AKSA ENERGY - Key Persons


Cemil KAZANCI - CEO, Chairman

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • Chairman
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Executives Team
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.

Cemil Kazancı

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Executives Team
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.

Cevdet YALÇIN

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executive Committee
  • Member of the Executives Team
  • Vice President, Chief Financial Officer ( CFO ) Executive Committee Member
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 CFO by attorney as of 03.01.2022. Mr. Cevdet Yalçın serves as Executive Committee Member at Aksa Energy as of January of 2023.

Cevdet Yalçın

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team

Halit Haydar YILDIZ

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
Halit Haydar Yıldız graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Business Administration in 1984 and completed his master's degree in Business Finance and Business Management at Istanbul University. Mr. Yıldız began his career at İktisat Bank as dealer and assumed various positions at Pamukbank between 1987 and 2003 and served as Head of Retail Loans and Operations. Yıldız worked as Retail Loans Assistant General Manager at Akbank between 2003 and 2008, then he worked as Assistant General Manager responsible for Retail Banking at Şekerbank between 2009-2020 where he was promoted as CEO. He has been a Board Member at Şekerbank between March 2016 and May 2020. Currently, he is a Board Member at Turkey's Finance Executives Association and Executive Committee Member ar RD Global A.Ş. Mr. Yıldız has been appointed as Independent Board Member at Aksa Energy in June 2021.

İlhan HELVACI

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
İlhan Helvacı graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1983 and from Istanbul University, Faculty of Law in 1987. Helvacı received his Master's degree from Istanbul University, Social Sciences Institute, Department of Private Law in 1989; he started work as a Research Assistant at Istanbul University, Faculty of Law, Department of Civil Law in the same year. Prof. Dr. İlhan Helvacı served as Lecturer at various universities between 2004 and 2010. He currently works as Arbitrator both at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and independently regarding disputes in his area of expertise. Serving as Attorney-at-Law since 1991 under Istanbul Bar Association, Helvacı is also Founder and Manager of Att. Prof. Dr. İlhan Helvacı Law Office. Prof. Dr. Helvacı has been serving as Independent Board Member at Aksa Energy since July 2019.

İlhan Helvacı

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors

Korkut Öztürkmen

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Member of the Executives Team
  • Board Member and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee
Korkut Öztürkmen received a double degree in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering from Boğaziçi University after his high school education at Robert College. Between 1996-2007, he took management roles in the Strategic Planning and Energy Groups of Koç Holding developing many strategic energy projects including privatization tenders of the period and greenfield projects covering generation, distribution and sales value chains of electricity, natural gas and oil sectors with international partnerships. Meanwhile, he completed the Executive MBA program at Koç University in 2002. Between 2007-2009; Korkut Öztürkmen led OMV's energy market entry initiative in Turkey as the Country Manager. By contributing to OMV's global and regional growth strategy, he assumed high-level responsibilities in Nabucco natural gas pipeline project, natural gas wholesale, natural gas storage, gas and renewable sources based power generation investments. He led the implementation of OMV's global asset-based electricity trading strategy, including the development and operation of the Samsun natural gas power plant project, which exceeded 600 million euros as the Board Member and General Manager of OMV Power Business Unit Turkey between 2009-2018. In 2013, he completed the ‘Power2Lead' senior leadership program at Ashridge Business School in the UK. Korkut Öztürkmen has been working to support the development of the Turkish energy sector as well as the Vice Chairman of Turkish Power Generators Association. Between May 2019- January 2021, Öztürkmen worked at IC İçtaş Energy as Energy Group President and Board Member at Energy Group Companies. Mr. Öztürkmen has been appointed as Aksa Energy Board Member in January 2021.

Murat KİRAZLI

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team
  • Vice President, CEO of Aksa Energy Trading and Sales
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 Vice President in charge of Energy Trade and Sales.

Murat Kirazlı

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team

Murat Çaptuğ

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team
  • 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.

Naci Ağbal

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
Naci Ağbal was born on January 1, 1968 in Bayburt. He graduated from Istanbul University, Department of Public Administration of the Faculty of Political Sciences and completed the Business Administration Program (MBA) at the University of Exeter in the UK. Naci Ağbal worked at the Ministry of Finance as an inspector, as the Vice-Chairman of the Inspection Board, as the Head of the Department of the General Directorate of Revenues and Advisor to the Minister. Mr. Ağbal served as the General Director of Budget and Fiscal Control between 2006-2009 and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance between 2009-2015. Mr. Ağbal served as a Member of the Board of Directors at TÜPRAŞ between 2004-2006. Between 2006-2015, Naci Ağbal worked as a Member of the Board of Directors at Turkish Airlines (THY). Naci Ağbal was the Board Member at Vakıf Participation Bank between 2018-2021. Naci Ağbal also worked as a Member of the Council of Higher Education between 2008-2015 and 2018-2020. Mr. Ağbal was a Member of the Board of Trustees at International Ahmed Yesevi University between 2008-2015 and was member of the Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University Council between 2019-2020. Mr. Ağbal served as a Member of Parliament during the 25th and 26th terms at The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye as well as undertook the Minister of Finance role at the 64th and 65th Governments. Naci Ağbal was the Head of the Strategy and Budget Department of the Presidency between 2018-2020 and Mr. Ağbal was appointed as the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey between November 2020 and March 2021. Naci Ağbal has been serving as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Kazancı Holding and its subsidiary Aksa Energy since July 2022.

Selim Dönmez

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team
  • 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.

Senlav GÜNER

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team
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. Since January 2017, Mr. Güner has worked as the Operation and Maintenance Director of Domestic Power Plants Responsible for the Aksa Energy and Cyprus Power Plants. In addition to his current position, he continues to serve as the Operation and Maintenance Director of Eurasia Power Plants, responsible for the Uzbekistan Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plant, which is Aksa Energy's new investment.

Serdar NİŞLİ

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
  • Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
Serdar Nişli graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, earning Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Subsequently, he began his professional career at TEK Çayırhan Thermal Power Plant and worked in various private sector positions for 18 years prior to joining Kazancı Holding in 1996. Nişli, who previously served as the Company's General Manager, holds the Vice Chairman position on the Board of Directors at Aksa Energy.

Soner YILDIZ

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executive Committee
  • Member of the Executives Team
  • Vice President, Chief Operating Officer ( COO ) Executive Committee Member
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, was appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) responsible for investments and operations at Aksa Energy in October 2018. Mr. Soner Yıldız serves as Executive Committee Member at Aksa Energy as of January of 2023.

Soner Yıldız

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Executives Team

Ömer Muzaffer

Job Titles:
  • Member of the Board of Directors
Ömer Muzaffer Baktır graduated from Istanbul Technical University, Department of Mining Engineering in 1986. He started his professional career at Pamukbank. Mr. Baktır went on to serve in various management roles in the banking sector, including Assistant General Manager in charge of Credits and Marketing at Halkbank; CFO and Executive Board Member of Electricity Distribution Companies at Cengiz Holding; and Assistant General Manager in charge of Marketing and Transformation at Ziraat Bank. He took part in the supervisory and management boards of various foreign companies of the same institution. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Erdemir Group between 2017- 2018. Mr. Baktır, who has been serving as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kazancı Holding since February 5, 2018, also serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of Aksa Energy.