Dr. Ragıp Nebil İlseven
CEO
Doğan Şirketler Grubu Holding A.Ş.

Please tell us about your education, skills and experience that eventually brought you to Dogan Holding. Where and in what capacity did you work before joining the group?

I have spent a good part of my career in a variety of fields, mainly in corporate finance and investment banking areas, related to strategic planning and application. As such, I believe to have developed significant insight and experience in investment activities and operations in different areas. My responsibilities in these fields gave me the opportunities to realize efficient and solution-oriented attitudes in business and also allowed me to acquire new directions. In particular, my business experience has taken shape with international strategic research, international underwriting, international banking and finance, institutional financing and institutional structuring activities in the media, investment banking, restructuring efforts in banking and, finally, the assignment and management of daily activities and development of strategic attitudes in project development and financing in retail.

How will you steer Doğan Holding?

First of all, I would like to note that it is an unrealistic proposition to expect one person to “steer” large-scale institutions like Doğan Holding which command a certain magnitude in quality and quantity. Keeping this in mind, I can say that the Holding currently operates on a clearly defined strategic focus as an investment planning and management institution with both local and regional objectives. If I can make the necessary professional contributions to better achievement of these objectives, I shall consider myself having succeeded in my efforts as the coordinator of the Group.

In the light of 2007 expectations about Turkey, what are Doğan Holding strategies and plans?

The year 2007 bears critical developments in Turkey and in particular in the region. In fact, it will not be wrong to assume that extensions and results of these developments will continue to be felt in the years to come. In this critical and uncertain timeframe, Doğan Holding shall strengthen its position of leadership in its traditional business areas as well as in cutting-edge industries in related fields. Looking forward, the dynamic investment stance of the Group in developing areas of retail-driven investments shall provide Doğan Holding with a sound and confident market position in the markets of its operations.

Like the other dynamics of business life, essentials of leadership also change. Can we hear about your perception of leadership?

As in every field of life, in order to maintain a sustainable activity level in business, we have to have two critical ground rules; one is the availability of clearly determined objectives; the other is the utilization of resources and capabilities to attain these goals. We know that no institutional accomplishment is dependent on a single person. Then what is the place and role of the leader in institutional development? In which part of the process does the leader become a determining factor? Leaders are not actors in stable times, calm waters. Only a few number of people would display the central qualities of leadership in times of distress when uncertainty is at the highest level, where the need rises for the unexpected to be identified, the vague to be clarified. Leaders become operative at cross-sections of history, at given points of otherwise existing procedures to determine the direction and the substance of the next phase or phase of development… while, processes and procedures that follow such moments of decisions are carried out by the staff, a given cadre of professional people who interpret, execute and follow-up these decisions. Such are my personal observations on and understanding of leadership in general.

Do you have a message for investors?

A decision, even a raw one, is much better than going back and forth between ideas and suggestions with the hopes of achieving better results. It is important to make a decision, to take a position even when this decision may well be one NOT to take a position.

Do you think the business medium in Turkey is sensitive to social issues? Do you take active part in NGOs?

We see more developments on this issue each year based on the positive attitude and sensitivity displayed by business owners and decision makers along with developments in the level of education and appreciation of business owners of their extended environment and with ever advancing communication technologies in the world. I, myself, also take part in the activities of these associations and foundations and try to make a contribution to their works professionally and academically.

You completed your PhD last year. You are a member of faculty at a university. As a businessman who has close relationships with academia, what would your suggestions be for students to get ready for the business world?

Besides being open to new ideas, they should be certain and bold about their convictions; to do this, they should research, read and debate tirelessly their ideas with people they share common interests with.

How does Nebil İlseven spend his leisure time? Can we learn about your interests?

I used to have more time to spare for sports and music during my leisure times in the past; however, it is getting increasingly more difficult to do that nowadays. Instead, I try to make more time available for traveling, reading and sometimes endlessly long yet never sufficient discussions with friends on every which topic that relate to life around us.