Yılmaz Yıldız

Yılmaz Yıldız is a graduate of TED Ankara College and holds honors degrees in Economics and Business Administration from Boston University. He completed his academic journey at Heidelberg University in Germany, specializing in EU enlargement policies, and earned an MBA from Harvard University and Harvard Business School.

Yıldız began his career at the Undersecretariat of Treasury and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Turkey, working in the General Directorate of Incentive Implementation on Export and Investment Incentives, as well as in the General Directorate of Foreign Economic Relations on World Bank projects in the fields of health, education, and technology. He later joined Bain & Co., serving as a Strategy Consultant on growth, innovation, and restructuring projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

He subsequently held roles as Division Manager and Deputy General Manager at Garanti Bank and Garanti Insurance. In 2007, Yıldız became the Founding CEO of CARDIF Turkey, BNP Paribas Group’s international insurance subsidiary, overseeing its life and general insurance operations. He later served as CEO of Groupama Insurance and Groupama Life and Pension companies.

Yıldız is a Member of the Board of Trustees at Bilgi University and the Z Zurich Foundation; a Board Member of the DEİK Turkey-Switzerland Business Council and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce; President of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association; and Co-Chair of the YenidenBiz organization. He is also a member of the Yanındayız Association and TÜSİAD. A former lecturer on entrepreneurship and innovation at Koç University and Bilgi University, he is an active investor and member of Galata Business Angels (GBA), one of Turkey’s leading angel investor platforms.

Throughout his career, Yıldız has received numerous international accolades. He was named “Most Successful CEO Under 40” by Capital Magazine and “Best CEO in Europe” by IAIR Italy. During his tenure as CEO, the companies he led were recognized by World Finance for eight consecutive years as “Turkey’s Best Insurance Company”; by IAIR as “Southern Europe’s Best Insurance Company”; by Marketing Türkiye for “Best Customer Experience in Insurance”; and by Brandon Hall and the Corporate Sustainability Association with the “Gold Award for Corporate Social Responsibility”. His companies also received top honors from Great Place to Work, including “Best Employer”, “Best Workplace for Women”, and “Social Responsibility and Volunteering” awards.

In 2024, Yılmaz Yıldız was named one of the 12 global leaders recognized by the United Nations for advancing sustainable and equitable development, becoming the first person from Turkey to be included in this list. He was awarded the title of “UN Sustainable Development Goals Pioneer” and continues his leadership efforts to create a more livable world.