ABOUT ME
Life is a journey woven with the opportunities presented to us and the challenges we encounter. I believe I need to go back in time a little to properly introduce Mehmet Tütüncü.
Due to my late father’s duty, I attended a village primary school in Çanakkale-Bolayır until the 4th grade. I remember being a diligent and good student.
I will never forget how my class teacher gifted me a notebook after winning a competition, with a note inside that said, “I hope you carry this success with you throughout your life.” Was this possible, though? In a life full of ups and downs, could success be maintained consistently on an unyielding path?
From my over 35 years of experience in the private sector, I have learned two important lessons: first, how precious success is, and second, that it cannot be achieved with a magic wand. On career paths that begin with the same starting point, what differentiates individuals are their sacrifices, access to knowledge, and ability to work efficiently. Success is the result of a highly complex equation that cannot simply be attributed to luck or circumstances.
The highlight of my extensive career has been the rewarding journey that started in 1996 when I took on the role of operations coordinator at ÜLKER Group.
In 1998, I stepped up to the role of General Manager at ÜLKER, and today, I am honored to serve as Vice Chairman of the Board and CEO of Yıldız Holding.
I want to emphasize that the success I’ve achieved is not solely mine. Above all, I have gained invaluable insights from every colleague I’ve worked with, always listening attentively, recognizing that each person has their own unique story to share.
I have also learned a lot from failures, which is why I have always advocated for discussing mistakes openly and democratically, without sweeping them under the rug. In an environment of trust, mistakes don’t lead to isolation. Instead, they foster a sense of responsibility to learn and make improvements. Responsibility leads to ownership of one’s work, and when you take your tasks seriously and handle them with care, goals become clearer, and opportunities open up one after another.
In the 21st century, you must navigate and secure the stability you desire amid the chaos, and I believe my generation, which began its career journey in the early 1980s, understands this reality well. Today, the world is beyond what we could have imagined in our twenties, and it continues to evolve rapidly. With constant change, uncertainties, and shifting alliances, the pace of the world is accelerating.
Goals, expectations, and targets are now changing. The significance of standard expertise or skills that can be replaced by technology is steadily decreasing. In the face of unexpected, paradigm-shifting events beyond your control—like the “black swan”—what’s required is empathy, flexibility, and strong intellectual capital to stand firm and adapt to new conditions.
At this point, I asked myself, “If I had the chance, what would I do?” And I once again remembered how fortunate I am. I approached work with enthusiasm and took pleasure in what I did. I always returned home happy and found peace with my family. I managed my energy well and observed many processes simultaneously, but I still wish I had used my time more effectively, read more, and traveled to more places.
As I looked at the pile of books waiting to be read on my table, alongside the short notes I’d taken from the ones I had already read, I questioned why my passion for learning was still so strong, then I remembered what I told a professor while pursuing my master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology after studying Mechanical Engineering. I see my ongoing efforts as a way to ensure that everyone around me feels they can turn to me for advice or solutions. I categorize people into two types: those who are engaged with the world, aware of their country’s realities, observant, and able to make accurate predictions about the future, and those who move along passively without these qualities. I have always strived to be in the first group, and that mindset has remained consistent throughout the years.
Now, my desire to share everything I’ve distilled from my experiences, everything that reflects through my own lens, has grown much stronger. Reflecting on both the successes I have shared and the failures where I played a role, whether significant or minor, I recognize that each experience holds a valuable lesson. Now is the moment to look back, reinterpret those experiences, and use them to shape future insights.
Thus, memories, forward-looking thoughts, critiques, and hopes—all contribute to a rich and fulfilling life…
Without ever forgetting those who guided me, supported me, and believed in me, my greatest thanks go to my beloved wife and children. They are the ones who helped me reach the highest point possible, and everything I’ve achieved, we’ve achieved together.
As long as we live, my greatest wish is to preserve this harmony and unity.
OUR INTERVIEW:
- The concept of “individuality” or being the “Best Me” is often described as having different emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. If we go back 30 years, how did your journey toward becoming the individual, or “self,” you are today begin? Could you share with us the kind of family upbringing you had along your journey? Looking back, how have the values that define who “you” are today impacted your sense of happiness, trust, and loyalty? In short, how did your worldview develop?
It all starts with raising your awareness, and from there, it grows as you begin to understand and analyze what you have observed.
The outcomes you achieve, and where they take you, depend directly on your ability to take effective action.
I grew up in a household where my mother was a homemaker and my father served in the military. Honesty, patriotism, and hard work were key values in our family. From high school onward, whenever I could, I took on different jobs—sometimes paid, sometimes as a volunteer. I focused on my studies, kept up with national matters, and came up with my solutions, which naturally led me to places and opportunities that aligned with my thinking. I always aimed to learn more than what was taught and constantly pushed myself to do better. I set goals and worked hard to achieve them. The things I couldn’t accomplish or didn’t succeed in weren’t seen as failures, but rather lessons that made me stronger.
In marriage, my wife’s steadfast belief in my success and her wholehearted support motivated me to take bold steps in my career and embrace risks. In my career, I’ve always made sure to keep my work and personal life separate. I have headed to the office with enthusiasm, and come home with the same energy. Home has always been my peaceful retreat. While my focus has been on my work, my wife has done an amazing job keeping things in balance on the home front.
I have always believed in being ready for any opportunity that comes my way. Success, or even striving for it, demands making sacrifices.
- During your day, are you able to create any personal moments—a “short break,” if you will—that contribute to your well-being and help you maintain a balance between your work and personal life?
In the early days of my career, particularly in the first few years, I threw myself into work. But as time went on, I started to carve out personal moments for myself, taking time to reflect, step away from the office, and recharge.
- Handling a packed schedule and making high-priority decisions also demands strong time management. What’s your approach to it? For instance, how do you plan out your week?
I start the year by setting up a six-month plan, which I review periodically. Every Wednesday, I go over the plan for the upcoming week and tweak it as needed. In the mornings, I take time to prepare for the day ahead. I also make sure to “reset” between meetings by leaving gaps in my schedule.
When planning, it is crucial to create time for “thinking.” I also emphasize being accessible. I make sure to allocate time for my colleagues who need my input and factor this into my weekly plans.
At the beginning of each month, I request a six-question report from each of our companies within the first five days, summarizing the previous and upcoming months. After reviewing these reports, I created a “to-do list” based on the key points.
- The ability to generate and implement new ideas is crucial. Innovation, creativity, and staying updated with current trends are critical for production. However, what’s even more important is capturing an idea and turning it into action. What opportunities should be created to achieve this? What is needed? What is the most significant responsibility of top management in this regard? How do you approach this at Yıldız Holding?
A company—especially one with capable, expert teams and a wealth of knowledge—can generate ideas in any situation and implement them to some extent. However, what’s crucial is doing the right things: generating ideas in the right direction and executing them effectively.
To achieve this, a well-prepared and agreed-upon dynamic strategy is essential. Top management must regularly discuss and adjust the strategy to adapt to changing conditions.
In organizations, generating ideas can sometimes seem like making 2+2 equal 5. For this, a strong foundation is needed—happy employees, trust, and encouragement. Building these elements requires time and significant effort.
Our companies and organizations have made substantial progress toward corporatization for both employees and shareholders and continue to evolve.
During this phase, to foster idea generation, new products, or efficient business models, I focus on motivating our leaders. I place them at the forefront, give them responsibility, recognize their leadership, set clear goals and a vision, and support their success through this transition, all while building trust in them.
- Do you think there is a single formula for good leadership? Is leadership a style? What do you believe leadership encompasses? Could you explain based on your own experience?
A good leader is someone who is highly aware and values understanding the situation at hand. They are committed to personal growth, know how to learn from their team, stay calm and focused on solutions during tough times, and earn the trust of those around them. They take an active interest in their team’s career development, listen well, delegate responsibilities, and offer support when needed, all while demonstrating strategic thinking and planning skills.
- The world is undergoing rapid and radical changes, and the tech revolution is challenging companies. This shift impacts both our professional and personal lives. Do you think current company cultures are adequate to handle the work-life balance challenge? How does Yıldız Holding address this issue? What core value does Yıldız Holding emphasize in this area? Is there a need to reassess these values? If we compare this to a chain, what key links should be present, and how does top management support them?
To balance personal and professional life effectively, it is crucial to view them not as separate entities but as interconnected parts of a whole.
I am uncertain about how well our current values reflect who we are or who we aim to be. The holding company needs to clarify organizational changes, cultural structures, and other related aspects. Our values should cover the following links:
- Employees
- Environment
- Value creation
- Do you have a message to convey Yıldız Holding’s vision (or mission) to both consumers and employees? What does this message express and why? Looking ahead, are there any new ideas or projects for Yıldız Holding that you haven’t shared before, aimed at realizing this vision?
In our previous work, we defined our “central idea” as striving to be a leading global consumer goods company by ensuring the satisfaction of our stakeholders—customers, employees, and shareholders—every day.
In this period, on the other hand, I would express our key vision as: “To enhance the qualifications of our companies and employees, prepare them for the future, quickly reduce our financial debts, and become a leader in Türkiye and the region. We plan to position ourselves to make strategic investments that will bolster our leadership by 2025.”
Our key focus areas are:
- Continuously improving the qualifications of the organization, the company, and its employees
- Strengthening our R&D functions
- Allocating more resources for brand investments
- Digital transformation is a continuous journey that can enhance your competitiveness. So, where do you see this process ending, or will it ever truly stop? How do Türkiye and the rest of the world compare in this regard? What criteria should we use to assess the success or failure of this transformation? What steps are you taking to make a meaningful impact in this area?
Digitalization will keep advancing and evolving indefinitely until a new era is declared.
The main difference between Türkiye and the rest of the world is in infrastructure and investment capital.
I view the digital age as a destructive era. Companies that don’t adapt to digital requirements, invest appropriately, or integrate digital processes and decision-making will lose their competitive edge and may eventually vanish.
Digitalization should be assessed through the lenses of culture, processes, and competencies, ensuring it either creates value or supports value-generating activities.
I don’t currently have a single concrete project on my agenda; I am working on developing a digital strategy. I am focusing on guiding companies toward solutions like cost-to-serve and go-to-market strategies that enhance production, branding, and consumer access while moving away from digital initiatives that don’t deliver value.
- CEOs often come from engineering or finance backgrounds. What do you think drives this trend? Is there an age requirement for becoming a CEO, or do you think age discrimination plays a role in the workplace? What are your thoughts on preparing younger people for the evolving business landscape? Are there particular considerations for older individuals working alongside younger colleagues? Why? In the medium to long term, what should these different age groups focus on most? What key areas or skills should they invest in for their development? How are you preparing your employees for the future?
Engineering as a profession emphasizes systematic thinking, putting ideas on paper, and implementing them.
Finance-oriented CEOs leverage their numerical expertise to quantify the company’s actions and understand the interaction and shifts in these numbers, offering a significant competitive edge.
I don’t believe in labeling people as “young” or “old” in the workplace. However, the lasting impact of both younger and “older” employees on the company’s future can vary.
To prepare young people for the future, they must be actively engaged in tasks, as simply observing, or following is less effective for gaining competencies.
It is crucial to grasp what younger employees want and what they’re striving to achieve. You need to listen to their ideas, try to understand their different perspectives, and provide them with the space to implement those ideas.
Conversely, older employees should observe and evaluate the work of younger colleagues, provide constructive feedback, and contribute ideas on performance monitoring, goal setting, and strategic planning.
- What advantages do you find in working with the Board of Directors? If you were the Chairman, what changes would you consider making? How do you think the performance of the Board should be evaluated?
If I were the Chairman of the Board, I would bring in new members with expertise in strategic risks and opportunities that align with our areas of operation.
From the Board of Directors, I would expect guidance in line with the company’s and holding’s needs and strategic goals, idea generation, support for the CEO, and mentorship in each member’s area of expertise.
I would evaluate the Board’s performance based on the quality of ideas generated and the results those ideas produce.
- The importance of artificial intelligence is now clear to everyone. Beyond its role in the corporate world, AI has become a crucial driver for us all by making access to accurate information easier. In your view, does AI play a bigger role in boosting efficiency in your work, or does it more significantly support creativity and new product development?
Artificial intelligence cannot be confined to a single area. To be more assertive, AI will accompany us in every aspect and moment of our lives.
AI will certainly enhance production efficiency and add considerable value. However, its impact on creativity and new product development will be even greater and more transformative.
- How is Artificial Intelligence used in your company, and in which areas is it applied? What changes have you noticed in work processes and efficiency? What do you think this will bring?
In our companies, Artificial Intelligence is implemented throughout various areas within an integrated system. However, its impact on work processes and efficiency has not yet reached a scale where we can measure significant results.
We have developed new training models to boost employees’ AI competencies.
The influence of Artificial Intelligence on operations will become increasingly crucial in the coming years. It’s essential to start preparing now and to foster the right mindset for this shift.
- If you were to give three actionable pieces of advice to those listening on how to be a good leader and a good employee, what would they be?
For effective leadership:
- Actively listen to your colleagues.
- Foster a psychologically safe environment for your employees.
- Stay engaged with the field and work, and maintain strategic goals and plans.
For employees:
- Understand your goals, competencies, and needs thoroughly.
- Be committed to collaboration and teamwork.
- Make time for yourself.
- Yıldız Holding has faced a sudden surge in inflation, and efforts are being made to address this. What are your expectations? How do you foresee the market outlook changing? Looking back at previous periods of high inflation in Türkiye, such as in the 1990s, how did those transitions unfold? What advice would you give, and what steps are being taken at Yıldız Holding?
This issue breaks down into three key phases: entering the inflationary period, the inflationary period itself, and the post-inflation phase.
Compared to the 1990s, the onset of the current inflationary period has been much quicker. However, expectations are directed toward this inflationary period being shorter than previous ones. It is worth noting that an inflation rate of 10-15% is relatively moderate by Turkish standards. At Yıldız Holding, we faced a five-year hiatus in investments.
The dynamics of this inflationary period—before, during, and after—differ from previous ones. It is crucial to understand these differences. For example, today’s consumers are more consumption-driven compared to the 1990s, and the state’s influence on economic growth is less pronounced. The informal economy is larger, and the impact of irregular migration has introduced unique challenges.
At Yıldız Holding, we have outlined our perspective and strategy during our recent strategy meeting. To summarize our strategy and direction:
- Efficiency
- Employees (competency development, organization, structure, talent)
- Digitalization
We are working to enhance our operations within this framework, planning necessary investments, and targeting growth in the regional food sector.
We are also addressing our investment resource needs.
As we transition out of the inflationary period, companies must be more efficient, focused, and agile—and that is exactly where we are directing our efforts.
Lastly, here’s what I would like to add:
For all these answers to be accurate and focused, ensuring nothing is overlooked and the right tasks are addressed;
It is crucial to have an agreed-upon strategy and priorities.
By adhering to this, we can better allocate our resources and time to complete essential tasks efficiently. Additionally, a Management Board and Advisory Board dedicated to our needs and committed to our strategic plan will be instrumental.
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This interview was published on August 24, 2024. As of May 2025, Mr. Tütüncü continues to serve as Chair of the Board and CEO of Yıldız Holding.
Note: This open-source article does not require copyright and can be quoted by citing the author.
