Management

Ali Rıza YILDIRIM, the pioneer of the core initiatives that constitute the industrial and commercial activities of YILDIRIM Group, started his professional career in 1970. He continues his duty as the Chairman of YILDIRIM Group, with 55 years of experience in the business world.

Born on May 29, 1957 in Sivas, Türkiye, Ali Rıza YILDIRIM was introduced to business at an early age through his father Garip YILDIRIM’s construction materials company, Garip YILDIRIM & Sons Co., which was established in Samsun in 1963. Ali Rıza YILDIRIM focused on sales and marketing in the first phases of his career. He was also responsible for the growth and diversification of the company’s activities as the eldest son of the YILDIRIM family.

He established his first foreign trade relations in 1988 after carefully observing the opportunities created by the economic reforms in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. He started to cooperate with Russian coal mine operators, and started the first imported coal trade in Türkiye, especially from the Siberia.

Believing that the activities of the family business should not be limited in Samsun, he relocated parts of the company to Istanbul in 1995. He entered the maritime sector in 2000, leading the rapid development of import and export activities and the growth of the company.

He led the acquisition of Gemlik Gübre in Bursa, Eti Krom in Elazığ, and Sümerbank Beykoz Kundura Leather Factory in Istanbul during the early 2000s privatization era in Türkiye. In addition to these 3 successfully completed acquisitions, he also participated in the tenders of 72 different companies from various sectors organized by the Privatization Administration of Türkiye. He withdrew from the tenders after reviewing the acquisitions as not suitable for YILDIRIM’s financial and strategic targets

As the Chairman of the Board, he led YILDIRIM Group’s entry into commodities production industry with Gemlik Gübre and Eti Krom. During the period when these companies joined the Group, he played an active role in modernizing the plants, developing the assets, and increasing the market shares of the companies in their respective sectors. He increased the profitability and efficiency of Gemlik Gübre and Eti Krom, and elevated them as tax champions in Bursa and Elazığ provinces.

After the establishment of the holding structure, Ali Rıza YILDIRIM led the company’s growth in the fertilizer industry, especially by participating in the daily activities of Gemlik Gübre, and made the company a key player in the international market. Ali Rıza YILDIRIM took the first steps to transform YILFERT Holding, the Group’s fertilizer and chemical subsidiary, into an international brand by focusing on global acquisitions and business development.

Closely involved in the financial management and market operations of YILDIRIM Group, Ali Rıza YILDIRIM has ensured the integration of industrial facilities in many European countries into the Group and is currently continuing his entrepreneurial activities

Ali Rıza YILDIRIM is married with two children and lives in Beykoz, Istanbul. His wife, Serpil YILDIRIM is the General Director of Beykoz Kundura. His daughter, S. Buse YILDIRIM is involved in cultural heritage and art & culture industry as an entrepreneur. She is the Managing Artistic Director of Beykoz Kundura as a curator and documentary filmmaker.

Robert Yuksel Yildirim is the President and CEO of Yildirim Group of Companies. He was born in Sivas, Turkey in 1960. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 1983. In 1989, he received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon State University. He began his career as a design and project engineer at Paceco Corporation, working for five years at the container crane manufacturing firm.

Robert Yuksel Yildirim joined the management board of the family-owned company in 1993. The same year, he conducted the first international achievement of the company, directly importing coal from Russia. Robert Yuksel Yildirim led the group in new initiatives in the 2000s, and in 2008, the Group made its first international acquisition in Sweden.

Today, Yildirim Group is a global player in metals and mining, port management, coal and coke, fertilizers and chemicals, energy, and maritime industry. Lloyd’s List ranks Robert Yuksel Yildirim among the top 100 most influential people in the shipping industry, and among top 10 most powerful people in container terminals industry. Consulting company Drewry lists him as one of the top 20 global leaders in port operations. Robert Yuksel Yildirim is also among the top three leaders of the global chromium industry.