Güler Sabancı

Güler Sabancı (born 1955) is a third-generation female member of the renowned Sabancı family, and currently the chairperson of the family-controlled Sabancı Holding, the second-biggest industrial and financial conglomerate of Turkey.

Biography

Güler was born the daughter and first child of İhsan Sabancı and his wife Yüksel in 1955 in Istanbul, Turkey. After finishing high school at TED Ankara College in Ankara, she was educated in business administration at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. In 1978, she started her professional career at LasSA, a family-owned tire production company in Kocaeli Province. She was then appointed general manager of KordSA, a position she held for 14 years. Later, Güler Sabancı became a member of the board of directors at Sabancı Holding, heading the tires and reinceforcement materials group, as well as having responsibility for human resources.

In 2004, following the death of her uncle Sakıp Sabancı, who had led Sabancı Holding since its foundation in 1967, Güler was appointed chairperson of the holding by her uncles Şevket and Erol. [ [http://www.radikal.com.tr/haber.php?haberno=116805 Newspaper "Radikal" about her appointment as chairperson of Sabancı Holding] tr icon (Last accessed on September 6, 2007).] The same year "The Wall Street Journal" selected her, the new boss of the US$25 billion business, as one of its "30 Most Powerful Women of Europe." [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/europetoday/news/story/2006/11/061107_turkey.shtml "BBC" website] (Last accessed September 6, 2007).] In 2007, she was selected to be one of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women" by the "Forbes" magazine. [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/11/biz-07women_The-100-Most-Powerful-Women_Rank_3.html Website of the "Forbes" Magazine] . (Last accessed on September 6, 2007).]

Awards/Honors

*In 2006 Sabancı received the "Woman of Distinction Award" from the international relations group Daughters of Ataturk, an annual title bestowed on women who have "demonstrated vision, leadership, innovation and professionalism" in "giving their talents to the international Turkish community". Other 2006 honorees include Caroline Finkel, Anastasia Ashman, Jennifer Gokmen, and Leslie Peirce.

References