Yılmaz Yıldız

Yılmaz Yıldız, a graduate of TED Ankara College, completed his studies at Boston University’s Economics and Business faculties with honors. He finished his research on EU enlargement policies at Heidelberg University in Germany, earned his MBA degree from Harvard University, Harvard Business School, and is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at Bilgi University.

Yıldız began his professional career at the Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of Treasury and Foreign Trade, working in the Directorate General of Incentive Implementation on export and investment incentives, and in the Directorate General of Foreign Economic Relations, World Bank Projects Department, as an expert in the health, education, and technology sectors. He later served as a Strategy Consultant at Bain & Co, participating in growth, innovation, and restructuring projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Following this, he held Unit Manager and Assistant General Manager positions at Garanti Bank and Garanti Insurance. In 2007, he was appointed the Founding CEO of two companies in the life and non-life insurance sectors of CARDIF Turkey, the international insurance subsidiary of the BNP Paribas Group. He subsequently served as the CEO of Groupama Insurance and Groupama Life and Pension. Since 2012, he has been serving as the CEO of Zurich Insurance Group Turkey.

Yılmaz Yıldız is a Trustee of the Z Zurich Foundation, a Board Member of the DEİK Turkey–Switzerland Business Council, a member of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association, and Co-Chair of the YenidenBiz Association. Having taught courses on entrepreneurship and innovation at Koç University and Bilgi University, Yıldız is also an active angel investor and a member of Galata Business Angels (GBA), one of Türkiye’s leading angel investment platforms. In 2024, he was selected as one of the global pioneers chosen by the United Nations for promoting a sustainable world, becoming the first business leader from Türkiye to be included in this list. Holding the title of “UN Sustainable Development Goals Pioneer,” Yıldız continues to lead efforts toward a more livable world.

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