Bülent Eczacıbaşı (, born 1949) is a Turkish businessman. Currently, he serves as chairman of the board at

Eczacıbaşı Holding Eczacıbaşı Holding is a Turkish industrial group of companies founded in 1942. The group with 44 companies has 11,400 employees and a combined net turnover of TL 11.1 billion in 2020. Group Eczacıbaşı's core sectors are building products, ...

, a prominent Turkish

conglomerate Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to: * Conglomerate (company) * Conglomerate (geology) * Conglomerate (mathematics) In popular culture: * The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes ** C ...

Background

Bülent Eczacıbaşı was born in İstanbul in 1949 to

Nejat Eczacıbaşı Mehmet Nejat Ferit Eczacıbaşı (; January 5, 1913–October 6, 1993) was a chemist, industrialist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and a second-generation member of the notable Turkish Eczacıbaşı family. He was the founder of Eczacıba ...

(1913–1993), founder of the Eczacıbaşı Group of Companies, and his wife Fatma Beyhan (née Ergene) (1923–2004) in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

. He has a younger brother Faruk, who was born in 1954. Bülent Eczacıbaşı graduated from

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a ...

after his secondary education at the

Deutsche Schule Istanbul Deutsche Schule Istanbul ( en, German School of Istanbul, shortened as DSI), with formal Turkish name Özel Alman Lisesi ( en, Private German High School) or İstanbul Alman Lisesi ( en, German High School of Istanbul) or simply Alman Lisesi ( en, ...

. He obtained his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials in ...

from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...

. After initiating his professional career in 1974 at Eczacıbaşı Holding, he held a variety of managerial positions in the Holding's subsidiaries. In 1995, he took on his current position as Chairman of Eczacıbaşı Holding. Bülent Eczacibasi is married to Oya Esener (born 1959), the daughter of Prof. Turhan Esener, who twice served as Turkey's Labour and Social Security Minister. They have a son, Nejat Emre, and a daughter, Esra, who work at Eczacıbaşı Holding. Both Bülent Eczacıbaşı and Oya Eczacıbaşı are major benefactors to the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. Oya Eczacıbaşı is Chair of the Museum's board. Bülent Eczacıbaşı has received French and Italian awards of merit, respectively the “Chevalier dans l'Ordre National de la Légiond'Honneur” and “Commendatore dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia”. He is the author of "A Rip in the Sea: New Responsibilities for Business" (2020), a book about his experiences in business and the new roles and responsibilities of business leaders. Bülent Eczacıbaşı is also an avid photographer, and in 2020, a selection of photographs he shot during his travels was published under the title "From the Road".

Civic Involvement

Bülent Eczacıbaşı has served at the senior level of prominent business associations, including TÜSIAD, the

Turkish Industry and Business Association TÜSİAD, the Turkish Industry and Business Association ( tr, Türk Sanayicileri ve İş İnsanları Derneği), is Turkey's top business organization. Founded in 1971, TÜSİAD is a voluntary, independent, non-governmental organization dedicated ...

, where he was Chairman of the Board (1991-1993) and Chairman of the High Advisory Council (1997-2001) and th
Turkish Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers Association (İEİS)
where he was Chairman of the Board (2000-2008). He continues to serve both TÜSİAD and İEİS as Honorary Chairman. He is also an Honorary Member of th
Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK)
an
Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED)
and a member of the High Advisory Council of th
Aegean Industry and Business Association
(ESİAD). Additionally, Bülent Eczacıbaşı serves on the board of several major civic organizations. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of th
Istanbul Modern Art Foundation
Chairman of the Board of Directors of th
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV)
and a member of the High Advisory Board of th
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
which he previously served as the Founding Chairman (1993-1997).

References

External links

Eczacıbaşı Holding official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eczacibasi, Bulent Deutsche Schule Istanbul alumni 1949 births Businesspeople from Istanbul Alumni of Imperial College London MIT School of Engineering alumni Turkish billionaires Bulent Museum founders Living people Turkish chief executives