Hailing from the scenic Karşıyaka, İzmir, I’ve made the vibrant Beşiktaş, İstanbul, my home. My current role is as an Associate Professor at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), specifically in the Faculty of Management’s Department of Management Engineering. My specialties lie in Management & Entrepreneurship, fueled by a passion for understanding how businesses take shape from ideas.
Educational Journey:
I embarked on my academic journey with a PhD in Management & Organizations from Sabancı University in Istanbul. My educational background also includes a Master of Arts in Law from Bilgi University and two Master’s degrees from Middle East Technical University in Ankara: one in Information Systems and the other in Industrial Engineering. My Bachelor degree is also from Industrial Engineering program of Middle East Technical University.
Academic Engagements:
My academic career has taken me to many esteemed institutions. Before settling at ITU, I enriched my experience at Sabancı University as adjunct faculty and expanded my horizons as a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University, PA. During my tenure at ITU, I had the privilege of joining the Politecnico di Milano’s Management Engineering Department as a Visiting Associate Professor for two terms, engaging in both lecturing and research.
Professional Experience:
Before my academic pursuits, I delved into the corporate world, beginning at Turkcell. I navigated through various roles, starting as an Information Security Senior Expert and later diving into Product Management in Value Added Services. I then led Turkcell’s Mobile Virtual Network Operator strategy in Marketing. Prior to Turkcell, I embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, founding one of Turkey’s pioneering Internet security companies. My corporate odyssey began at Gartner’s Turkey office, and I later transitioned to META Group, which Gartner eventually acquired.
Classroom Endeavors:
Entrepreneurship: From Bachelors to Executive MBAs, this course sheds light on the journey of transforming an idea into a thriving business.
Management & Organizations and Strategic Planning: Tailored for Bachelors and MBAs, these courses delve deep into management fundamentals and strategic blueprints.
Engineering Design: Aimed at Management Engineering undergrads, this course emphasizes identifying product flaws from a customer standpoint, then utilizing market research, design thinking, and product design techniques to create refined engineering solutions.
I am an avid advocate for experiential learning and active classroom participation. Multidisciplinary collaboration, design thinking, and hands-on projects are hallmarks of my teaching philosophy.
Research
My research is about how work, technology and organizations interact. For an overview, please see the Research tab of this site and my CV.
Service
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