Change of Leadership at Anadolu Group

There will be a change in leadership at the top management of Anadolu Group after seven years. Hurşit Zorlu, who has successfully led Anadolu Group's operations since 2017, is retiring. As of April 1, 2024, Burak Başarır, who has been with the group for 25 years in roles of increasing responsibility, will become the CEO of the Group, which operates 90 facilities in 20 countries with nearly 100,000 employees. 

Regarding this transition, Tuncay Özilhan, Chairman of Anadolu Group, stated: 'Hurşit Zorlu has exemplified professionalism and an admirable career journey during his time with us. Since the day he started working at our Group, he has stood out for his performance and character, successfully fulfilling many senior roles and serving as a role model for his colleagues. He will retire from the role of CEO, the highest professional management position in our Group. In this new phase, he will continue to contribute to our Group as a board member in all company boards. I sincerely thank him for his contributions during these 40 years of exemplary professional life. I am confident that Burak Başarır will continue to successfully build on the contributions he has made to our Group in this new role. 

Hurşit Zorlu has led the promotion of corporate governance and the development of sustainability strategies at Anadolu Group, where he has served for 40 years 

Hurşit Zorlu has been a pivotal figure in Anadolu Group for 40 years, championing the spread of corporate governance and the development of sustainability strategies. He joined Anadolu Group in 1984 as a marketing specialist at Efes Beverage Group and held senior roles within the company. In 2008, he became the Chief Financial Officer of Anadolu Group and was appointed Deputy CEO in 2013. Since 2017, he has served as the Group's CEO. 

Zorlu has achieved numerous milestones at Anadolu Group, fostering the implementation of corporate governance practices across its companies. He has also played significant roles in civil society, serving as a member of the Executive Board of DEİK's Foreign Investments Business Council and as a member of the High Advisory Council at the Turkish Investor Relations Association (TÜYİD). He was the president of the Turkish Corporate Governance Association (TKYD) during its 8th term from 2015 to 2017. 

Burak Başarır was named 'Best CEO' by Institutional Investor for three consecutive years 

Burak Başarır has been named the new CEO of Anadolu Group, starting April 1, 2024. After studying International Business and Computer Science at American River College and earning a degree in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento, he graduated from Middle East Technical University in 1995. Başarır joined Coca-Cola İçecek (CCI) in 1998, taking on various roles with increasing responsibilities, including a promotion to CFO in 2005. He led the company’s initial public offering and the financial merger with CCI-Efes Invest. From 2010 to 2013, he managed CCI's largest operation in terms of sales volume and revenue as the Regional President for Türkiye. 

As CEO of Coca-Cola İçecek, Başarır played a key role in expanding the company into a multinational organization with production in 12 countries, spanning from Turkey to the Chinese border. Institutional Investor recognized him as ‘Best CEO’ for three consecutive years during his tenure. Başarır is also a member of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD).