Turkish Sabanci Holding chair Guler Sabanci retires, successor announced

One of Türkiye’s largest conglomerates, Sabanci Holding, announced on Monday that Chairperson Guler Sabanci will retire from her duties following the ordinary general assembly on March 27.

Guler Sabanci, a third-generation member of the family and the daughter of one of the holding’s founders, Ihsan Sabanci, has served as the chairperson of the board of directors since 2004, after the passing of the former chair, her uncle Sakip Sabanci.

According to a statement submitted to the Turkish Public Disclosure Platform, the company revealed that board member Hayri Culhaci will succeed her after the election of the board of directors at the general assembly and the allocation of board duties.

Hayri Culhaci, who has been with Sabanci Holding for approximately 35 years, has held various management positions, including being a member of the executive board at Sabanci Holding, vice chair of the board at Akbank, and a board member at both Sabanci Holding and its affiliated companies.

“Ms. Guler Sabanci will continue to serve as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Sabanci Foundation, the Founding Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Sabanci University, and the Chairperson of the Sakip Sabanci Museum,” the statement read.

Founded in 1967, Sabanci Holding is the second-largest company in Türkiye, just behind Koc Holding, with a revenue of ₺1.254 trillion ($33.02 billion) in 2024 alone. The company has international partnerships with leading companies such as Belgian insurance company Ageas, Japanese tire manufacturer Bridgestone, French retail giant Carrefour, German energy company E.ON, German construction materials leader Heidelberg Materials, and Czech auto brand Skoda.

It operates in 14 countries with a workforce of 62,450 employees.