Nurtaç Afridi, the CEO of the Yıldız Holding company GODIVA, has been appointed as a Member of the Board at Yıldız Holding.

The inclusion of Afridi, who has assumed various high-level roles within the Holding and its affiliates, on the Board is a significant outcome of the Holding’s approach to equal opportunities and inclusion. 

Nurtaç Ziyal Afridi, Global CEO of GODIVA, has assumed the role of Yıldız Holding Board Member. Enabling Nurtaç Ziyal Afridi to carry the experience and know-how she has gained within Yıldız Holding over the years to the Board level, this appointment represents a significant outcome of the Holding’s approach to equal opportunities and inclusion. 

Having played a key role in the acquisition processes of iconic brands such as GODIVA in 2008 and McVitie’s, Carr’s, Jacobs, and BN (United Biscuits) in 2014, Nurtaç Ziyal Afridi continued to lead the Holding’s global presence as the Global CEO of GODIVA. After her implementation of a rapid transformation in order to meet consumer expectations in GODIVA, she enabled the company to achieve its most profitable growth in over a decade.  Maintaining the rich, exquisite taste and iconic heritage associated with the GODIVA brand, she managed to make the company’s premium quality chocolates more accessible.

Ali Ülker: “I believe that Nurtaç Afridi will serve as a very significant role model as part of equal opportunities.” 

About Nurtaç Afridi’s appointment as a Yıldız Holding Board Member, the Holding’s Chair Ali Ülker, said: “Personally, I find Nurtaç Ziyal Afridi’s appointment as Yıldız Holding Board Member very valuable in terms of the representation of women in our Holding, as well as her in-depth business expertise and successful management career. As is known, cultural richness, inclusion and equal opportunities stand out among the global values of Yıldız Holding. Nurtaç Ziyal Afridi’s long-standing success within our Holding is an indication of our commitment to the ideals of inclusivity and equal opportunity.”

Making substantial efforts toward enhancing women’s representation and reinforcing equal opportunities in the business world, particularly through its Yıldız Holding Women’s Platform, Yıldız Holding increased the rate of its female employees to 40.3 percent as of the end of 2021. Approximately 20 percent of the boards of the Holding’s companies across the world consist of women. 

About Nurtaç Ziyal

Afridi Nurtaç Ziyal Afridi, the new Board Member of Yıldız Holding, serves as the global CEO of GODIVA. Afridi, who was named the global CEO of GODIVA in December 2020, is also a Board Member in GODIVA. In this role, she has been heading the transformation of GODIVA’s business, making the company’s premium-quality chocolates more accessible while maintaining the rich, exquisite taste and iconic heritage associated with the GODIVA brand. Afridi is leading all elements of the GODIVA transformation including extending distribution channels, driving product innovation, expanding marketing and licensing, creating an integrated supply chain and empowering the employees of GODIVA. Afridi was a key member of the team that transformed Yıldız Holding into a global snacking group with more than 300 brands available in more than 120 countries. In addition to her operational experience, she also managed the acquisition processes of iconic brands such as GODIVA in 2008 and McVitie’s, Carr’s, Jacobs, and BN (United Biscuits) in 2014. The acquisitions made in 2014 resulted in the establishment of Pladis, the third leading biscuits company in the world today. Afridi also managed GODIVA’s licensing deals in Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, Afridi led the acquisition and initial public offering processes of ŞOK Marketler, Turkey’s second largest retail discount market, and Bizim Toptan, Turkey’s leading retail discount market. Afridi worked as an executive at global companies including Accenture and Arthur Andersen&Co before she joined Yıldız Holding. She is currently working in New York.