Yahya Ülker graduated from Koç University in 2016 with a degree in Business Administration. Following his undergraduate studies, he gained professional experience in London and Switzerland, working in organizations operating in banking and biscuit manufacturing.
He joined Yıldız Holding in 2018 and took on roles within the Holding’s innovation company, Northstar Innovation, where he contributed to innovation initiatives regarded as strategic investments for the Group’s future, including projects focused on university–industry collaboration.
Since 2019, as the Founder of Yıldız Ventures, he has led the establishment of Yıldız Holding’s venture capital and startup incubation arm. In this role, he oversees teams that support the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, primarily through investments in external startups aligned with the Holding’s long-term strategy.
He has also held leadership roles in sales operations and e-commerce at ŞOK Marketler, one of Türkiye’s leading retail companies, successfully completing his responsibilities in these areas.
Yahya Ülker currently serves as Vice Chair of Yıldız Holding, Transformation and Technology Leader of Yıldız Holding, and Managing Director at Continental Confectionery Company, Yıldız Holding’s global gum and confectionery business.
In addition, he is a member of TÜSİAD, DEİK Digital Technologies Business Council, Yeni Bir Lider Association, and Q Angels. He also contributes to the startup ecosystem as a mentor at Endeavor Türkiye and serves as Chair of the Sabri Ülker Foundation, supporting initiatives that connect science, nutrition, and society.
Dr. Talat İçöz
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Talat İÇÖZ is a Business Manager, Businessman, Non-Governmental Organization Manager, and Politician, who served as the 18th Term Istanbul Member of Parliament.
He is a graduate of Izmir Maarif College (Bornova Anatolian High School) and the Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration. He completed his Master's degree in City and Regional Planning at the same university's Faculty of Architecture. He earned his Ph.D. in Banking from Istanbul Commerce University.
From 1972 to 1977, he served as the Investment and Project Manager at Ercan Holding (under the General Coordinatorship of the late Yusuf Özal). In this role, he managed the feasibility studies for the MAN and Mahle Piston İstanbul Segman Sanayi investment projects. Between 1977 and 1979, he was the Deputy General Manager at the BurTrak Tractor Factory (with Turgut Özal as the Chairman of the Board).
From 1979 to 1980, he was the Deputy General Manager at the ISMAK Forklift Factory. From 1983 to 1991, he served as the General Manager and Vice Chairman of the Board at ÖZBA Petrol Foreign Trade Company (with Korkut Özal as the Chairman of the Board). He was a Member of the Board of Directors at Albaraka Türk Participation Bank from 1984 to 1987. Between 1988 and 1991, he was a founding partner of Çarşı Securities, which for a period, was the leader in transaction volume on the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
He served as an Advisor to the Executive Committee of Yıldız Holding from 2003 to 2010. He was a Member of the Board of Directors at BIM from 2012 to 2018, a Member of the Board of Directors at Kerevitaş from 2012 to 2018, and a Member of the Board of Directors at M.T.E. from 2012 to 2018. Since 2011, he has been a Lecturer at Bilgi University. He has also taught M.B.A. courses at Istanbul Commerce University and Şehir University.
In his social life, he is a Founder and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Aziz Mahmut Hüdayi Foundation and a Founding Member of Tükçev (Consumer and Environmental Protection Foundation). He served as the Chairman of the Sabri Ülker Foundation from 2017 to 2025 and currently continues his role as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Murat Ülker
Board Member
Murat Ülker was born in 1959. He graduated from the Management Department of the School of Administrative Sciences at Boğaziçi University, Istanbul.
Mr Ülker studied sector-specific subjects at international schools such as the American Institute of Baking (AIB) and Zentralfachschule der Deutschen Süßwarenwirtschaft (ZDS), serving an internship at American company Continental Baking. In three years, he visited nearly 60 biscuit, chocolate and food factories in the United States and Europe. He also worked on various projects for the International Executive Service Corps (IESC).
Mr Ülker joined Yıldız Holding in 1984 as a Control Coordinator. Over the following years he assumed the roles of Assistant General Manager, and then General Director. As a member of the Executive Committee and a Board Member of various companies in the group, he led a series of cornerstone investments.
In 2000, Mr Ülker became Chairman of the Executive Committee, serving as Chairman for eight years. In 2008 he became Chairman of the Board of Directors. As of January 29, 2020, Mr Ülker continues to take an active role in companies affiliated to the Holding as a Member of the Board, and his role as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at pladis. He is the Board Member at the Sabri Ülker Foundation.
Mr Ülker is known for his interest in modern art and Islamic calligraphy. He enjoys sailing and travelling with his wife and three children.
İbrahim Taşkın
Board Member
Born in 1965, İbrahim Taşkın had his elementary school education in Trabzon and Artvin, completed high school in İstanbul, then graduated from İstanbul University Faculty of Law in 1986.
A founding member of the 2nd İstanbul Bar Association, Mr. Taşkın began his professional career in 1989 as a self-employed lawyer. As of 2024, he has completed his 35th year in the legal profession. Since the early 1990s, he has also been involved in academic work, teaching Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Disciplinary Law, and Police Legislation for four years at the Florya Police Training Center under the Turkish National Police.
In addition to his professional and academic experience, he held senior-level positions in politics between 1996 and 2004.
Mr. Taşkın also places great importance on civil society and has served as a founder and executive in numerous NGOs. Among the foundations and associations where he has served as a founding or general assembly member are: Sabri Ülker Food Research Foundation, Ülker Members Association, Consumer and Environment Education Foundation, Deniz Feneri Association, İstanbul Children’s Foundation, Foundation for the Expansion of Knowledge, and Board of Trustees of Sabahattin Zaim University.
In addition to being a Board Member of Yıldız Holding, he also serves on the boards of several group companies. He is a Council Member of the İstanbul Chamber of Industry and a member of MÜSİAD (Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association).
Since joining Yıldız Holding in 2004, Mr. Taşkın has held the positions of Legal Advisor, General Manager of Legal Affairs, and since 2016, Global Head of Legal Affairs. In addition to this role, he also chairs or participates in several global committees including the Ethics and Integrity Board, Food Safety Board, Public Affairs, and Corporate Transactions. He is also responsible for coordinating the Holding’s relations with civil society organizations and universities. He is the Board Member of the Sabri Ülker Foundation.
Mr. Taşkın has a good command of English. He is married with 4 children.
Meryem Ülker Küçükaşçı
Board Member
Meryem Ülker Küçükaşcı was born in Istanbul in 1998. In 2016, she graduated from Istanbul City University with a major in Sociology and a minor in Political Science and International Relations. In addition, she completed her master’s degree in African Studies at Ankara University of Social Sciences in 2020. In 2022, she enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Political Science and International Relations at Medipol University. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D.
Furthermore, while continuing her research on the Middle East and North Africa, she completed internships at the Strategic Research Center of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018 and at the Sharq Forum in 2022. She is also fluent in English and Arabic.
Begüm Mutuş
Secretary General and Executive Board Member
Begüm Mutuş has been involved with the Sabri Ülker Food Research Foundation since its establishment and has played an active role in advancing the Foundation’s science-based initiatives in public health and nutrition. She currently serves as the General Manager of Global Public Affairs at Yıldız Holding and, as the Ambassador of the Women’s Platform, leads the company’s corporate philanthropy and societal impact vision.
In addition to her corporate responsibilities, Mutuş places strong emphasis on civil society engagement and serves as a Board Member of the Turkish Education Volunteers Foundation (TEGV), contributing to creating social impact in the field of education.
