Cem Karakaş
| Cem Karakaş | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 23, 1974 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Education |
Middle East Technical University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Istanbul University American Institute of Baking |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Family | Married, two children |
| Website |
www |
Cem Karakaş is the CEO of global biscuit, chocolate and confectionery company, pladis and Executive Deputy Chairman of pladis’s parent company, Yildiz Holding. [1]
He has held several executive roles at Yildiz Holding, having previously served as an executive board member at Godiva Chocolatier, DeMet’s Candy Company and United Biscuits following their acquisitions by Yildiz Holding.[2]
Education
Karakaş received a bachelor's degree from Middle East Technical University and a master's degree in Finance Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
In addition he holds a PhD in Finance from Istanbul University.
Karakas is also a qualified baker, having trained at the American Institute of Baking (AIB).
Career
Karakaş has served as board member in several companies in Turkey. Before joining Yildiz Holding he was Chief Financial Officer and a Board Member of Erdemir Group, an industrial enterprise in Turkey. Prior to that he was Director of New Business Development at OYAK Group, an institutional investor in Turkey, as well as General Manager at OYAK Real Estate Development.[3]
Karakas has an extensive track record in large scale integration and turnaround management in industries including FMCG, food service, retail and consumer packaged goods, among others. He is a leading expert in M&A and corporate restructurings with around 100 closed transactions.[4]
As Executive Deputy Chairman of Yildiz Holding, Karakaş managed the integration of over 20 baked goods and confectionery businesses into the company, which led to the listing of Ulker on Borsa Istanbul, Turkey’s stock exchange. The successful integration of these businesses and the ensuing restructuring resulted in a five-fold increase in Ulker’s market capitalisation in three years.
Karakaş also led Turkey’s largest bread business, Uno, to five-fold growth in five years and managed the acquisition and integration of Yildiz’s retail arm, which quadrupled in size in four years.
In 2016 Karakaş became the CEO of pladis, a new company created by Yildiz Holding to consolidate its core biscuit and confectionery businesses. pladis unites Godiva, the international premium chocolate brand, McVitie’s, a leading biscuit brand with a heritage in the UK and Europe, and Ulker, the leading biscuit and confectionery brand in Turkey and the Middle East.
pladis has operations in 120 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas. The company has revenues of US$5.2 billion, with 34 factories in 13 countries and employs 26,000 people.
Personal life
Karakaş is married with two children. He is a keen scuba diver and skiing enthusiast.
References
- ↑ "British biscuits get set to take on the world". Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ↑ 宋静丽. "Creating a household name on sweet note - Business - Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
- ↑ "Halil Cem Karakas Ph.D.: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
- ↑ "Yıldız Holding appoints key finance chief as new executive deputy chairman - BUSINESS". Hürriyet Daily News | LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION. Retrieved 2017-02-22.