“In order to make corporate change happen, there should be role models at every level of the organisation united around the same goal.” 

The anatomy of change

Yılmaz Argüden is a successful name, well-known to the Turkish and foreign business world. The man behind a number of projects that are now used as models world-wide, Dr. Argüden continues to carry out effective projects in international organisations and establishments. He is an executive who has attracted a lot of attention for his volunteer activities and social responsibility initiatives, in addition to his professional work. He believes that progress is impossible without focusing on change and without desiring to renew that which exists. “To make corporate change happen, first the corporation should be persuaded of the necessity and urgency of the change. An effective way to do that is to ensure that performance is compared against external best examples rather than internally. In other words, it is to make benchmarking part of the corporate culture.” According to him, for change to happen, first an impressive vision needs to be manifested, which he describes as “a fantasy that portrays an attractive dream about the future which is target-oriented so as to provide guidance for decisions, but flexible enough to encourage initiative-taking. It must also be easily to explain and realistic enough to create excitement in those subject to the change.”

Who is Yılmaz Argüden?

Serving as the chairman of ARGE Consulting and Rothschild in Turkey, one of the leading investment banks in the world, Dr. Argüden was named a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum for his commitment to improving the state of the world. His has a wealth of experience in a broad range of areas, from the private to the public sector, as well as in international organisations, NGOs and academia. Holding seats on the boards of directors of various organisations, Dr. Argüden also shares his experience by teaching a strategy class on Bosphorus University’s and Koç University’s MBA programs, as well as through his books and newspaper columns.