77 firm representatives came together and had booths at the B2B event held in Gaziantep on June 20-23, 2022, within the scope of the 33rd International Winter Fair of Shoes, Slippers, and Sub-Industry.
I was born in 1968 in Istanbul. I completed my undergraduate education in Mechanical Engineering in 1991. After my private sector experience in several fields, I entered the shoe sector as a production manager in 1997. 25 years without interruption, I have served and gained experience as a Production Manager, Factory Manager, Operations Director, and similar positions within 10 different companies, large and small, engaged in shoe production, commitment, marketing, retail, and wholesale activities.
Yasemin Tanrıkulu Aytı has completed the Business Administration Department at Istanbul University. After working as Turkey Purchasing Manager at Metro Cash & Carry, Purchasing Group Manager at Hepsiburada.com and Digital Marketing Consultant at Turkcell, she is currently working as a Non-Food Products Purchasing Director at Bim.
Melih Kızılay received his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Gazi University. He works as the Quality Assurance and Social Compliance Group Manager at LCW. He has extensive experience in QA management systems and QC processes in ready-made clothing production.
Hüseyin Haj Hıdır and his brothers learned the shoe design and production profession from childhood within the traditional apprenticeship institute, in Aleppo. In his 20s, they set up their workshops. This business had started to export to many countries, including Turkey, in the pre-war years. However, with the outbreak of war, they had to immigrate to Turkey and they established their company here in 2014. Founded in 2014, this company has grown over time and, despite all kinds of difficulties, today it exports to more than 20 countries, provides dealerships, and has become capable of growing its brand.
Ahmet Baytar (Istanbul Fashion Academy, Founder of Turkish Shoe and Accessory Designers Association)
Founder and president of Turkish Shoe and Accessory Designers Association. Ahmet Baytar studied Painting, Graphic Design and Sculpture at Istanbul Anatolian Fine Arts High School and later graduated from Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Industrial Product Design in 2000. Ahmet Baytar, who won various awards in the Shoe Design Competitions organized by the Turkish Footwear Manufacturers Association between 1996 and 2000, was selected as the “Young Designer of the Year” candidate by the “Elle Style Awards” with his own brand “Ahmet Baytar” in 2010. In 2013, he participated in Micam Shoes Fair in Milan with his own brand. Ahmet Baytar provides consultancy services to various companies in terms of design and collection planning while prepares collections for his own brand. On the other side, he continues his duty as a trainer on Shoe and Accessory Design at Mimar Sinan University, Department of Textile and Fashion Design and Istanbul Fashion Academy.
Melih Kızılay received his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Gazi University. He works as the Quality Assurance and Social Compliance Group Manager at LCW. He has extensive experience in QA management systems and QC processes in ready-made clothing production.
She graduated from International Relations in 2011 and Occupational Health and Safety in 2018. For 8 years, she worked as a Customer Representative, Planning, Coordination and Auditor in the Social Compliance department of an international audit firm. Afterwards, she took part in the Social Compliance processes of a Turkish clothing brand for 2 years. Since 2020, she has been continuing her career as Operations Manager at OBCO Audit company, which she founded.
Dr. Mahmut Genç received his undergraduate, graduate and doctorate educations from Ege University, Faculty of Engineering, Food Engineering. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in International Trade and Supply Chain Management. He has held managerial positions for nearly 15 years in multinational companies operating in the FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), organized retail, fast service restaurant chains, system certification, food production capital machinery sectors. At the same time, he continued his career in the academic field, published many scientific articles and took part in research projects. He is currently working as a Assistant Professor in the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Beykoz University. In addition, he has an entrepreneurial innovation firm. Throughout his working life, he has worked to adapt and improve global corporate standards, policies and procedures at the local level by supporting regional suppliers of different religions and cultures.
• Tamer Kılıç (Head of Region, Western Balkans and Turkey Regional Office, ICMPD)
• Dimitrina Karayotova (Facility for Refugees in Turkey Programme Manager, EU Delegation to Turkey)
• Ahmet Şimşek (Deputy General Manager of Development Agencies, Ministry of Industry and Technology)
Moderator: Filiz Alsaç (Head of Department of Regional Development Agencies, Ministry of Industry and Technology, General Directorate of Development Agencies)
• Levent Yazgan (Product Sourcing Director, FLO)
• Yasemin Tanrıkulu Aytı (Purchasing Manager, BİM)
• Melih Kızılay (Quality Assurance and Social Compliance Group Manager, LCW)
• Hüseyin Haj Hıdır (Co-founder, Kurruk Tapan)
• Ahmet Baytar (Istanbul Fashion Academy, Founder of Turkish Shoe and Accessory Designers Association)
Moderator: Deniz Karcı Korfalı (ENHANCER Entrepreneurship Component Lead , ICMPD)
• Melih Kızılay (Quality Assurance and Social Compliance Group Manager, LCW)
• Duygu Evmez (Operations Manager, OBCO Audit)
• Melda Ersoy (Bag and Shoe Category Manager, Boyner)
• Dr. Mahmut Genç (Assistant Professor, Beykoz University)
• Taner Şehirli (Company Owner, Orsa Çanta)
