Ali Ülker, who has served as Chair of the Board of Directors at Yıldız Holding since February 2020, has handed over the role to Mehmet Tütüncü, Vice Chair and CEO of Yıldız Holding.

At its latest meeting, Yıldız Holding’s Board of Directors appointed Mehmet Tütüncü as Chair. Having served as Vice Chair and CEO at Yıldız Holding since 2018, Mehmet Tütüncü succeeds Ali Ülker, who has held the role of Chair since 2020. The appointment was announced on April 28 through the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) and shared with all shareholders and stakeholders via Yıldız Holding’s publicly traded companies, including Ülker Bisküvi, Kerevitaş, ŞOK Marketler, Bizim Toptan, Gözde Girişim, Makina Takım, and Penta Teknoloji.

Ali Ülker: We have taken significant steps to carry the values of our companies into the future.

In a farewell message to Yıldız Holding employees, Ali Ülker shared the following remarks: As of February 2020, I had the honor of taking on the role of Chair of the Board. Today, five years later, I feel truly grateful and proud to have walked this journey together with you as part of the Yıldız (Shining Star) family.

In the very early weeks of my tenure, we faced significant challenges, including a global pandemic, the responsibility of managing Türkiye’s largest syndication, and the collective efforts to recover from a devastating earthquake. Together, we navigated these difficult times with resilience and unity.

Throughout this journey, we worked hand in hand to strengthen the valuable legacy entrusted to us by our predecessors and to carry it forward with even greater determination. We took important steps to advance the values and operating models of our companies toward a more sustainable future. Over the years, we have witnessed how perseverance, collaboration, and solidarity made us stronger.

I sincerely thank each and every one of you for allowing me to be part of these achievements and for sharing every moment of this journey with me.

Having started my career at the age of 15 during summer breaks, I have now completed over 40 years in professional life. With the awareness that institutions endure while individuals are temporary, I have decided to step down from the Chair at the conclusion of my fifth year.

On this occasion, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Murat Ülker for entrusting me with this honorable responsibility, to the esteemed members of the Board, and to all my valued colleagues for their unwavering support.

It will always be a pleasure to follow the continued success of the Shining Stars. I wholeheartedly believe that the story we wrote together will continue to grow and that your contributions to humanity will remain a source of inspiration and pride.

Murat Ülker: We will continue to benefit from Ali Ülker’s expertise.

Murat Ülker also expressed his gratitude to Ali Ülker for his leadership during challenging times and his efforts to carry Yıldız Holding into the future, sharing his thoughts as follows:

“Ali Ülker assumed significant responsibility in maintaining the financial stability of Yıldız Holding and its companies during challenging periods, such as the pandemic and the February 2023 earthquakes. Over the past five years, by focusing on the snack and retail sectors, he made critical decisions that accelerated the growth strategies of Yıldız Holding and its companies. I would like to sincerely thank Ali Ülker for his valuable contributions to Yıldız Holding and wish Mehmet Tütüncü success in this new chapter. And I am confident that, although Ali Ülker plans to devote more time to his personal interests going forward, we will continue to benefit from his expertise around the world in the years to come.”