Born in 1964 in Istanbul, Zeynep Bodur Okyay graduated from the Italian High School in 1985 and earned a degree in management engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 1989. She attended Harvard University between 1990 and 1992 and earned a graduate degree in management. From 1992 to 1993, she worked in various roles in production units as a management trainee at the Çanakkale Ceramic Factories in Çan, Çanakkale. In 1995, she was appointed as an Executive Board Member and President of Kale Group’s Marketing Companies. Since July 2007, she has been serving as Kale Group’s President and CEO.Zeynep Bodur Okyay actively serves on the board of many non-governmental organizations. Zeynep Bodur Okyay, who has served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Global Relations Forum, Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), Chairperson of the DEİK Italy Business Council, Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce Association, Member of the Turkish Industrialists and Business People Association (TÜSİAD), Member of the Make an Influence Advisory Board, and Member of the Advisory Board of the United Nations Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development, assumed the Presidency of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry Assembly for two consecutive terms between 2013 and 2022. Zeynep Bodur Okyay was appointed to the Presidency of the C20 (Civil Society) Steering Committee during Türkiye’s G20 Term Presidency in 2015. Involved in the B20 (Business World) International Advocacy Group under the G20 Italian Term Presidency in 2021, Okyay is serving on the “Women in Business Action” Council as Co-Chair under the G20 Indonesia Term Presidency in 2022. She is currently co-chairing the Working Group on Jobs, Talent and Mobility for the G20 under the presidency of IndiaZeynep Bodur Okyay supported the establishment of a Turkish Language Chair at Harvard University with her efforts in the Harvard Alumni Group, of which she is one of the co-founders. In 2006, Zeynep Bodur Okyay was awarded the title “Cavaliere del Lavoro” for her contributions and services to Turkish-Italian relations. In 2014, she was awarded the official order of merit “Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana”. In 2010, Okyay received the Franco Nobili Award given within the scope of “Türkiye in Europe” for her contributions to relations between Türkiye and the European Union states. In the same year, Zeynep Bodur Okyay was granted the Outstanding Service Award by the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Zeynep Bodur Okyay, who supports many pioneering projects within the Kale Group to contribute to Türkiye’s education, design, art, local development, and social entrepreneurship ecosystem, is also President of the Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Healthcare and Social Assistance Foundation. Zeynep Bodur Okyay speaks fluent Italian and English. She is married to Osman Okyay, Vice-President and President of the Technical Division of the Kale Group of Companies, and is a mother of one child.
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