Building on the philanthropic tradition of their family, Esas Sosyal (Esas Social) was established in April 2015 by the founders of Esas Holding to professionally manage their social investments.
The initial area of investment for Esas Sosyal is youth employment, an issue of most importance in Turkey. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute 2019, 36% of youth with university diplomas are unemployed. Extensive research conducted by Esas Sosyal indicates that the main reason for this is lack of experience and reference. Youth who graduate from ‘lesser known’ universities are especially vulnerable due to lack of equal opportunities for employment.
Taking this into consideration, Esas Sosyal developed a program strategy with three components, to support school to work transition for new graduates: Research, Joint Projects and the First Chance program.
The First Chance program was developed to support youth in their process of transitioning from school to work, especially for new university graduates from lesser-known universities. Since the program launch in 2016, 60 youth were selected to work full time in 21 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for 12 months. All salary costs are covered by Esas Sosyal, and participation includes professional training and mentoring support throughout the year.
We are grateful for the support of private sector partners such as Kariyer.net (online job posting), Peoplise (online search and selection system) and Workinton (shared working space).
Emine S. Kamışlı was born in Adana in 1966. She received her BSc Degree in Economies of Industry and Commerce from The London School of Economics in 1987. Mrs. Kamışlı worked for Willis Corroon reassurance brokerage company in London and returned back to Turkey in 1989. She joined Aksigorta as the Director of Commerce. She had responsibilities such as the Executive Board Member of Aksigorta, Akhayat and Sabancı Holding prior to the establishment of Esas. Mrs. Kamışlı co-founded Esas Holding with Mr. Şevket Sabancı in 2000 and is currently in charge of treasury and wealth management, and management of the family office.
Painter Hayırlı Sabancı was born in Adana in 1943. For many years, she has been an active philanthropist, providing scholarships to students, supporting charities and funding the development of institutions for the delivery of basic social services. Mrs. Sabancı has played an active role in the development of Esas Social, which serves as a collective structure for the philanthropic investments of the family.
Ali Sabancı was born in Adana in 1969. After specializing in Politics and Economics at Tufts University in US, he worked for Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc. until 1993. He received his MBA degree with a major in International Finance at Columbia Business School in 1995 and then returned to Turkey. He had various duties in Akbank. In 1997, Ali Sabancı assumed the responsibility of Head of Projects in Sabancı Holding, then became the Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development in 2001. Mr. Sabancı, Chairman of Pegasus Airlines since 2005 manages Esas’ aviation investments.
After completing his undergraduate studies of Business Administration and German Language Studies at Brown University in the US, he earned his Masters degree in Finance and Banking at the City University of London Case Business School. He then worked as an investment analyst at F&C asset management company in London for 2.5 years. He currently serves as a Board Member of Esas Real Estate and has an active role in national and international investments.
Can Köseoğlu was born in London in 1985. He received his BA degree at Tufts University in Boston in 2008. After college, he joined the Esas Holding food group and worked in various group companies. In 2014 he founded his own company and is operating in the food retail sector under the Donerstop brand. He is currently the Chairman of the board of CZK Lokantacılık A.Ş.
Çağatay Özdoğru leads Esas Private Equity business and is a member of the Private Equity Investment Committees.
Prior to joining Esas in 2005, Mr. Özdoğru was the President of IT & Telecommunications Group at Sabancı Holding. Previously, he held various positions at France Telecom Group, where he last served as the Executive Vice President of the REEMEA region. He was also a member of the Global Operating Committee.
Mr. Özdoğru graduated from Istanbul Technical University with a degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering and received his M.S. degree in Telecommunications Engineering from George Washington University.
Çağatay Özdoğru served on the boards of UN Ro-Ro, Mars Cinema Group and Peyman until exit and sits on the boards of Pegasus Airlines, Mars Sportif, Korozo and Ayakkabı Dünyası.