Our Executives
Cemil KAZANCI - CEO and Chairman
Cemil KAZANCI - CEO and Chairman
Cemil Kazancı began his professional career working in Kazancı Group companies (family owned company). His first managerial position was in generator manufacturing and sales. He subsequently played an active role in the formation of Aksa Energy, which was set up to expand the Group’s operations in the energy industry and to generate electricity starting from 1997. In addition to his duties as the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Aksa Energy, he is the Vice Chairman and CEO of Kazancı Holding and a Member of the Board of Directors in Group companies.
Murat KİRAZLI - CETO (Chief Energy Trade Officer)
Murat KİRAZLI - CETO (Chief Energy Trade Officer)
Murat Kirazlı graduated from Middle East Technical University (METU), Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and earned his Master’s degree in Finance at Bilkent University. He started his professional career as Founding Partner at CCM Ltd. Şti., and then worked as an Energy Industry Senior Consultant at Deloitte and as Energy Trade Director at Espe Enerji San. ve Tic. A.Ş. subsequently, served as Energy Trade Director at Limak Energy Group. In September 2014, Mr. Kirazlı joined Aksa Energy as Energy Trade Director and was later appointed as Chief Energy Trade Officer.
Cevdet YALÇIN - CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
Cevdet YALÇIN - CFO (Chief Financial Officer)
Cevdet Yalçın graduated from Celal Bayar University, Business Administration Department. After completing a certificate program at Long Island University (New York, USA), he started to work at BankPozitif Kredi ve Kalkınma Bankası A.Ş. as Corporate Marketing Specialist in 2008. Yalçın served as Senior Auditor at Deloitte & Touche between 2010-2013 and Audit Manager at Ernst & Young between 2013-2017 where he became a Certified Public Accountant. He worked as Senior Financial Affairs Manager at Assan Alüminyum A.Ş in 2018. Yalçın served as Financial Affairs Director at Aksa Energy between January 2019 and December 2021. Mr Cevdet Yalçın was appointed as acting CFO as of 03.01.2022.Mr. Yalçın has been serving as CFO since 01.01.2023.
Soner YILDIZ - CIO (Chief Investment Officer)
Soner YILDIZ - CIO (Chief Investment Officer)
Soner Yıldız graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yıldız Technical University and earned his MBA from Yeditepe University. He started his professional career as a Mechanical Engineer at Çolakoğlu Metalurji A.Ş. in 1998 and served as Chief of Maintenance in the same organization between 2000-2004. He then worked as Chief Mechanical Engineer at ENKA; Senior Business Development Engineer at E.ON Holding; Operations and Maintenance Senior Manager at RWE Turkey; Thermal Power Plant Senior Manager at Vito A.Ş. and Business Development Senior Manager at Acwa Power. Yıldız who was assigned as COO responsible for all operations and investments at Enda Enerji Holding in 2016, served as COO (Vice President of Operations and Maintenance) between October 2018- May 2024 at Aksa Energy. As of 7 May 2024, Mr. Yıldız is appointed as CIO (Chief Investment Officer).
Hakan YILDIRIM - Vice President responsible for the Center of Excellence
Hakan YILDIRIM - Vice President responsible for the Center of Excellence
Hakan Yıldırım graduated from the Middle East Technical University with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and completed his master's degree in Business Administration at Boğaziçi University. He began his career in 1998 at Aselsan and served as a field engineer and commissioning group manager for natural gas pipelines, combined cycle power plants, and coal power plant projects within Gama Power Systems from 2000 to 2005. In 2005, he took on the role of Project Manager at Siemens Turkey and left Siemens in 2018 as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Siemens Gamesa Turkey. His leadership journey in the energy sector continued as CEO of Kalyon Energy Investment A.Ş. from 2018 to 2020. He then held the position of CEO at Sanko Energy from 2020 to 2024. Hakan Yıldırım also served as the President of the Turkish Wind Energy Association (TÜREB) and the Chairman of the Energy Business Council of DEIK between 2019 and 2020. As of September 23, 2024, he has been appointed as the Vice President responsible for the Center of Excellence at Aksa Energy.
Senlav GÜNER - Türkiye and KKTC Power Plants Operations and Maintenance Director and acting COO (Operations & Maintenance Vice President)
Senlav GÜNER - Türkiye and KKTC Power Plants Operations and Maintenance Director and acting COO (Operations & Maintenance Vice President)
Senlav Güner graduated from Yıldız Technical University, Mechanical Engineering Department and started his Professional career in 1997. Mr. Güner worked for Enka İnşaat Sanayii A.Ş. as Piping Engineer and as Commissioning Engineer at the Bursa Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant; at Intergen-Enka Adapazarı Gebze Power Plant as Piping Coordinator, Operations Engineer and Mechanical Maintenance Engineer; at ENKA Rijmond Holland Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant as Commissioning Engineer; at Exxon Mobil on Russia’s Sakhalin Island as Commissioning Director; at Enka-Russia Nizhnevartovsk Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant as Engineering Director; at Enka-Russia Berezniki Natural Gas Power Plant as Commissioning Director; at Enka-Erbil Natural Gas Plant as Deputy Project Manager; and on the Gama Zakho and Hartha projects as Project Manager. Between January 2017 – September 2020, Mr. Güner worked as Operations and Maintenance Director responsible of Türkiye and K.K.T.C Power Plants at Aksa Energy. In September 2020, he was appointed as Operations and Maintenance Director of Eurasia Power Plants, also responsible for the Uzbekistan Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant. As of 7 May 2024, Mr. Güner is appointed as Türkiye and KKTC Power Plants Operations and Maintenance Director and acting COO ( Operations & Maintenance Vice President).
Murat ÇAPTUĞ - West Africa Coordination Director
Murat ÇAPTUĞ - West Africa Coordination Director
Murat Çaptuğ graduated from Kocaeli University, Mechanical Engineering Department. He joined Aksa Energy as Project Engineer at Samsun Fuel Power Plant in June 2002. Subsequently, Çaptuğ worked as Northern Cyprus Fuel Oil Power Plant Manager between 2003 - 2015 and Ghana Country Manager between 2015 - 2016. In September 2017, he was appointed as West Africa Power Plants Coordinator. Murat Çaptuğ has been serving as West Africa Coordination Director at Aksa Energy since July 2019.
Selim DÖNMEZ - Investment Development Director
Selim DÖNMEZ - Investment Development Director
Selim Dönmez graduated from Middle East Technical University, Mechanical Engineering Department. In 2000, he commenced his professional career as a Project Engineer at Aksa Enerji. Mr. Dönmez served as Project Development Manager at OMV Samsun Power Plant from 2008 to 2014, as Energy Investments Manager at Artaş Industrial from 2015 to 2017, as Assistant Department General Manager at Sumitomo Corporation from 2019 to 2021. Mr. Selim Dönmez was appointed as Investment Development Director at Aksa Energy as of November 2021.
Pınar SAATCIOĞLU - Investor Relations and Sustainability Director
Pınar SAATCIOĞLU - Investor Relations and Sustainability Director
Pınar Saatcıoğlu graduated from Business Administration (English) Department of Istanbul University in 2004. She began her career as a Financial Auditor at PwC. She then served as Equity Reseach Analyst at HSBC between 2007-2009, and as Investor Relations Specialist at Yapı Kredi Bank between 2009-2013. In 2013, she joined Turcas Petrol A.Ş. and served for 7 years as Head of Investor Relations. Following a career of over 15 years in finance sector, Mrs. Saatcıoğlu worked as Investor Relations Manager between 2020 and 2022 at Aksa Enerji, and as Investor Relations Manager at Enerjisa Enerji between January-November 2023. Mrs. Pınar Saatcıoğlu joined Aksa Energy to serve as Investor Relations and Sustainability Director & Corporate Governance Committee Member as of 27.11.2023.
Iker ECHEVERRIA - Business Development Director
Iker ECHEVERRIA - Business Development Director
Iker Echeverria graduated from Mechanical Engineering Department at Louisiana State University and completed his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at University of London. He has held management positions in Engineering and Business Development across LATAM, Europe, South Asia and Africa. From 2002 to 2016, he served as Technical Regional Director at Euro Petroleum Energy, between 2016 – 2022 he was the Regional Director at E&C Energy Solutions, In 2022 – 2023, he worked as Business Development Director at Karadeniz Holding and since 2023 he has been managing his own consultancy firm, Mayan Natural Resources. With extensive experience in the energy sector, Iker Echeverria has been appointed as Business Development Director at Aksa Energy as of October 2024.
Notes:
*At Aksa Energy, 25,32% of managers working at Head Office are female. At Aksa Energy, 9% of our managers are female.
*As of end of 2023, 62% of our employees are Turkish, 15% are African and 23% are Asian.
*Our average length of service of employees is 4.33 years.
*As of 2023, employee turnover rate is 13.06%.