Mert Altınkılınç Appointed as President of Yıldız Holding Food Group

Yıldız Holding appointed Mert Altınkılınç to the position of Head of Food Group. Altınkılınç has held various responsibilities in the Holding's food and international operations since 2005 and has served as CEO of Besler since 2022.

Mehmet Tütüncü, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Yıldız Holding, said: "In line with our sustainable and strong growth objectives, I am pleased that Mert Altınkılınç, who has held important responsibilities in food and international operations for many years and achieved significant results, will take on this role. I believe that with his experience and expertise, he will manage our food operations under a more comprehensive and efficient structure and contribute to our strategic goals."

Food Group Leadership and Strategic Focus
Yıldız Holding established the Food Group Directorate to manage its food operations under a more comprehensive and efficient structure. This structure aims to increase integration across processes ranging from production to supply chain, from innovation to exports, and to strengthen competitive power in global markets.

Under Mert Altınkılınç's leadership, the Food Group Directorate will consolidate the Holding's food category operations under one umbrella and enable more effective implementation of strategic priorities.

Overview of Altınkılınç's Career
Mert Altınkılınç began his career at Yıldız Holding in 2005 and held management positions at various companies of the Holding both domestically and internationally. Following positions at Teközel, Eksper Gıda and İstanbul Gıda, he served as Managing Director of pladis Middle East and North Africa. During this period, he led expansion into new markets, strengthened distributor structures, and increased operational efficiency across different geographies.

Since 2022, serving as CEO of Besler, Altınkılınç has led the company's strategic transformation with its strong brand portfolio and multi-category structure. He made significant contributions with his teams particularly to product diversification and increased production capacity in the frozen food and oil categories. He also managed the integration of Frozen Bakery Products operations into Besler and oversaw the transition process from Kerevitaş to Besler.

Altınkılınç is a graduate of Dokuz Eylül University Department of Industrial Engineering where he also completed his master's degree, and completed his MBA education in the United States.