ANNUAL
REPORT
2014
Contents
CONTENTS
Message from the Executive Director
2
About AmCham Turkey/ABFT
3
a. AmCham Board of Directors b. The AmCham Team Membership a. AmCham Membership in Details • Membership Portfolio b. Membership Categories & DeÀnitions c. Membership Application d. Membership Services & BeneÀts • Networking • Access • Advocacy - AmCham Committees • Visibility • Business Services
7 7 8 8 10
Performance
14
Financial Statements
15
Year in Review a. AmCham Events Highlights b. 2014 Annual Activity Report
16 17 19
AmCham Members
29
1
Message from the Executive Director 2
Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to note that AmCham Turkey/ABFT continues to grow in size and strength – currently our membership has reached 125+ U.S. companies with operations in Turkey. It is a pleasure to serve a prestigious membership that includes leading firms across every industry, from banking to legal services, consumer products to information technologies, healthcare to aerospace and defense, and delivery to strategic consultancy. With the leadership and guidance of AmCham Board of Directors that served between the years of 2013-2015, AmCham has defined its priorities under three main pillars: AmCham as a thought leader and a strategic policy partner through the provision of general and sector/issue-specific reports and activities for advocacy purposes; utilization of its know-how and expertise for a strengthened business and investment environment in Turkey and last but not least, value in membership in the form of strengthening the membership for a larger, diverse and more impactful base. This grand vision and strategy has positioned AmCham as one of the most attractive business associations that acts as a leading voice for U.S. businesses and investors in Turkey. We take pride in our achievements in the year 2014 during which we organized a total of 57 different events. These events have varied in type, format, and target audience ranging from breakfast programs and luncheons, seminars, receptions, several meetings and roundtable discussions, university delegation visits, executive trade missions, committee meetings, and international conferences. These exclusive events presented excellent networking opportunities for the participants, allowing members and guests to listen to the views of prominent investment and business figures. In 2014, AmCham has also celebrated a special milestone, marking the 10th year of its inception and operations in Turkey. Addressing an audience of more than 350 public and private sector leaders from the U.S. and Turkey, our guest of honor in the Gala was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker who was accompanied by the CEOs of the President’s Export Council Members. During the year 2014, AmCham has actively pursued its Committee activities that are driven and co-shaped by the interests and inputs of AmCham members. These advocacy efforts were also guided by AmCham’s annual “Business and Investment Climate in Turkey” survey series since their first initiation in 2007, “Member Profile Surveys” launched in 2013, and “U.S. Companies on Doing Business in Turkey” research paper of 2014. Going forward, AmCham will expand and enrich its portfolio of research and studies by actively contributing to the B20 Turkey process and to the dialogue on the enlargement of Transatlantic Trade and Partnership Agreement (TTIP). The year 2014 has been exciting for the American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey and this Annual Report presents an overview of AmCham’s activities and efforts. Taking this opportunity, we would like to thank all of our members for their continued support, cooperation, hard work and involvement.
Elif Demircan Executive Director AmCham Turkey/ABFT
American Business Forum in Turkey (AmCham Turkey/ABFT) American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey Strong Voice of American Business in Turkey • Founded in 2004 with 34 companies • Represents 125+ prestigious U.S. member companies with operations in Turkey • Operates with a mission to provide a platform for AmCham member companies to leverage their investments in Turkey and to act as a bridge between Turkey and the U.S. to further increase bilateral trade, investment and relations • Serves for the vision to be a trusted, credible, objective business-accelerator organization that acts as the leading voice for U.S. businesses and investors in Turkey; and one of the most attractive business associations acting as an opinion leader on strengthening the business and investment climate in Turkey
About AmCham Turkey/ABFT
Quick Facts
• Provides committee activities, access to information, visibility, business services and networking opportunities for its members • An affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce • An active member of AmChams in Europe • An active member of the Middle East Commercial Center (MECC) of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Closer Look at AmCham Members – The Economic Impact in Turkey Total Investment in Turkey
53
billion USD
47.184,07
53.137,10
Min.
59.090,12
Max.
Tax Paid in Turkey
7,4
billion TL
4.955,77
7.431,67
Min.
9.907,57
Max.
Market Capitalization
4 300 billion USD
2.676,53
Min.
4.391,36
6.106,19
Max.
Number of Employees
56.973,81
61.743,97
Min.
66.514,13
>61 000
Max.
Number of Turkish Employees
54.558,10
60.056,45
Min.
65.554,81
>60 000
Max.
Number of Turkish Executives
2.443,66
Min.
3.458,13
4.472,59
Max.
>3400
3
About AmCham Turkey/ABFT
Board of Directors
4
Serra Akçaoçlu AmCham Turkey/ABFT Chairwoman Citibank Turkey CEO & Board Member
Tankut Turnaoçlu Procter & Gamble Chairman of the Board Turkey and Caucasus
Canan Özsoy General Electric Turkey President & CEO
Tamer Özmen Microsoft Turkey CEO
èhsan Necipoçlu Dow, General Manager Turkey & Central Asia
Mine Öztürk Baxter International General Manager
Neil Pryor PepsiCo General Manager
Daniel R. Matthews Baker & McKenzie Managing Partner
Haluk YalçÈn PwC Territory Senior Partner
Dilek Mutuê Wells Fargo Bank Executive VP & GFI Head TRAMS
Bernard J. Dunn Boeing President Turkey & North Africa
Andrei Holban 3M Managing Director
Çiçdem Ertem Intel Regional Director Middle East, Turkey and Africa
Hüseyin Gürer Deloitte Turkey CEO
About AmCham Turkey/ABFT
Board of Directors
5
Christophe Merkel Nike General Manager
Asgar Rangoonwala Janssen Managing Director
Nilgün Langenberg Korn Ferry Managing Director
Ufku Akaltan UPS General Manager
Roberto Pedretti The Nielsen Company CEO
Gökhan Toçrul Hay Group General Manager
About AmCham Turkey/ABFT
Strength in Leadership
AmCham Turkey/ABFT Board of Directors
Strength in Members
AmCham Turkey/ABFT Members
6
Strength in Operations
AmCham Turkey/ABFT Team
AmCham membership is open to major U.S. corporations, small and medium size businesses, NGOs and U.S. citizens that share a common interest in the mission of the Chamber. From exclusive, targeted marketing opportunities to special events organization and expanding the network of its members, AmCham makes its members’ needs a priority. Once a member joins, it gains access to a vast network of business information and contacts in Turkey as well as valuable information on U.S. businesses across Europe and the Middle East. This is made possible through AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s close relations and frequent exchange with the AmChams in Europe, the AmCham global network as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Middle East Commercial Center (MECC) dialogue.
Membership
MEMBERSHIP
Corporate members also represent their companies at AmCham committees in the areas of Ethics and Compliance, Healthcare, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Public Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility and Aerospace and Defense. Committees help our members to understand regulations, overcome challenges, and seize opportunities in the market in a pro-active manner. Working within these platforms gives member companies an opportunity to make a real impact to the future of their businesses in Turkey.
Closer Look at AmCham Membership AmCham Turkey/ABFT currently has 125+ member companies and the number is increasing. During the year 2014, AmCham has welcomed 32 new member companies while in the first three months of 2015 only, 7 members became the new members of the Chamber. The below figures indicate AmCham Turkey’s membership increase since its inception in the year 2004, successful retention rate of its members and its membership portfolio. Membership Increase Over the Years
Retention Rate%94
7
Membership
Membership Categories & DeÛnitions 1. Platinum & Gold Membership: To be eligible for the category of Platinum or Gold Member, a candidate must (i) be a legal entity, partnership, foundation or a branch or representative office of a legal entity, registered in Turkey, (ii) have a good reputation in the community as determined by the Board of Directors, and (iii) be: 1.1 founded or incorporated in the U.S. or have its shares traded on a U.S. stock exchange (a “U.S. Company”); 1.2 a parent, subsidiary or affiliate of a U.S. Company; 1.3 operating a franchise of a U.S. Company in Turkey; 1.4 organized as a Turkey-U.S. joint venture; or 1.5 organized as a partnership, including an attorney partnership, affiliated with a partnership founded or based in the U.S.
2. Silver Membership:
8 To be eligible for affiliation with the Association as a Silver Member, a candidate must (i) have a good reputation in the community as determined by the Board of Directors, and (ii) be: 2.1 eligible for membership as a Member according the conditions outlined in Platinum or Gold Membership category; 2.2 a U.S. citizen; or 2.3 a U.S.-based non-governmental organization registered and operating in Turkey.
Membership Application To be admitted to and maintain membership in AmCham Turkey/ABFT, candidates for membership and members must have a good standing in the community and the ability to fully satisfy the above conditions for one of the membership categories. To apply for membership, a candidate must submit a filled membership application form which can be downloaded from the Chamber’s website at www.amchamturkey.org. AmCham evaluates the submitted application in its next Board of Directors meeting. The most common type of membership is Gold Membership. It is ongoing with a fee of 5.500 TL per calendar year with a one-time entrance fee of 3.000 TL. Platinum members pay a fee of 11.000 TL per year with a one-time entrance fee of 3.000 TL. Silver members pay a fee of 2.750 TL per year with a one-time entrance fee of 3.000 TL. Membership fees are non-refundable and will automatically be renewed each year unless terminated in writing prior to the membership term.
Membership Category
Annual Fee (TL)
Entrance Fee (TL)
Platinum Membership
11.000
3.000
Gold Membership
5.500
3.000
Silver Membership
2.750
3.000
Membership Benefits
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Invitation to AmCham Events
3
3
3
AmCham Website Listing with Company Information
3
3
3
News’ Submission to AmCham Newsletters
3
3
3
Customers’ Referral
3
3
3
U.S. Visa Assistance
3
3
3
Opportunity to Present the Company at AmCham Events via Sponsorship
3
3
3
Online M2M Discounts Access
3
3
3
Registration to Events
Representative only
Up to 4 members
Up to 4 members
AmCham Assistance in Organizing Events
X
Limited
Full
Free advice & Guidance from AmCham Staff on on the provision of useful contacts in Turkey and the U.S.
X
3
3
Opportunity to Present the Company profile in AmCham Website Spotlight Section
X
3
3
Participation to Committees
X
3
3
Invitations to Exclusive Events
X
3
3
Special Recognition in the Chamber Website
X
X
3
Eligibility for Chairmanship for one of the Committees
X
X
3
Membership
Membership Fees
9
Membership Services and Benefits
Membership Services and BeneÛts AmCham Turkey/ABFT builds its work around the following firm foundations:
NETWORKING 10 • Events: AmCham Turkey/ABFT hosts several exclusive events throughout the year for its members, all planned to help its members’ businesses develop. These events represent excellent networking opportunities, allowing members and guests to listen to the views of prominent investment and business figures and facilitate the building of sector specific platforms. • Connections: AmCham Turkey/ABFT is a focal point for various actors representing diverse sectors in the international market. Through its close relations and frequent exchange with the AmChams in Europe and the AmCham global network, AmCham Turkey/ABFT is the optimal contact for solutions to members' international trade and investment matters. Once a member joins, it starts utilizing AmCham's wide network of connections.
AmCham Turkey/ABFT provides access to reliable and qualified information through its • Business and Investment Climate in Turkey annual surveys • Member Profile Surveys • Business Studies & Sector-Specific Reports, including those from members Members have full access to a resource library that includes AmCham membership directory, annually conducted business and investment climate in Turkey survey results, Member Profile Surveys, AmCham newsletters, and other publications. ! ! ! !
! !
! ! ! !
! ! !
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ADVOCACY AmCham Turkey/ABFT identifies, represents, and voices its members' interests, helps them gain access to public representatives, and support members to find solutions to business challenges. AmCham believes an active dialogue between business and decision-makers is crucial. That’s why AmCham consults members to identify the issues that affect them most and put forward suggestions – all with the goal to implement policies that would bring a better business and investment environment to Turkey. • Committees: Representing diverse sectors and industries, AmCham Committees provide a forum for U.S. companies to raise issues about the business climate in Turkey, identify trends and seize opportunities in the market. • Position Papers: AmCham prepares position papers that state sector-specific positions and opinions, and general overviews of U.S. business executives. • Member Profile Surveys: Each year AmCham conducts Member Profile Surveys in order to set its priority working areas and framework for operation based on the survey results. • Business and Investment Climate Surveys: Each year AmCham conducts a survey researching the outlook and perceptions of U.S. companies operating in Turkey. The survey focuses on the commercial and investment environment in Turkey, polling executives on a variety of factors affecting investment decisions, technology transfer, and job creation. The survey is then published and shared with members and other stakeholders.
Membership Services and Benefits
ACCESS
11
Membership Services and Benefits
AmCham Committees In the year 2013, AmCham was comprised of four industry sector committees. In 2014, AmCham has expanded this number to seven including the following: Ethics and Compliance, Healthcare, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Public Affairs, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Aerospace and Defense.
AmCham Committees
12 AmCham Turkey/ABFT Board of Directors, the AmCham team and the Committees work together to achieve AmCham’s goals set forth in its strategic plan. Committees deliver reports on their activities and participate in the discussion of issues and planning of events relevant to their areas of interest. In many instances, there is cross-coordination between AmCham committees. The Committee works are carried out by a group of qualified representatives of AmCham membership on a voluntary basis. The focus of Committee meetings depends on the existing situation and pertinent current events in Turkey and includes newly adopted laws, proposed regulations and amendments, and industry specific issues of Committee members. Platinum and Gold members can participate in the Committee activities.
VISIBILITY AmCham Turkey/ABFT assists its members' marketing efforts through its website, quarterly newsletters, and active social media platforms. In addition to these platforms, special events provide great publicity via sponsorship opportunities, further contributing to members’ marketing efforts. • Website & Social Media: AmCham's dynamic website and vibrant social media platforms are 24/7 attractive channels for members reach out to their target audience. • Newsletters: AmCham's quarterly newsletters keep members informed about AmCham's events, business opportunities, introduction of new members, and updates of its members. • Special Events & Sponsorship Opportunities: AmCham's special events and publications offer member companies sponsorship opportunities that increase members' visibility, access, and business services. With many different types of events taking place throughout the year, AmCham provides numerous opportunities to make sure that member companies’ get noticed at events, in the publications, at online platforms and during AmCham promotions.
Membership Services and Benefits
AmCham Website & Social Media
Quarterly Newsletters
Special Events & Sponsorship Opportunities
13
BUSINESS SERVICES AmCham offers extensive and credible connections in the business arena. Members can use this network to connect, communicate and stay on top of issues that impact businesses. From exclusive, targeted marketing opportunities to special events organization and company promotion, AmCham takes its members’ needs a priority. • Executive Trade Missions • 1-to-1 Business Meetings • Tailor made services by utilizing AmCham's global, regional, and local networks • Free forum for disseminating business opportunities among members
U.S. Executive Trade Mission to Tbilisi, Georgia ͳͳǦͳ͵ǡ ʹͲͳͷ
© CCPL
Performance
Performance AmCham continues to grow in full speed as indicated by its performance on two key areas: membership development and financial growth.
AmCham increased its membership base by more than 60% since the year 2012 and by more than 50% since 2013. In terms of financial performance, AmCham witnessed remarkable growth in the areas of revenue generation and net revenue increase. Accordingly;
14
• AmCham increased its revenue generation by more than 120% since the year 2012 and by more than 100% since 2013; • Witnessed a net revenue increase of more than 250% since the year 2012 and by more than 160% since 2013. 2013-2015
2012-2015
Revenue Generation
101%
126%
Net Revenue Increase
163%
258%
Membership Increase
55%
65%
American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey Consolidated Financial Statements The balance of equities of the American Business Forum in Turkey as of 31/12/2014 is as follows: REVENUES (01.01.2014 – 31.12.2014) Membership Fees
601,050
Sponsorship Income Donations Event Income Other Income
146,137 81,852 77,466 7,680 TOTAL REVENUES
EXPENSES (01.01.2014 – 31.12.2014) Personnel Expenses Meetings and Organizational Expenses Rent Expenses Travel and Transportation Expenses Stationery Expenses Office building administration Expenses Consultancy Expenses Communication Expenses Energy and Cleaning Expenses Repair and Maintenance Expenses Advertisement Expenses Amortization Expenses Membership Expenses IT technical service Expenses Research Expenses Taxes and Charges Expenses Other Expenses
914,185 315,651 171,338 69,990 26,846 22,019 17,805 15,765 11,069 9,931 8,907 5,177 4,973 4,627 4,099 1,798 1,021 47,397
TOTAL EXPENSES
738,413
TOTAL ASSETS
281,787 211,787 14,546 10,377 15,911 534,408
TOTAL LIABILITIES
43,460 62,522 6,300 4,600 116,882
TOTAL EQUITY
227,120 190,406 417,526
ASSETS Cash and Cash Equivalents Marketable Securities Short Term Trade Receivables Other Short Term Receivables Inventories Other Current Assets Non-Current Assets Total LIABILITIES Financial Liabilities Trade Payables Other Short Term Liabilities Advances Received Provision for Liabilities and Expenses Long Term Liabilities Total EQUITY Reserves Net Profit for the period
Financial Statements
Financial Statements
15
Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Events in Detail AmCham Turkey/ABFT hosts several exclusive events throughout the year for its members. These events present excellent networking opportunities, allowing members and guests to listen to the views of prominent investment and business figures and facilitate the building of sector-specific platforms. In the year 2014, AmCham has organized a total of • 57 networking events and activities • 30 Committee meetings • Attended to three international conferences Here is a snapshot of various AmCham activities done in the year 2014:
16
January:
April:
Featured event: Meeting with Atlanta Delegation • Meeting with Women Entrepreneurs’ Association (KAGIDER) • Meeting with Endeavor Turkey
Featured Event: Meeting with MetLife Global Representatives • Meeting with YASED • Meeting with AlumniTurk
February: Featured Event: “Roadmap of Entrepreneurship in Turkey” Panel • Meeting with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) • Meeting with Participating Organizations to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Winter Meeting in Jordan • Meeting with TEPAV • Meeting with MasterPeace • AmCham’s Ordinary General Assembly 2014 • Back2Business: Joint International Trade Networking Event • Meeting with Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AIFD) • Winter Meeting of the Middle East Commercial Center (MECC) in Jordan
May: Featured Event: Meeting with Minister of Economy H.E. Nihat Zeybekci • AmChams in Europe Annual Transatlantic Conference in Washington DC & Dallas, Texas • Meeting with Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets & Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service • Meeting with the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) President Ilker Ayci • Participation to Turkey Investment Summit 2014 • Meeting with Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AIFD) • Meeting with Maltepe University
Year in Review
AmCham Events Highlights
17
June: March: Featured Event: “Employee Engagement: Moving from Entitlement to Engagement” Panel & Workshop • Meeting with Endeavor Turkey • Meeting with Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID) • AmCham Turkey/ABFT Opens its Ankara & Izmir Chapters
Featured Event: “Intellectual Property Rights and Investment Environment in Turkey” Panel • Dinner with MeadWestvaco (MWV) and Cohen Group Representatives • Farewell Luncheon for the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone • University of Utah Huntsman Business School’s Visit • Roundtable Discussion with Coca Cola Director of Public Affairs & Diplomatic Relations • Meeting with International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Turkey • Meeting with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Representatives • Participation to “Iowa Commerce Seminar” • Participation to Microsoft Turkey NGO Day • AlumniTurk & AmCham Summer Drinks & Networking Event
AmCham Events Highlights Year in Review
July: Featured Event: Luncheon with Khush Choksy, Vice President for Turkey and Middle East Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce • Attendance at the 4th of July Reception • Meeting with Turkish Coalition of America • Meeting with Nike Representatives • Meeting with Junior Achievement (JA) • Meeting with the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey (BCCT) • Meeting with Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (èTO)
October:
Featured Event: AmChams in Europe Best Practices Conference in Slovakia • Meeting with Syracuse University • Meeting with Philip Kosnett, Director at Office of Southeast European Affairs from U.S. State Department • Back2Business: Joint International Trade Networking Event • Meeting with Vince Mikolay, Governor’s Office of Economic Development from the State of Utah
November: 18
August: Featured Event: Meeting with International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
September: Featured Event: AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s 10th Anniversary Gala • Attendance at Internet Governance Forum (IGF) • Breakfast with Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh, Group President Europe Operations, P&G • AmCham Turkey/ABFT New Office Opening Reception • GE Turkey & ABFT Global Innovation Barometer Panel • Attendance at ESBAS’ TTIP Conference • Luncheon & Workshop with Mark Catchlove, Insight Group Director of Herman Miller
Featured Event: Dinner with GE Regional President & CEO Nabil Habayeb • AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s Women Leadership Network (WLN) Project Meeting • Meeting with the new U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass • ICT & Innovation Policy in Turkey Roundtable with U.S. Chamber of Commerce • Dinner with Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President & Head of International Affairs at U.S. Chamber of Commerce • Attendance to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s MECC Technology Forum • Attendance to Atlantic Council Energy & Economic Summit • “3rd Annual PPP Forum: Unlocking the Potential in Emerging Europe” • “Public Procurement Law & Implementation” Seminar
December:
Featured Event: AmCham’s New Year Reception • Meeting with Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSèAD) • Breakfast with Guenther Juenger, Corporate Affairs Director for Intel Europe, Middle East, and Africa • 1-on-1 Meetings with U.S. Embassy Representatives • Attendance to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s MECC Leadership Forum • Meeting with Honeywell Global Representatives • Attendance to Business 20 (B20) Turkey Inaugural Conference • Meeting with the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT)
January 21 | Meeting with Atlanta Delegation Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) organized a meeting on investment and trade opportunities between Turkey and Atlanta, USA at TOBB Plaza in Istanbul. The meeting featured high level representatives from Atlanta Economic Development Office, Atlanta Mayor’s Office, Invest in Atlanta, Atlanta Tourism Bureau, and Atlanta International Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. January 22 | Meeting with Women Entrepreneurs’ Association (KAGIDER) AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a meeting with KAGIDER representatives for a discussion on cooperation opportunities among the parties for AmCham’s Entrepreneurship Panel held on February 26th.
Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report
January 30 | Meeting with Endeavor Turkey AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a meeting with Endeavor Turkey representatives including Ms. Didem Altop, Endeavor Turkey’s Managing Director for a discussion of long-term collaboration among the organizations. February 3 | Meeting with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Stanley Pfrang, Market Development Director India, the Middle East, and Africa of the WEDC for a discussion of cooperation opportunities. February 3 | Meeting with Participating Organizations to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Winter Meeting in Jordan AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended a meeting at TOBB Plaza for a discussion on areas of cooperation and information exchange among the participating organizations to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s winter meeting in Jordan. February 6 | Meeting with TEPAV AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Ozan Acar, TEPAV Project Coordinator for a discussion on potential collaboration areas beneficial for both parties to move forward. February 6 | Meeting with MasterPeace AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Ms. Pervin Leenhouts, Country Manager at MasterPeace Turkey, a global peace initiative working for and with the active involvement of people in peace building. During the meeting, parties have discussed areas of potential collaboration. February 19 | AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s Ordinary General Assembly 2014 AmCham Turkey/ABFT held its Ordinary General Assembly at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel with the participation of members of the ABFT Board of Directors and AmCham members. ABFT membership fees and bylaws amendment of the Charter to establish a commercial enterprise were approved by majority vote. February 19 | Back2Business: Joint International Trade Networking Event The Back 2 Business event series continued at the British Consulate in Istanbul as an outcome of a joint collaboration between the international chambers and Consulates in Istanbul. The event brought together the members and representatives of the key international Chambers in Turkey including ABFT, foreign consulates, and local businesses. February 21 | Meeting with AIFD AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan and ABFT Healthcare Committee Chair and Johnson & Johnson - DepuySynthes Russia/CIS & Turkey General Manager Nurgul Vatansever held a meeting with AIFD Investment Policy Director. Parties have discussed areas of potential collaboration beneficial for both sides. February 24-25 | Winter Meeting of the Middle East Commercial Center (MECC) AmCham Turkey/ABFT attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Middle East Commercial Center (MECC)’s winter meeting held in Jordan for discussions to strengthen intra-regional commercial activity and investment in the region.
19
Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report February 26 | “Roadmap of Entrepreneurship in Turkey” Panel AmCham Turkey/ABFT, with the support of Amway Turkey, organized a Panel on “Roadmap of Entrepreneurship in Turkey” at Hilton Harbiye during which Amway’s “Global Entrepreneurship Report 2013: Self-Employment in Turkey” findings were introduced and discussed. Moderated by Ms. Canan Ozsoy, ABFT Board Member and GE Turkey President and CEO, the Panel session featured discussions among Tayfun Ergun, Amway Turkey General Manager; Cansen Basaran Symes, Endeavor Turkey Vice Chairman; Gulden Turktan, KAGIDER President; Dr. Omer Pak, KOSGEB Head of EU and Foreign Relations Department; and, Kutlu Kazanci, Sabanci University Entrepreneurship Council Director. A total of 190 people attended the event. March 18 | Meeting with Endeavor Turkey AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a meeting with Ms. Emine Etili, Endeavor Turkey’s Members and Community Relations Manager for a discussion of further cooperation opportunities among the parties. March 18 | Meeting with Turkish Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID) AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a meeting with Tayfun Zaman, TEID General Secretary for a discussion on joint event organizations in the future on ethics and compliance issues in Turkey from a business perspective.
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March 26 | “Employee Engagement: Moving from Entitlement to Engagement” Panel & Workshop AmCham Turkey/ABFT organized a panel and workshop around the theme of “employee engagement” at Hilton Harbiye with the support of AmCham members Cisco and Hilton and with the assistance of European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). Following Mr. Umit Cinali, former Cisco Turkey General Manager and ABFT Board Member’s welcoming remarks, the panel section featured Mr. Riza Kadilar, EMCC Chairman as the moderator and Mr. Haluk Aykul, NexxtStage Consulting Founding Partner, Ms. Sebnem Arican, Cisco Systems EMEAR Talent Acquisition Lead, and Ms. Ozge Koca, Corporate Wellbeing Center Founder’s discussion of value creation at companies. The Panel ended with a lively workshop organized with the 90+ participants of the event. March | AmCham Turkey/ABFT Opens its Ankara & Izmir Chapters AmCham Turkey/ABFT has launched its Ankara chapter and assigned Aysem Isil Sargin, Government Affairs and Policy Director at GE Turkey as the Ankara representative and Candan Corbacioglu, Europe Corporate Affairs Area Manager at Amway as the Izmir representative. April 3 | Meeting with MetLife Global Representatives MetLife representatives including Susan Greenwell, Vice President and Head of International Government Relations for MetLife, James Delaney, Head of International Government Relations EMEA, Julianne Lee, Head of EMEA Government Relations, Rami Nahhas, General Counsel for Middle East, and Oyku Api, Legal Manager of MetLife Turkey held a meeting with ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan to discuss areas of potential collaboration. April 10 | Meeting with YASED AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan and ABFT Healthcare Committee Chair and Johnson & Johnson - DepuySynthes Russia/CIS and Turkey General Manager Nurgul Vatansever held a meeting with Ozlem Ozyigit, YASED’s Secretary General. Parties discussed potential collaboration areas beneficial for both sides. April 14 | Meeting with AlumniTurk AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a meeting with Ms. Ilknur Aslan, founder of AlumniTurk initiative, an online community created for the aim of connecting Turkish alumni graduated from international universities. Parties discussed possible collaboration areas and joint events’ planning for the future. April 15 | Attendance to “EMCC Turkey CEO Talks” AmCham Turkey/ABFT attended “EMCC Turkey CEO Talks” event that featured the discussion of Cenk Dogru, Delphi Automotive Systems Turkey Country Manager’s insights on the importance of mentoring and coaching during global restructuring stages of the multinational companies.
May 4-9 | AmChams in Europe Annual Transatlantic Conference in Washington DC & Dallas, Texas A group of AmCham directors from Europe and wider Europe came together in Washington, DC and Dallas, Texas for a series of high-level government and stakeholder policy meetings as part of their annual Transatlantic Conference. AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended this event. May 6 | Meeting with Minister of Economy H.E. Nihat Zeybekci Organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), Republic of Turkey Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci attended a meeting with representatives of DEIK Turkish – American Council, AmCham Turkey/ABFT, Turkish American Businessmen Association (TABA) and U.S. – Turkey Business Council members at Ciragan Palace. The meeting focused on the role and importance of Turkey’s inclusion to Transatlantic Trade and Partnership Initiative (TTIP) and evaluation of suggestions on how to accomplish this. AmCham Turkey/ABFT Board was represented by Citibank Turkey CEO Serra Akcaoglu, Baker & McKenzie Managing Partner Daniel R. Matthews, DuPont Turkey Country Manager Halide Aydinlik, GE Turkey President & CEO Canan Ozsoy and PwC Territory Partner Haluk Yalcin.
Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report
May 7 | FT Turkey Summit 2014: Can Turkey Become Europe’s Next Powerhouse? As a supporting partner of the FT Turkey Summit 2014, AmCham Turkey/ABFT attended the Summit that took place at InterContinental Istanbul. The Summit brought together senior government officials and leading private sector leaders, including members of ABFT’s Board of Directors, for discussions on the significant role of Turkey on the global stage and the positive shifts in the economic landscape that draw international investors to the region. May 7 | Meeting with Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets & Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, along with U.S. Consul General Charles F. Hunter, U.S. Commercial Service Commercial Counselor Michael Lally, and Principal Commercial Officer Manoj Desai held a meeting with ABFT members of the Board of Directors at Hilton Harbiye. Mr. Kumar was introduced to ABFT activities with a brief presentation of its “Business and Investment Climate Survey 2013” results. May 8 | Participation to “Medical Technologies Trade Mission to Turkey” Reception The “Medical Technologies Trade Mission to Turkey” led by Arun Kumar, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General for the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, concluded with a reception at the U.S. Consul General’s residence in Istanbul to which AmCham Turkey/ABFT also attended. May 12 | Meeting with the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) President Ilker Ayci ABFT Board Members and member company representatives held a meeting with ISPAT President Ilker Ayci, Principal Advisor Hasan Pehlivan and Project Director Mustafa Ilbeyli at Malta Kosku for a discussion on strengthening the business and investment climate in Turkey. Following Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu, ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey General Manager and Board Member’s presentation on ABFT’s “Business and Investment Environment in Turkey 2013” research, the meeting continued with a Q&A session among the participants. May 20 | Turkey Investment Summit 2014 The Turkey Investment Summit 2014 was held at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski with the keynote speakers of Minister of Finance Mehmet Simsek, Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci, and Undersecretary of Ministry of Treasury Ibrahim Canakci. Along with ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO and Board Member Serra Akcaoglu, executives of ABFT member firms attended the event as Summit speakers, briefing an audience of investors, asset managers, industry leaders and policy makers on Turkey’s business climate and investment opportunities. AmCham Turkey/ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu and ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended the event.
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Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report May 20 | Meeting with Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (AIFD) AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a meeting with AIFD’s Investment Policy Director during which the parties discussed areas of potential collaboration beneficial for both sides particularly on healthcare industry related efforts. May 27 | Meeting with Maltepe University Maltepe University Faculty of Arts Professor Jack Bowman held a meeting with ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan for discussion of potential cooperation areas among the institutions and collaboration opportunities. June 4 | Dinner with MeadWestvaco (MWV) and Cohen Group Representatives John Luke, MeadWestvaco Chairman and CEO and Dr. Todd Fister, MWV Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development along with the Cohen Group Vice Chairman Marc Grossman and Vice President Ingrid Henick held a meeting with Michael Lally, U.S. Commercial Service Commercial Counselor and members of ABFT Board for a discussion on the business and investment environment and opportunities in Turkey. June 5 | Farewell Luncheon for the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone attended a farewell luncheon hosted by Foreign Relations Economic Board (DEIK) with the participation of representatives from DEIK and ABFT at Intercontinental Istanbul.
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June 9 | University of Utah Huntsman Business School’s Visit 21 undergraduate students from the University of Utah visited ABFT office and held discussions with AES Turkey Business Development Manager Mr. Ekin Niksarli on the business and investment climate in Turkey. June 11 | Roundtable Discussion with Coca Cola Director of Public Affairs & Diplomatic Relations Turkish Coalition of America’s roundtable discussion with Missy Owens, Director of Public Affairs and Diplomatic Relations at Coca Cola featured a discussion on the American political system and importance of Turkish subsidiaries in the U.S. to be in touch with the elected officials. ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended the event. June 12 | Attendance to “Ideals & Realities Summit” AmCham Turkey/ABFT attended the Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID)’s “Ideals & Realities Summit” at Bilgi University for discussions on business ethics, transparency, competition policy and integrity risks management. June 17 | “Intellectual Property Rights and Investment Environment in Turkey” Panel AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Committee organized a Panel at TOBB for a discussion of the critical role and impact of IPR on the business and investment environment in Turkey. Moderated by Ugur Yalciner, Turkish Patent Institute Founder and General Manager of Yalciner Consulting, Panelists included Arda Ermut, Vice President at ISPAT, Salih Bektas, Turkish Patent Institute Head of Patent Department, Daniel R. Matthews, ABFT Board Member and Baker & McKenzie Managing Partner, Nazli Korkut, AIPPI Turkey President, Dr. Hamdi Yasaman, Galatasaray University Professor of Commercial Law, and Ugur Colak, Istanbul 4th Civil Court of Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights Judge. 120+ people attended the event. June 17 | Meeting with International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Turkey AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with ICC Turkey Secretary General Yeliz Geris at TOBB. The parties discussed areas of potential collaboration beneficial for both sides.
June 17 | Meeting with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Representatives ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Sarp Kalkan, Adviser to the TOBB President and Gizem Simer, Assistant Expert for a discussion on potential collaboration among the organizations. June 18 | Participation to “Iowa Commerce Seminar” Miya GGD organized a seminar for business and investment opportunities for Turkish firms in Iowa, USA featuring representatives from the U.S. Commercial Service in Turkey, Iowa Minister of Agriculture, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, and leading legal and advisory firm representatives based in Iowa. ABFT attended this event.
Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report
June 20 | Microsoft Turkey NGO Day Microsoft organized an “NGO day” at its premises for discussions of NGOs’ best utilization of efficient technologies in their daily operations. Civil society organizations including AmCham Turkey/ABFT attended the event. June 25 | AlumniTurk & AmCham Turkey/ABFT Summer Drinks & Networking Event AmCham Turkey/ABFT, with AlumniTurk, organized a networking event at Conrad Istanbul to welcome the summer with the attendance of U.S. Consul General Charles F. Hunter as the keynote speaker. 150 people attended the event. July 2 | Attendance at the 4th of July Reception The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul hosted a 4th of July Reception on the evening of July 2nd at its Istinye premises to mark the 238th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The cocktail reception featured the remarks of U.S. Consul General Charles F. Hunter and Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone. July 3 | Meeting with Turkish Coalition of America AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Basak Kizildemir, the Vice President of Turkish Coalition of America for discussion of potential collaboration areas beneficial for both sides. July 8 | Meeting with Nike Representatives Nike’s Public Affairs Director Ms. Emma Basker and Nike Consultant and Fipra Turkey Managing Partner Ms. Ayse Beyazit Aricioglu held a meeting with ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan for a discussion on active cooperation opportunities among the organizations in the future. July 10 | Meeting with Junior Achievement (JA) AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Mr. Engur Rutkay, the CEO of Junior Achievement (JA) for a discussion of areas of collaboration and joint events’ planning in the future. July 10 | Meeting with the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey (BCCT) AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Ms. Farah Farazad, BCCT Senior Advisory Board Member to discuss cooperation opportunities and brainstorming on joint events planning. July 17 | Meeting with Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (èTO) AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Omer Bal, Secretary General of ITO for exchanging updates on the activities of the organizations and discussion of potential collaboration areas. July 17 | Luncheon with Khush Choksy, Vice President for Turkey and Middle East Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce AmCham Turkey/ABFT organized a luncheon on the occasion of Khush Choksy’s, Vice President for Turkey and Middle East Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Turkey visit. Mr.Choksy delivered his keynote speech on “Updates on Turkey – U.S. Business Relations” to ABFT member company representatives and members of the ABFT Board.
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Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report August 22 | Meeting with International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) ABFT held a meeting with Nazli Korkut, AIPPI Turkey President and Dilek Ustun Ekdial, AIPPI Board Member and Attorney for discussion on areas of potential collaboration within the context of ABFT’s IPR Committee efforts. September 2-5 | Attendance at Internet Governance Forum (IGF) AmCham Turkey/ABFT and its ICT Committee members participated to the 9th Annual IGF meeting entitled “Connecting Continents for Enhanced Multistakeholder Internet Governance” held at Lutfi Kirdar Convention Center. September 3 | Breakfast with Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh, Group President Europe Operations, P&G AmCham Turkey/ABFT members of the Board of Directors held a breakfast with Mary Lynn Ferguson-McHugh, Group President Europe of P&G at Swissotel for a discussion on “Turkey’s Potential for Growth in the Next Decade.” September 5 | AmCham Turkey/ABFT New Office Opening Reception AmCham Turkey/ABFT held its new office opening reception with the participation of the U.S. Consulate General Charles F. Hunter and ABFT member company representatives. 40+ members attended the event.
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September 10 | GE Turkey & ABFT Global Innovation Barometer Panel AmCham Turkey/ABFT jointly organized a Panel with GE Turkey at Ciragan Kempinski on the occasion of GE Global Innovation Barometer 2014 findings’ announcement for Turkey. Following Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu, ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO and Board Member’s opening remarks, GE Turkey President and CEO and ABFT Board member Canan Ozsoy presented the barometer results for Turkey. September 18 - 19 | Attendance at ESBAS’ TTIP Conference AmCham Turkey/ABFT supported and attended its member firm ESBAS’ conference on “New Era for Turkey-USA-EU Perspective: TTIP Opportunities & Risks” held in Izmir. Following the opening remarks of Nihat Zeybekci, Republic of Turkey Minister of Economy, various Panels took place which focused on Turkey’s prospects for being included to TTIP and the general parameters of the TTIP framework. September 23 | Luncheon & Workshop with Mark Catchlove, Insight Group Director of Herman Miller AmCham Turkey/ABFT and its member firm BMS/Herman Miller jointly organized a luncheon and workshop session with Mark Catchlove, the Insight Group Director of Herman Miller, EMEA region at Hilton Harbiye. The luncheon entitled “The Living Office” was followed by a workshop session in the evening on the topics of the tools and technologies that enable work in the office, and the diverse atmospheres that people come together to do work. September 30 | AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s 10th Anniversary Gala AmCham Turkey/ABFT celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a Gala held at the Ritz Carlton Istanbul with the attendance of Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce as the guest of honor. The U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Turkey Ross Wilson, Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) President Ilker Ayci, the CEOs from the President’s Export Council Members including Boeing, Carpenter & Company, eBay, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Marriott International, Pfizer, Vermeer and Xerox, the CEO and Board Member of Citibank Turkey and Chairwoman of ABFT Serra Akcaoglu and other Board members attended the Gala. The Gala assembled 350 guests including senior level bureaucrats and sector professionals in the political and business worlds from both sides of the Atlantic. Throughout the night, keynote speeches by honored guests mentioned the economic and political relations between Turkey and the U.S. while updating the guests on the current economic developments among the countries. The press release of the event can be found at www.amchamturkey.org.
October 8-11 | AmChams in Europe Best Practices Conference in Slovakia The AmChams in Europe Annual Best Practice Conference 2014 took place in Bratislava, Slovakia with the attendance of 33 AmChams across Europe for a series of informative best practices sessions and luncheons with government and business leaders. AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended the event. October 16 | Meeting with Syracuse University Ms. Shri Ramakrishnan, Assistant Director of Graduate Recruitment at Martin J. Whitman School of Management of Syracuse University held a meeting with ABFT for discussion on potential cooperation areas among the institutions.
Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report
October 20 | Meeting with Philip Kosnett, Director at Office of Southeast European Affairs from U.S. State Department AmCham Turkey/ABFT organized a meeting with Philip Kosnett, Director at Office of Southeast European Affairs from U.S. State Department at the ABFT office. Along with Patrick Hanish, U.S. Consulate General Economic Chief, ABFT member company representatives attended the meeting for a discussion on ease of doing business in Turkey. October 22 | Back 2 Business Joint International Networking Event The Back2Business event series continued with an event at Is Bankasi Headquarters in Levent featuring guest speaker Mr. Roger Harrop. The event brought together the members and representatives of the key international Chambers in Turkey including AmCham Turkey/ABFT, diplomatic missions, and international and local businesses. October 30 | Meeting with Vince Mikolay, Governor’s Office of Economic Development from the State of Utah Mr. Vince Mikolay, Managing Director at Governor’s Office of Economic Development State of Utah, held a meeting with ABFT for a discussion on how Turkey and Utah can exchange information in areas of business and investment. October 30 | Attendance to TRACE International – TEID Joint Panel AmCham Turkey/ABFT participated to TRACE International and Ethics and Reputation Society in Turkey (TEID)’s Panel organized on the topic of ethics and compliance expectations of international companies operating in Turkey. November 3 | AmCham Turkey/ABFT’s Women Leadership Network (WLN) Project Preparatory Meeting Ms. Elif Demircan, AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director, Ms. Halide Aydinlik, ABFT Board member and DuPont Turkey Country Manager, Ms. Filiz Akdede, HP Turkey PPS Country Manager & Services and Accessories Area Category Manager and Ms. Mine Ozturk, Baxter International Turkey General Manager held a meeting to discuss AmCham’s new initiative “Women Leadership Network”. November 5 | Dinner with GE Regional President & CEO Nabil Habayeb AmCham Turkey/ABFT organized a dinner at Hilton Bomonti on the occasion of the Turkey visit of Nabil Habayeb, President and CEO at GE Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. Following Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu, ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO and Board Member’s opening remarks, Mr. Habayeb delivered his keynote speech on “Turkey: A Regional Hub and Rising Economic Actor within the Region.” November 7 | Meeting with the new U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey John Bass paid a visit to the ABFT office and held a meeting with ABFT members of the Board of Directors. Following the opening remarks of ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO and Board Member Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu, the meeting continued with a general discussion of ABFT’s role and impact on the bilateral economic and trade relations between Turkey and the U.S. November 11-12 | ABFT’s Ankara Meetings On the dates of November 11-12th, AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan conducted numerous governmental visits in Ankara for the general objective of introducing ABFT activities and 2015 plans.
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Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report November 14 | Attendance to GE Turkey’s “Future of Work” Event AmCham Turkey/ABFT participated in GE Turkey’s “Future of Work” conference held at Wyndam Grand for discussions on the issues of new industrial trends and opportunities for more economic growth and greater efficiency. November 17 | ICT & Innovation Policy in Turkey Roundtable with U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Turkey Business Council, in cooperation with ABFT, organized a luncheon at Marriott Sisli. Moderated by Khush Choksy, Vice President for Turkey and Middle East Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and co-led by Mr. Umit Cinali, ABFT’s ICT Committee Chair, the luncheon focused on a discussion of business challenges and opportunities of US companies in Turkey operating in ICT and financial services industries. November 18 | Dinner with Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President & Head of International Affairs at U.S. Chamber of Commerce AmCham Turkey/ABFT held a dinner honoring Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President & Head of International Affairs at U.S. Chamber of Commerce at Marriott Hotel Sisli. Following Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu, ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO and Board Member’s opening remarks, Mr. Brilliant delivered his keynote speech on “Expanding Turkey’s Commerce with the U.S. and the Middle East Region.”
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November 19-20 | Attendance to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s MECC Technology Forum The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Middle East Commercial Center (MECC) held its Technology Forum at Marriott Sisli, launching the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Venture Network to further strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship within the region. ABFT attended the forum as an active member of the MECC framework. November 20 | Attendance to Atlantic Council Energy & Economic Summit ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended the Atlantic Council’s 6th Energy & Economic Summit held at the Grand Tarabya with the participation of distinguished speakers including Joe Biden, U.S. Vice President, Ernest Moiz, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Ali Babacan, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, and Taner YÈldÈz, Minister of Energy. November 26 | “3rd Annual PPP Forum: Unlocking the Potential in Emerging Europe” AmCham Turkey/ABFT supported and attended the “3rd Annual PPP Forum” held in Ankara organized around the main theme of PPP opportunities and challenges in Turkey with special focus on healthcare, transportation, and energy infrastructures. November 27 | “Public Procurement Law & Implementation” Seminar AmCham Turkey/ABFT organized “Public Procurement Law and Implementation” seminar at its member firm EY’s premises with the attendance of 20+ ABFT member company representatives. Following Mustafa Cagatay Tasyurek from Public Procurement Authority’s presentation, an interactive Q&A session took place. December 2 | Meeting with TUSIAD AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan held a meeting with Mr. Tamer Sen, Senior Head of Global Economic Relations Department and Ms. Hale Onursal, Deputy Secretary General, External Relations at TUSIAD for discussion on potential areas of collaboration particularly within the context of Turkey’s B20 activities. December 4 | Breakfast with Guenther Juenger, Corporate Affairs Director for Intel Europe, Middle East, and Africa AmCham Turkey/ABFT, in cooperation with its member Intel, organized a breakfast program at the Edition Hotel on the occasion of Mr. Guenther Juenger, Corporate Affairs Director for Intel Europe, Middle East, and Africa’s visit to Turkey. Following Mr. Juenger’s keynote speech on “How Can Corporate and Government Affairs Support Brand and Reputation?” an interactive Q&A session among the participants took place.
December 5 | 1-on-1 Meetings with U.S. Embassy Representatives AmCham Turkey/ABFT, in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service in Istanbul, organized a “1-on-1” meetings event among its members and U.S. Embassy representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at Le Méridien Istanbul. Representatives from Axalta Coatings, Apex CoVantage, Dow Chemicals, ELS, Foster Wheeler, Goodyear, HMT Tank, Honeywell, P&G and Tricon attended the meetings.
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AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report
December 8 – 9 | Attendance to U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s MECC Leadership Forum AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Middle East Commercial Center’s Leadership Forum held in Washington D.C. The U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivered his remarks on the importance of MECC initiative in strengthening the business climate in the region to an audience of high-level government and business representatives, and leaders of prominent civil society organizations. December 11 | Attendance to Cisco Systems Luncheon & Cisco Connect Event AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director Ms. Elif Demircan attended the “CIO Connect” luncheon organized by Cisco Global Chairman Gary Moore on the occasion to celebrate Cisco’s 30th year anniversary followed by a full-day Cisco Connect program at Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar Congress Center for discussions on innovative technology trends. December 11 | Meeting with Honeywell Global Representatives AmCham Turkey/ABFT Board member and Baker & McKenzie Managing Partner Mr. Daniel R. Matthews gave a presentation on the business and investment environment in Turkey to a senior delegation of Honeywell’s main branch, Scanning & Mobility that featured John Waldron, President of Honeywell Imaging and Mobility, Inc, Ian Snadden, Vice President and General Manager for the Americas, and Tony Colucci Vice President and CFO. December 12 | Attendance to YASED’s R&D Conference AmCham Turkey/ABFT attended YASED’s conference on “Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Sector on the Road to 2023” in Ankara during which “A Proposed Program for Achieving an Outranking Turkish R&D Ecosystem” report was introduced and the results were shared with the public. December 15 | Attendance to Business 20 (B20) Turkey Inaugural Conference AmCham Turkey/ABFT member company representatives and members of the ABFT Board of Directors attended the kick-off meeting of the B20 Turkey held at the Four Seasons Bosporus Istanbul. Following the opening remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, the program continued with panel sessions and presentations of taskforces. December 17 | Meeting with AGU Rector Ms. Elif Demircan, AmCham Turkey/ABFT Executive Director, Halide Aydinlik, ABFT Board Member and DuPont Turkey Country Manager and Mine Öztürk, Baxter International’s Turkey General Manager held a meeting with Ihsan Sabuncuoglu, the Rector of Abdullah Gul University for a discussion on potential cooperation areas. December 18 | New Year Reception AmCham Turkey/ABFT organized a New Year Reception with its members for the celebration of the coming New Year at the U.S. Consul General’s Residence in Istanbul. The Reception kick started with the opening speech of Charles F. Hunter, U.S. Consul General followed by ABFT Chairwoman and Citibank Turkey CEO and Board Member Mrs. Serra Akcaoglu’s remarks on the achievements of ABFT during 2014 and sharing updates about ABFT’s strategy and planning for the year 2015. 55+ members attended the Reception. December 22 | Meeting with the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT) AmCham Turkey/ABFT and its member company representatives including Ozge Ayoz, P&G Associate Director and Associate General Counsel, Nevnihal Ciftci, Citibank Turkey Corporate Affairs Director, and Aysem Isil Sargin, GE Turkey Government Affairs and Policy Director held a meeting with Ahmet Burak Daglioglu and Ali Bengu, Project Directors at ISPAT.
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AmCham Turkey/ABFT 2014 Activity Report Year in Review
AmCham Turkey/ABFT Committees
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Corporate Social Responsibility Committee: The kick off meeting of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee was held on October 14th at the ABFT office. Following a collective brainstorming session on the Committee’s general aims and objectives, members discussed priority working areas of the Committee as well as its activities for the year 2015. Ethics & Compliance Committee: During the year 2014, the Ethics & Compliance Committee had a total of 8 meetings. Based on the overall aims of the Committee, the meetings focused on sharing and discussing Committee members’ research and analyses, collective brainstorming on areas of cooperation with relevant stakeholders such as Ethics and Reputation Society in Turkey (TEID) and TRACE International. Meetings also encompassed detailed discussions on the organizational details of the Committee’s Panel entitled “Ethics & Compliance for Sustainable Economic Development and Investment Environment in Turkey” to take place on February 20, 2015 at Conrad Istanbul. As part of its mission to exchange best practices and information sharing with the key stakeholders, the Committee organized two internal meetings with the attendance of special guests, including TRACE International President Ms. Alexandra Wrage on April 9th and Chadbourne & Parke Global Partner Mr. Keith Rosen on October 24th, respectively. Healthcare Committee: The Healthcare Committee held 5 meetings (January 24th, March 14th, April 7th, November 7th, and December 17th) in the year 2014. The meetings featured collective brainstorming sessions on the overall strategy and action plans of the Committee for the year 2014 and 2015. Members also discussed the healthcare industry items of the newly announced Development Plans and Economic Transformation programs of Turkey followed by detailing the Committee’s yearly activity planning including industry roundtables, monthly luncheons, and roadshows. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Committee: Following the kick-off meeting of the ICT Committee on June 26th, the Committee held its meetings on the dates of August 28th, November 6th, and December 18th. The meetings featured collective brainstorming sessions around the identification of key working areas and determination of a roadmap for future activities with discussions on the preliminary roadmaps, objectives and strategies of the its sub groups in the areas of e-commerce/payment systems, workforce and talent, and digital transformation and R&D. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Committee: The IPR Committee held its meetings on February 28th and April 14th. The meetings featured discussions around the organizational details of its “Intellectual Property Rights Protection and Investment Environment in Turkey” Panel successfully held on June 2014 at TOBB in Ankara. Another meeting was held on July 22nd during which members collectively brainstormed on the Committee’s 2015 yearly activities including the launch of a white paper that elaborates the linkage between a strengthened IPR environment in Turkey and the attraction of more foreign direct investment, industry roundtables with key public authorities in Turkey, a survey that depicts the challenges and opportunities for American companies in the area of IPR, and organization of another Panel in Istanbul. Public Affairs Committee: The Public Affairs Committee which works to determine a master plan for all ABFT committees in their Ankara engagement strategies held its meeting on September 2nd. Following the general evaluation of the Committee’s previous meeting outcomes, members discussed and brainstormed on the positioning of ABFT among other business associations in Turkey and its engagement and communication strategies with Ankara. The media and communication group, formed as a sub-group under the framework of Public Affairs Committee, also held its meeting on December 22nd with a discussion of ABFT’s general communications and media planning in 2015.
AUTOMOTIVE/TRANSPORTATION Ford Goodyear Hertz INDUSTRIES 3M Amec Foster Wheeler Bimaü Axalta Coating Systems Boeing International Borusan Makina Crown Bevcan DuPont ESBAS General Electric Honeywell Lockheed Martin McCormick Kütaü Miyamoto International Sikorsky FIGES Engineering The Dow Chemical Company BANKING/FINANCIAL SERVICES/ INSURANCE AIG Citibank Dubai Starr Sigorta Liberty Sigorta Marsh Bank of America Merrill Lynch MetLife Wells Fargo Bank Ulusal Faktoring IT TECHNOLOGIES/E-COMMERCE Apple Brightstar Cisco Systems eBay HP IBM Intel Microsoft PayPal Qualcomm Telcotank Xerox CONSUMER GOODS & SERVICES Amway Cargill Coca Cola Estee Lauder Kimberly Clark Mondelez International Nike PepsiCo Philip Morris / Sabanc× P&G DELIVERY SERVICES Brink’s CHEP UPS EDUCATION ELS Educational Services ETS Global Istanbul Bilgi University Laurate Wall Street English
ENERGY / OIL & GAS Aladdin Middle East BP ENGINEERING / CONSTRUCTION / PROPERTY City’s Property Development Corp. Cushman & Wakefield Jones Lang LaSalle Kolin Opalit Stearns International Tishman Speyer Turner International HEALTHCARE Amgen Baxter International Beckman Coulter Bristol Myers Squibb Boston Scientific Celgene Forever Living Herbalife Janssen Johnson & Johnson Lilly Medtronic Pfizer Sandoz SC Johnson Smith & Nephew HOME APPLIANCES / FURNITURE BMS - Herman Miller Steelcase HOSPITALITY / ENTERTAINMENT/ F&B SERVICES Conrad Grand Hyatt Istanbul Hilton Worldwide Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel Istanbul Marriott Hotel Sisli Yum! Brands NGOs Junior Achievement Make-A-Wish Foundation PROFESSIONAL / LEGAL / CONSULTANCY SERVICES Baker & McKenzie BTS & Partners Chadbourne & Parke Curtis Mallet—Prevost Colt & Mosle LLP Deloitte. EY Hay Group Herrick, Feinstein LLP Kinstellar Korn & Ferry International KPMG Locke Lord Edwards Moroùlu Arseven Pera International PwC Serap Zuvin Law Offices Spencer Stuart TBWA Istanbul The Nielsen Company
AmCham Members
AmCham Members by Industry
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Notes
Notes
“We are the strong voice of American business in Turkey”
AmCham Turkey welcomes new members and all types of contributions to its activities. If you are interested in becoming an AmCham Turkey/ABFT member, please contact us.
American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT) American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey Büyükdere Cad. No. 201 Levent Loft A55 Levent - èstanbul Tel: +90 212 2433511 Fax:+90 212 2433517 E-Mail: info@amchamturkey.org www.amchamturkey.org
American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT) American Chamber of Commerce in Turkey Büyükdere Cad. No. 201 Levent Loft A55 Levent - èstanbul Tel: +90 212 2433511 Fax:+90 212 2433517 E-Mail: info@amchamturkey.org www.amchamturkey.org