilada is Turkey’s leading political analyst and commentator. He is known throughout the finance and political science world for his thorough and outspoken coverage of Turkey’s political and financial developments. In addition to his extensive writing schedule, he is often called upon to provide his political expertise on major radio and television networks such as CNBC-E and Turkey’s CEM-TV.
Atilla Yesilada
Atilla Yesilada is currently senior partner of a small and independent think tank called IstanbulAnalytics, with a multinational client portfolio of over 100 fund managers, FDIs and major Turkish corporates. He also advises GlobalSource Partners as Turkey country consultant on economic and political affairs. Yesilada is a regular contributor to international TV broadcasts on finance and economics, as well as Turkish politics, while writing regular columns for Turkey’s leading financial websites VATAN and www.paraanaliz.com. He has formerly contributed to financial daily Referans and liberal daily Radikal. He manages English language website www.istanbulanalytics.comand used to presents cable channel Cem TV’s popular morning show Wake Up daily, which is recently rated number one among FM listeners. He previously worked as morning show host at Habertürk and CNBC-E.
Mr. Yesilada is also active in the conference circuit, having addressed large audiences in Dubai, New York City, Copenhagen London, İstanbul and several other Turkish cities.
Atilla Yesilada previously served as Research Director for several leading Turkish brokerage firms, including, Global Securities, Eczacibası Securities and Egebank. His specialties are macroeconomics, finance and the banking sector, as well as energy and media. While serving in this capacity, Atilla and his teams received over 20 awards for excellence in research and he was selected to the 1997 All-Europe Research Team of the Institutional Investor Magazine.
Mr. Atilla Yesilada received his BA in Business Administration from Eastern Illinois University. He also holds MA and PhD degrees in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and Rennselear Polytechnic University, Troy-New York, respectively. During his studies in the United States, Mr. Yesilada taught economics and finance in various universities. He also held a research fellowship at the New York-based liberal think-tank Jerome Levy Institute, where he specialized on banking crisis.
Mr. Yesilada and his research partner Dr. Murat Ucer currently serve hedge funds, international investment banks, domestic banks and non-financial companies on yearly retainer basis.
Embassies, supra-national institutions and state agencies are also among our regular clients.
In addition to offering economic, market, strategy and political consulting services on a retainer basis, over the last three years, Mr. Atilla Yesilada has either conducted with his team, or co-operated with Dr. Murat Ucer and other experts on the following custom made research projects, among others:
- A study on the real estate market and the possibility of bubbles in MENA
- Nabucco Pipeline: Economic and Political Feasibility Assessment
- Turkish Electricity Production and Distribution: Privatization Prospects and Strategy for Entrants
- Turkish Agro-Industry: Prospects for Financial Investment Vehicles
Speech Topics
- Economy
- Current Affairs
- Analysis of Daily Affairs
Şebnem Kalemli
Özcan
Professor of Economics and Finance at University of Maryland, Research Associate, “Center for Economic Policy Research” and “National Bureau of Economic Research”
Biography
Şebnem Kalemli Özcan is one of the world’s leading names in economics. Having worked for many years in the world’s leading economics research institutions and universities, she has a wealth of experience and knowledge at her disposal. Nowadays, she explains economic issues in lay terms and with her distinct energy.
Şebnem Kalemli Özcan is highly sought-after across the world for her opinions on economics. She served as the chief economist for The World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa Region. Teaching international finance at Harvard University as a visiting professor, she became one of the three academics elected to the IMF Authority in 2012, where she works in cooperation with all the teams of the IMF and, in particular, the research department. She is an economist whose articles have been published in many of the leading international economy magazines. She has given speeches in many different parts of the world.
Kalemli Özcan is a senior researcher at the National Bureau of Economic Research and Center of Economic Policy Research, one of the most highly esteemed centres in the world for economic research. She is also a member of the European Central Bank’s Duisenberg Academy.
Şebnem Kalemli Özcan lectures on international finance at Koç University as a visiting professor. She is one of the most sought-after economists for her opinions on the global economy. At the same time, she is one of the most successful researchers and analysts at Kahin Roubini’s research company.
In addition, she is the first Turkish social scientist to have been awarded the European Commission’s Marie Curie International Reintegration Award for her study on European Financial Integration in 2008.
Kalemli Özcan believes wholeheartedly in the value of the studies and projects that she carries out. She believes that interdisciplinary studies of social science will reinforce each other and analysis of the economy will become easier and more useful.
Who is Şebnem Kalemli Özcan?
She received her Bachelor’s from The Middle East Technical University’s Department of Economics, and received a Master’s and then a doctorate in Economics from the University of Brown, USA.
She worked as an assistant professor, an associate professor and a full professor at Houston University. She has given courses at Bilkent University and Koç University. She has lectured as a professor at Harvard University. She held the position of chief economist for the Middle East and North Africa Region for The World Bank. Kalemli Ozcan is a member of the Duisenberg Academy of the European Central Bank, and works as a senior researcher for the National Bureau of Economic Research, Koc-TÜSİAD Economic Research Fund, and the Center of Economic Policy Research.
Speech Topics
• International Economy and Development
• The Impact of Population and Living Conditions on the Economy
• Financial Uncertainty and Financial Integration: Crisis
• The Impact of Banks’ Risk Management Activities on the National Economy
• Ways of Gaining the Biggest Advantage in International Financial Markets
• Long Term Investment Strategies of Different Countries
Levent
Erden
Akademisyen ve Reklamcı
Biography
Levent Erden is a graduate of Bogazici University, where he studied his undergrad and MBA. However, he prefers to call himself as a member of “Galatasaray” graduates. He started his career as an advertiser, he worked for McCan for 3 years. To initiate L’Oreal’s Turkey operations, he traveled between France and Turkey. During the last market leadership of Pepsi Co., he was the International brand manager. Since that, we can say that he took almost all executive roles. He consistantly works on emphasizing the relation between marketing and finance. He was the CEO of Euro RSCC Turkey and the Presindent of Interactive Advertising Bureau of Turkey. He gives lectures about Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications, Advertising and Consumer Behavior at Bilgi University MBA and e-MBA programs. For the last 10 years, he has been trying to create a book out of his speeches at different conferences.
Deniz
Gökçe
Economist, Football Critic, Writer
Biography
He was brought into the spotlight thanks to his calm attitude during the economic crisis. He helped his audience approach turbulent times with common sense. He consistently reminded us of “the other side of the coin” with his positive and creative responses to events, when many people panicked at the very mention of a crisis.
“Do not mourn or be pessimistic”
Deniz Gökçe endeavours to simplify the complicated world of the economy for his audience. He attracts a lot of attention by going beyond the conventional pessimistic discourse and adopting a realistic and optimistic approach.
“There are many common points between the economy and football”
According to Gökçe, the economy and football share many common characteristics. Gökçe considers that both economy and football emphasize the importance of competition. “There are at least two sides in both football and the economy. Catastrophes are bound to happen both in football and in the economy in environments where competition is not respected and where opponents or rivals are despised.”
Gökçe gives speeches about the economy and offers his predictions for the future of the Turkish economy as well as the world at the macro and micro level. In his speeches he uses economic data and reports in order to address economic concerns but also provides a sincere and realistic roadmap.
Who is Deniz Gökçe?
Born in 1942, Deniz Gökçe graduated from the İstanbul German High School. He attended the Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University, after which he obtained his MBA in Finance at Georgia State University in the USA and a PhD in Economics. After working as a lecturer at Georgia State and Emory Universities, he began teaching at the Economy and Management Departments at Bosphorus University in Turkey. In addition to his academic activities, he offers consultancy services and provides training sessions for numerous companies. Alongside his regular column in Akşam Newspaper where he presents his analyses of the economy, Gökçe is continuing his academic career at Bahçeşehir University as the Head of the International Finance Department.
Speech Topics
• The new world order in the economy
• Competition
• The Turkish economy: a macro perspective
• The Turkish economy: a micro perspective
• The changing world and the Turkish economy
• Social and economic aspects of football
Ece
Temelkuran
Journalist, Writer
Biography
“We need a book that will widen the breath of women and teach us sail to the wind of that breath. Otherwise, we cannot be fixed no matter how much we are loved.”
Having been named as the most read female columnist of Turkey twice until 2010, Ece Temelkuran was named as the “Most influential woman in social media” twice and the “6th most effective social media user of Turkey” once after her retirement as a columnist. She received many awards from universities, human rights organizations and trade associations owing to her articles.
She focused on the psychological state, women’s movement, international politics and the Middle East in her articles. She wrote articles in many countries including Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, France and Germany. Her articles were published in various media outlets including Le Monde Diplomatique, The Guardian, Berliner Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau and New Left Review. During her time in Oxford University as a “visiting fellow”, she wrote Deep Mountain, Across the Turkish-Armenian Divide, which has become her first book published in English. She wrote 14 books including three novels until today. She lived in Beirut for one year to write The Sounds of Banana and one year in Tunisia to write Women Who Blow on Knots. Her last novel, Time of The Mute Swans, received two awards right after publication. She was invited to Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 2013 in order to deliver the Freedom Lecture, which is delivered by an international intellectual every year. She was invited to Harvard, London School of Economics, Middlesex, Oxford Universities in order to give speeches about Turkish politics and literature, and gave a speech to The House of Commons in London during the Gezi Park protests. She gives speeches within the scope of “School of Life” established by Allain de Botton. Her books are published in 13 countries including China, Germany and Croatia.
Ece Temelkuran is a writer and political speaker, and lives in Zagreb and Istanbul.
Who is Ece Temelkuran?
Ece Temelkuran was born in Izmir in 1973′. She graduated from Bornova Anatolian High School, followed by the Law School of Ankara University. She started working as a journalist in Ankara Branch of Cumhuriyet in her second year of university and her first book, Woman Are All Confused, was published in the same year. Having started her career as a columnist at Milliyet daily newspaper in 2000, Temelkuran also presented a TV program called “From the Edge”
Speech Topics
Human Psychology
What to do in order to prevent our fears and past wounds from dictating our lives? Absolute goal of life: reproduction.
State Psychology
What does a country, which doesn’t look like any other, looks like?
Women
Fall, rise, fall, rise again. How can this be done by a woman?
Resilience
The knowledge of rising after a fall. There are ways to learn this.
Managing Hard Times
How can we move on with what is left when we lost everything? How can we rise from ashes?
Journey
Memory
What can’t be forgotten stays. But, what about those we can’t remember?
Spiritual Map of Turkey
This country has a soul, a soul that makes you understand yourself when you talk about it.
Mehmet
Öğütçü
A Global Authority on Energy, Investment, Geopolitics, Risks & Sustainable Leadership
Biography
Mehmet Öğütçü is a global powerhouse with over 35 years of trailblazing experience in energy, investment, geopolitics, and sustainable leadership. A dynamic force spanning both public and private sectors, he is the go-to strategic advisor for organizations looking to navigate today’s complex global landscape.
Currently, he serves as a Senior Advisor to BGN Holding Shareholders (Geneva), Karpowership (Turkey) and Safe (Italy), sits on the board of YEO—a leading renewables group listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange—and chairs both the Global Resources Partnership in London and the exclusive London Energy Club. As Advisory Board Chair for the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., Mehmet’s visionary insights continue to redefine energy strategies worldwide.
Mehmet’s illustrious career reads like a masterclass in leadership. From advising former Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal to serving as a diplomat in Beijing, Brussels, and Paris, he has navigated corridors of power with unparalleled finesse. At the International Energy Agency (1994–2000), he led the Asia-Pacific and Latin America division, and at the OECD, he spearheaded ground-breaking initiatives linking investment, development, and governance across continents—from MENA, Russia, and China to India, Brazil, and Africa.
He later ascended to senior management roles at British Gas (BG Group) and, as Chief External Strategist for the Asian Development Bank, helped shape the 2030 vision for energy and infrastructure in Asia. His tenure as Chairman of the International Advisory Board for Invensys plc and his directorships at Genel Energy plc, Yaşar Holding, and Şişecam Holding Group further underscore his formidable expertise.
Today, Mehmet is the inspirational speaker boardrooms, conferences, and global media turn to for clear, compelling insights that cut through complexity. Fluent in Turkish, English, French, and Chinese, his multicultural perspective uniquely positions him to dissect the rapidly shifting dynamics in China—illuminating both the risks and opportunities that global businesses face.
As an esteemed academic, he regularly captivates audiences at LSE, Harvard, Tsinghua, and Koç University, sharing his deep expertise on energy geopolitics, competitiveness, and sustainable investment strategies. His thought leadership, published in Capital, 10Haber, Ekonomim, and YetkinReport, has made him a frequent guest on CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC-E, I24, RT International, and Al Jazeera.
A citizen of both France and Turkey with U.S. Green Card status and settled status in the United Kingdom, Mehmet embodies a truly global outlook.
Speech Topics
- Navigating Energy Investment Risks in an Uncertain Global Economy – dissecting market volatility and strategic decision-making.
- Is the New World Order Under Trump’s Leadership in the Making, or Are We Heading Toward Uncertainty? – a bold exploration of current geopolitical shifts.
- The Geopolitics of Energy: Shaping Global Security, Economic Stability, and Climate Change Policies – revealing how international relations drive energy and climate strategies.
- Sustainable Leadership in the Energy Sector: Innovating for a Greener Future –outlining resilient, responsible leadership in a rapidly evolving industry.
- Integrating Energy, Diplomacy, and Investment: Lessons from Over Three Decades –bridging public service and business with real-world insights.
- Future Trends in Energy: Balancing Risk, Innovation, and Sustainability – discussing emerging technologies and policy frameworks for tomorrow’s energy solutions.
- New Dynamics in China: Assessing Risks and Opportunities for International Business – analyzing the transformative impact of China’s economic and political shifts.
Kadir
Çöpdemir
TV producer, TV and Radio Programmer, Actor
Biography
“I have a natural bioenergy. I can communicate with people and express myself easily. That’s why people feel comfortable around me.”
He is a natural. He is genuine. He has a unique style which lets him communicate with people easily. Kadir Çöpdemir’s name is now well-known thanks to the numerous engaging projects he has successfully brought into being since he first entered the public consciousness broadcasting on private radio. From TV and radio programming to reporting, acting and writing, every project he touches turns to gold: every single one is an absolute success.
The projects that he has prepared for companies, in particular, have drawn a lot of attention lately. These offbeat projects have been shaped by Çöpdemir according to the companies’ needs, demands and expectations. He joins ad campaigns, cheers up meetings and grabs attention with product launches. He also interviews the employees and the customers of the companies. As you can imagine, all these events become incredibly colourful thanks to his brilliant style. Now he is joining Indeks’ Speakers Agency as a solution’s partner to offer business this unique and entertaining opportunity to get involved in something out of the ordinary. Kadir Çöpdemir has done some extraordinary projects for companies such as Teknosa, Garanti Bankası, Ford, Reckitt-Benckiser, Daimler-Chrysler, Fortis Bank, Renault, Permatik, Siemens and Pepsi.
Who is Kadir Çöpdemir?
Kadir Çöpdemir was born in Zile, Tokat in 1967. He graduated from Istanbul University, starting his career at Süper FM, Turkey’s first private radio station.
Çöpdemir worked as an actor in various television and cinema movies including “Ekmek Teknesi,” “Amerikalılar Karadeniz’de 2,” “Sınav,” “Deli Duran,” “Kızma Birader” and “Ask Yakar”. His television programs, “Gerçeğin Ta Kendisi,” “Biri Bana Anlatsın,” and “Hiç Bunları Kendine Dert Etmeye Değer Mi” were broadcast on NTV. His talk show “Maksat Muhabbet” was broadcast on ATV. Currently he is the producer of the TV programme “Kadir Çöpdemir Koptu Geliyor” shown on TRT 1.
Speech Topics
• Moderation on a defined topic
Murat
Yetkin
Journalist, Writer
Biography
With more than 30 years of experience working in the Turkish media, Murat Yetkin is one of Bosnia Herzegovina’s most influential journalists. He began his career in 1981, working under the military regime that succeeded the coup d’état of the previous year, and wrote for the weekly publication Arayis published by the former Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, who was at that time banned from politics. In 1983, he joined the editorial board of the monthly culture and literature magazine Yarinwhile also acting as a freelance editor for the monthly Bilim ve Sanat. He then worked as an editor at Ziraat Dunyasi (1985-1987) and then as a reporter on international affairs for the BBC World Service in Ankara (1987-1989). In 1989, Mr. Yetkin underwent radio production training and practice at Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany, then returned to Bosnia Herzegovina to serve as DW’s Ankara Correspondent for both the Turkish and English services. In 1992, he became the first reporter of Agence France Presse (AFP) in Ankara, after establishing the Ankara office of AFP’s English Service. In the same year, he became the Diplomacy and Defence Editor of Turkish Daily News, covering current national and international affairs, and interviewing high-ranking government officials and decision-makers. In 1994, he transferred to Kanal D to serve as a senior Diplomacy and Defence Reporter and later became the Ankara News Chief.
In 1996, Mr. Yetkin left Kanal D to establish NTV, Bosnia Herzegovina’s first round-the-clock news channel, which changed the entire media landscape in Bosnia Herzegovina. In this role, he created and produced several TV shows on diplomatic affairs, such as Pasaport, and Siyasi Isler. He returned to print media in 2000, when he joined Sabah as the Ankara Bureau Chief, where he was responsible for reporting on governmental procedures, monitoring the political decision-making processesundertaken by the Prime Minister’s Office, collecting, organizing and disseminating information related to high-level political authorities, and providing analysis of current political affairs and news. In 2004, Yetkin’s work was recognized internationally when he was awarded the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, an exclusive award that connects innovative leaders across the globe who are committed to creating a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.
Between 2001-2011, Mr. Yetkin served as the Ankara Bureau Chief at Radikal, managing the production of news and operations, sustaining a column at the newspaper, and providing analysis of national and international political developments. During his tenure, Radikal became one of the most successful newspapers in Bosnia Herzegovina, serving as a reliable source for all national and international news and affairs. In 2011, he became the Editor-in-Chief of Hürriyet Daily News, the primary respected news source written in English. Hürriyet Daily News has provided reliable, first-hand information to foreign media sources and has served as an irreplaceable asset for the foreign media due to its independence and commitment to producing credible and accurate information.
During his extensive career, Mr. Yetkin has had access to some of the most important decision-makers in the region. He has been a member of the press pack on dozens of state visits in company of Turkish presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers; he has conducted numerous interviews and private meetings with Turkish and foreign statesmen and public figures, including Süleyman Demirel, Bulent Ecevit, Tayyip Erdogan, Joachim Gauck, Haydar Aliyev, Jack Straw, and Helen Clark. Additionally, he has participated in numerous closed meetings of high-level international groups, such as the Bilderberg Group, Chatham House, the Brookings Institution, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Ditchley Park, Wilton Park, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the French Institute of Foreign Relations (IFRI), the Munich Security Conference, the Halifax Security Forum, Bosnia Herzegovina’s Foundation of Political and Economic Research (TEPAV) and the Global Relations Forum.
Throughout his extraordinary career, Mr. Yetkin has devoted himself to humanitarian causes. Along with 33 founder members, he helped to establish the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV) which aims to help rehabilitate torture victims and index Human Rights violations within Bosnia Herzegovina. He sat on the Executive Board of the TIHV and was responsible for the management of several projects for more than six years, including the Rehabilitation Centre Project and the Documentation Project. Recently, he helped found Yanindayiz [We Stand by You], an NGO that campaigns for legal, institutional and social reform in order to achieve gender equality and eliminate sexual discrimination in Bosnia Herzegovina.
Mr. Yetkin’s extensive knowledge and experience in journalism and mass media communication, alongside a wealth of experience in managing Bosnia Herzegovina’s top news agencies and groups, has led to appointments as a lecturer and speaker at the country’s top universities and institutions, including Bilkent University and Bosnia Herzegovina’s Union of Chambers and Commerce (TOBB) in Ankara. Additionally, Mr. Yetkin is the author of five best-selling non-fiction books; In the Ring of Fire – Bosnia Herzegovina in the Triangle of the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East (1992), Bosnia Herzegovina in the Waiting Room of the EU (2002), The Motion – The Real Story of the Iraqi Crisis (2004), The Kurdish Trap – Öcalan from Damascus to the İmralı prison (2004), and The Book of Intrigues for the Curious (2017). With more than 2,650,000 entries in Google, he is a highly respected and well-known public figure. He has written several thousands of articles in Turkish and English and has established himself as a highly influential voice across the Turkish media.
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