BOARD OF DIRECTORS - BİLGÜN GÜRKAN

Bilgün Gürkan completed her high school education at İzmir American Girls’ High School and obtained her undergraduate degree from Boğaziçi University, Department of Business Administration. In 1998, she graduated from the INSEAD Executive MBA program; in 2022, she completed the INSEAD “Corporate Governance” and “Global Management” certificate programs and was accepted into the INSEAD Alumni “International Board Membership Program.”

Throughout her professional career spanning over 20 years, Gürkan specialized in investment banking, syndicated loans, project finance, mergers and acquisitions advisory, and corporate governance at SAMBA, ABN AMRO BANK, Standard Bank, and Renoir Management Consulting. Since 2016, she has been serving as the Country Manager of the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) Turkey Representative Office.

In recognition of her contributions to the “Strategy Committee” and “Sustainability” initiatives at Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), she was honored with the 2022 CEO Leadership Award. Gürkan is highly motivated to contribute to the development of commercial relations between the Gulf region and Turkey, the growth of investments, and the creation of new projects.

She serves as the Chair of the DEİK Bahrain Turkey Business Council and the TÜSİAD Gulf Network, and she is also a Board Member of the IWF International Women’s Forum, a Trustee and Board Member of the TEMA Foundation, actively supporting various non-governmental organizations. Additionally, she is an Independent Board Member and Chair of the Risk Committee at Smart Solar Energy Technologies Research Development Production Industry and Trade Inc.

Bilgün Gürkan is married, has two children, and is fluent in English.