Begüm Tekin

Begüm Tekin is the Co-Founder of Trendyol Group, the leading technology platform in EMEA and Turkey’s first tech decacorn. Drawing on 18 years of leadership experience in multinational companies, Begüm has been instrumental in shaping Turkey’s e-commerce landscape and spearheading Trendyol’s international expansion.

Since co-founding Trendyol in 2010, Begüm has played a pivotal role in transforming the Company from a fashion marketplace into a diversified digital ecosystem encompassing e-commerce, food and grocery delivery, and financial services. Today, Trendyol operates in 35 countries, serving over 32 million customers and empowering more than 300,000 merchants. The company has raised over $2 billion in funding, including a landmark $1.5 billion round in 2021 that valued the business at $16.5 billion. Trendyol’s investors include Princeville Capital, Alibaba, SoftBank, General Atlantic, QIA, Lunate & co-founders.

Begüm’s strategic leadership has been critical to Trendyol’s success. She has overseen end-to-end growth strategy, from market entry and positioning to scaling operations across diverse regions. Her marketing acumen has driven customer acquisition and retention at scale, leveraging data-driven insights to shape consumer engagement, brand loyalty, and merchant success. She led the establishment of Trendyol’s private fashion label, Milla, now one of Turkey’s largest fashion brands.

In addition to leading strategic fundraising efforts and forging global partnerships, Begüm currently oversees corporate public affairs, represents Trendyol in engagements with governments and NGOs, and plays a key role in the company’s M&A strategy and international expansion, particularly across Europe and the Gulf region.

She is also a strong advocate for sustainability and social impact, spearheading initiatives like Villages of Tomorrow in collaboration with UNDP to bring digital transformation to rural communities.

Begüm holds a Business Administration degree and an MBA from Koç University.