International FBN NowGen Forum Türkiye

Success of TAİDER in "FBN International Now Gen Forum Turkey"

The power of "NOW" flowed from Now Gens to Now Gens TAİDER successfully concluded the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Turkey" that it hosted from May 25th to 28th.

The event was filled with speeches and practices by many expert businesspeople and academics such as Ahu Serter, Ali Sabancı, Ayşegül İldeniz, Christina Wing, Dominique Otten-Pappas, Mert Fırat, Abud Abdo, Ömer Abdo, Özge Bulut Maraşlı, Sertaç Taşdelen, Alexis Lombard, and Cathy Noël. Speeches and panels were held on topics surrounding family businesses in the business world and crisis management. The "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" received top marks from all participants.

As the Turkey Family Business Association (TAİDER), which continues its mission to lead the multi-generational continuity of family businesses in Turkey with the motto "Unity in Family, Sustainability in Business," we are delighted to have successfully completed the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" that we organized from May 25th to 28th. The program of the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" received top marks from Now Gens and guests, particularly for the speeches held on May 26th and 27th, the sessions focusing on knowledge sharing, and the practical learning opportunities provided.

Leadership speeches on the second day

The "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye," which was the first exclusive event open to Now Gen members aged 35-55 from family businesses in FBN member countries and the future generation members working in family businesses, took place at Hotel Lazzoni. The event started with welcoming speeches by FBN Now Gen leaders, ODDO BHF Managing Director Alexis Lombard, Alephium Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Vladimir Moshnyager, and TAİDER's first Now Gen leader Ahu Serter, Chairman of Farplus Group.

The opening speech of the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" was given by Ali Sabancı, a third-generation member of the successful Sabancı family, Esas Holding and Pegasus Airlines Chairman. The main theme of Ali Sabancı's speech addressed to all family business executives and other esteemed guests was "To Be or Not to Be a Family."

Actions to take after an earthquake...

The first panel discussion of the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" focused on the two recent major earthquakes we experienced. The panel, moderated by Özge Bulut Maraşlı, brought together Abud Abdo, Chairman and CEO of Hateks, Ömer Abdo, Board Member of Hateks Textile and FBN Turkey Member, and actor Mert Fırat, the Co-Founder of the Needs Map Initiative, who played a leading role in earthquake relief efforts. The panel exchanged ideas and shared suggestions about what to do "NOW" after an earthquake. The panel, which revolved around crisis management, also provided an opportunity to learn from the experiences of Turkish entrepreneurs affected by the earthquake.

Key information for crisis moments...

The next panelist at the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" was Dr. Dominique Otten-Pappas, a Board Member of FBN Germany. In her session titled "The Solution Room - Help Me NOW" Dr. Dominique Otten-Pappas provided key information that could be the solution to problems when facing crisis situations or requiring assistance. The session, conducted with active participation from the audience, was followed with great interest.

The second day's closing speech of the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" was given by global technology leader Ayşegül İldeniz with the title "How to Prepare for the Future NOW?" İldeniz shared her experiences and talked about the important considerations for preparing for the future in family businesses. Ayşegül İldeniz, a pioneering figure in the fields of innovation, technology transformation, and future vision, captivated the participants with her speech.

The challenges of the third day

The third day of the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" started with the "Challenge Sessions," which were fast-paced and vibrant. In roundtable meetings, the most significant challenges faced by family businesses and the most urgent problems awaiting solutions were individually addressed.

The sessions, organized in two separate rounds, were attended by Ahu Serter, Chairman of Farplus Group; Alexis Lombard, CEO of ODDO BHF; Catherine Noel, Secretary General of NOMAINVEST; Onur Eren, Founder of Light Eagle; Özge Bulut Maraşlı, Investor, Board Member, Consultant, and Producer; Risto Väyrynen, COB / Initiator of The Impact Office; Thomas Eymond-Laritaz, Founder and CEO of Highgate; and Vladimir Moshnyager, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Alephium. The sharing of experiences by Now Gen members made the discussions much more productive.

Some of the prominent topics discussed were: "How to Manage a Patchwork Family?", "Establishing the Right Governance to Ensure Harmony Among Shareholders, Board of Directors, Management, and Independent Directors," "How Can I Align the Family Regarding a Shareholder Strategy?", and "How to Raise Children in a Privileged Environment?"

The third day of the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" continued with a speech titled "Thoughts and Explanations" by Christina Wing, Senior Faculty Member at Harvard Business School. Wing provided important and detailed information about the "issues surrounding families in the business world," a topic she has been addressing in the academic field for a long time.

The final speech of the eventful day was delivered by Sertaç Taşdelen, Founder and Partner of Alaaddin Apps and CEO of Vision Technology. Taşdelen discussed the theme of "A Entrepreneur's Journey of Self-Rediscovery" and gave a speech titled "Upgrade NOW, Then Thank Yourself..." His speech, shaped by his experiences as a technology entrepreneur and his aesthetic perception as a multidisciplinary visual artist, was also followed with great interest.

As the TAİDER family, we would like to express our gratitude to all the guests and speakers who contributed to the "FBN International Now Gen Forum Türkiye" with various activities such as the Haliç Tour, Peninsula Tour, and closing dinner and party on the Bosphorus, as well as to all our members, institutions, and organizations for their unwavering support.