Management Team

Tamer Saka

Daniel Gauthier

Daniel Gauthier was born in 1957 in Belgium. Upon completing his degree in the Mining Engineering Department at Mons Polytechnic University, Mr. Gauthier began to work at CBR, a subsidiary of HeidelbergCement in 1982. Mr. Gauthier has been a Board Member of HeidelbergCement since 2000. He is responsible for the Africa, Mediterranean, Northern Europe, and Western Europe regions, and Sustainable Environment and Group Services. He was re-elected for 3 years of assignment at the Ordinary General Assembly held in 24.03.2015.

Serra Sabancı

Serra Sabancı was born in Adana in 1975, and she completed her education at Portsmouth University and at the Department of Economics of Istanbul Bilgi University, where she graduated as the first in her class. Serra Sabancı worked at Temsa, and she was trained at Institute of Directors in London on Company Acquisition and Board of Directors Memberships. Serra Sabancı continues to work as a member of the Board of Directors at Sabancı Holding and at various group companies, and as a Member of the Board of Trustees at Sabancı Foundation.

Hakan Gürdal

(He left his duty in the Board of Directors on 16.10.2015.) – (He was appointed again on 10.03.2016.) Born in 1968, Hayrullah Hakan Gürdal, graduated from the department of mechanical engineering in Yıldız Technical University in 1989, and he completed in 1990 master degree of International Business in Istanbul University. Gürdal, who started to work in 1992 in Çanakkale Çimento, was appointed in 1996 to Directorate for Strategy and Business Development in Akçansa and in 1997 to Deputy General Manager being responsible for Trade. He served as Akçansa General Manager between 01 August 2008-01 September 2014. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors between 01 September 2014-16 October 2015. Gürdal, who maintains still his Membership of the Board of Directors in Heidelberg Cement AG, was appointed again on 10.03.2016 as Member of the Board of Directors of Akçansa Çimento.

Yavuz Ermiş

Yavuz Ermiş was born in Ankara on 28.07.1951. Ermiş received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University (METU) in 1972, and his master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami in Florida, USA. He knows English.

From 1975 to 1979 Ermiş worked in Turkey as the Marketing Director at the Japanese Komatsu Ltd., a construction equipment manufacturer. In 1980, he was appointed as the Business Director at Çanakkale Çimento. He served at various positions at CBR between 1996 and 2006, and afterwards at HeidelbergCement Group.

Atıl Saryal

Atıl Saryal was born in Ankara in 1938. After completing his elementary and secondary education in Ankara, he received his bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Texas.

Saryal took up positions in the banking industry, and then joined the Sabancı Group. He served as the General Manager at Adana Sasa and Marsa in addition to holding the position of Board Member. He was appointed as the Director of Food and Retail at Sabancı Group and retired from this position in 2002, and from the Board of Directors in 2004. He is currently providing consultancy services to Carrefoursa Carrefour Sabancı Ticaret Merkezi A.Ş.

Umut Zenar

Appointed on 09.07.2018. Graduated from the Boğaziçi University International Relations Department in 2003 and completing the Executive MBA program in the Boğaziçi University in 2010, Umut Zenar has started his career in Zorlu Energy Group in 2003 as Assistant Business Development and Planning Specialist. Zenar joined the Sabancı Group in 2004 and acted as Sales Specialist, Marketing and Sales Planning Officer, Strategy and Business Development Manager, Business Development and Marketing Manager, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, and General Manager of Akçansa, respectively, in Akçansa until December 2016. Zenar acted as the General Coordinator in Oyak Cement, Concrete and Paper Group from December 2016 to June 2018. Umut Zenar is appointed as the General Manager of Akçansa as of January 9, 2018.

Ali Kipri

(Appointed as 01.07.2014) Born in Adana in 1967, Ali Kipri graduated from Orta Doğu Technical University Machine Engineering Department. He completed his International Business Administration post graduate degree at Istanbul University Business Administration and Economy Institute in 1995.

Starting his career in Akçimento in 1993, Kipri has worked in various positions until being appointed as Akçansa Büyükçekmece Factory Maintenance Manager in 2006. After working as Büyükçekmece Production Manager and Büyükçekmece Factory Assistant Manager, Kipri was appointed as the Ladik Factory Manager on September 15, 2009. Çanakkale Factory manager has been appointed as from the date of 15.06.2012. After this duration he appointed as Assistant General Manager (Operations) as from the date of 01.07.2014.

Steffen Schebesta

Steffen Schebesta was graduated from University of Florida, Business Administration Department in 2004 and had received his Master Degree from the same university, International Business Department in 2005. He obtained Chartered Financial Analyst Certification in 2011. He worked as Financial & Competition Analyst between 2006-2010, Investor Relations Manager between 2010-2014 and Senior Investor Relations Manager since 2014 at HeidelbergCement. Schebesta was appointed as Akçansa Assistant General Manager – Finance on January 16, 2017

Ozan Erinçkan

Ozan Erinçkan was born in 1979. He received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the Bilkent University, and in 2005 obtained his master’s degree in Business Administration from the same university.

Since 2002, he has worked as an R&D engineer at the Georgia Centers for Advanced Telecommunication Technology, as a Research Assistant at the Bilkent University, and as a Strategy and Business Development Specialist, Corporate Strategy and Planning Specialist, Corporate Business Development Specialist, and Corporate Business Development Manager, respectively, at Sabancı Holding A.Ş. He has served at Akçansa as AFR & Business Development Manager, as well as Energy, Fuel Procurement and Business Development Manager, respectively. Ozan Erinçkan is appointed as the Chief.

Musa Keşaplı

Musa Keşaplı was born in Ünye in 1971. He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Karadeniz Technical University in 1992.

Since 1993, Keşaplı has worked as Facility Manager at Samsun Makine Sanayi, Facility Manager at Demirören LPG Group, and Regional Manager in Yibitaş Lafarge Hazır Beton A.Ş., respectively. Keşaplı worked as Ready-Mixed Concrete Regional Manager, Black Sea and Cement Regional Sales Manager, and Northern Marmara Regional Manager, respectively, in our company since 2007. He is appointed as the Chief Ready-Mixed Concrete and Aggregate Officer on November 2, 2016.

Gökmen Togay

Ziya Gökmen Togay started his professional career as Control Engineer in Construction Works Department of the Turkish Electricity Administration in 1993. Togay continued his career as Customer Representative in Akçansa and Betonsa from 1997 to 1998, and then as Edremit and İzmir Plant Supervisor from 1998 to 2006. Togay acted as Bursa Regional Director from 2006 to 2010, and as West 1 and West 2 Regional Manager from 2010 to 2015. After that, Togay acted as Northern Marmara Regional Manager for 1 year, attended to Philosophy graduate program of Maltepe University from 2014 to 2015, and is appointed as Assistant General Manager for Ready-Mixed Concrete and Aggregate.

Sezgin Sezer

Sezgin Sezer was graduated from İstanbul University, Economy Department in 1991. Sezer, has been working for Akçansa respectively as Cement Sales Supervisor – Büyükçekmece, RMC Regional Manager – Asia, RMC Regional Manager – Thrace, RMC Regional Manager – Aegean, RMC Regional Manager – East Marmara, Cement Sales North Region - Regional Manager and Karçimsa Plant Manager since 1996.

Serkan Yorulmazlar

(Appointed as 01.04.2016) Born in Istanbul in 1975 Serkan Yorulmazlar was graduated from Boğaziçi University, Business Administration Department in 1998. He worked as Senior Auditor in PricewaterhouseCoopers between 1998 – 2000, Human Resources Specialist in Akçansa between 2001 – 2006, Compensation & Benefits Manager in Cadbury Schweppes Kent between 2006 – 2007, Employee Relations & Quality Manager in Coca – Cola between 2007 – 2010, HR Manager in Coca – Cola between 2010 – 2011, Employee Relations & Administrative Affairs Manager in Ergo Insurance in 2011 and he has worked as Human Resources Manager – Compensation Management & Labor Reletions at Akçansa since February 2012.

Berrin Yılmaz

Appointed on 01.07.2018. Born in Ankara in 1971, Berrin Yılmaz graduated from the Middle East Technical University Business Administration Department in 1993. Yılmaz completed her MBA Master's Degree program in the Bilkent University in 1995.

Yılmaz started her career in Eczacıbaşı Holding as Human Resources Specialist in 1995, and then acted as Human Resources Manager in Eczacıbaşı Holding from 1998 to 2006, Human Resources Director in Roche İlaç from 2006 to 2015, General Manager in Atrain GmbH from 2015 to 2017, and Human Resources Director in Sabancı Holding from 2017 to 2018. She is appointed as the Chief Human Resources Officer as of 01.07.2018.

Dr. Carsten Sauerland

Born in 1978. Having studied business administration at the universities of Mannheim and Barcelona, Dr. Carsten Sauerland holds Bachelor (2002), Master (2004) and PhD (2007) degrees. He started his professional career in audit, tax consulting and advisory in Frankfurt. He joined HeidelbergCement in 2010 as Staff to the Group CFO. He acted as CFO of Akcansa from 2012 to 2016. In 2016 he returned to Heidelberg to assume the role of Director in charge of the management and financial reporting of the Group. Two years after he left Akcansa he took on the role of non-executive Director in the Board of Akcansa representing HeidelbergCement.