EREN GÜNHAN ULUSOY, CHAIRMAN OF ULUSOY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ANNOUNCED THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

EREN GÜNHAN ULUSOY, CHAIRMAN OF ULUSOY'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ANNOUNCED THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

• 16.02.2017

"As one of Turkey's top 500 industrial and export companies, Ulusoy Un from Samsun has achieved an important success by increasing its turnover from 61 million TL in 2006 to over 1 billion TL in 2015. Having achieved such a great success, it has been published in every part of Fortune magazine. Ulusoy Un President of the Board, Eren Günhan Ulusoy, who was named among the "40 managers under the age of 40" last year, told Q Life magazine about his goals and secrets of success.

Recently, the winds of change have been blowing in Turkey's well-established companies. With the second and third generation representatives sitting on the chairmanship of the board of directors, companies entered a serious institutionalization and branding process. One of the companies that carried out this process most successfully was the Samsun-based Ulusoy Un company. After 35-year-old second generation Eren Günhan Ulusoy became the President of the Board of directors, the company increased its turnover 17 times in 11 years. A flour company was listed on the stock exchange for the first time in Turkey. His success represents a growth story that will set an example for all family businesses in Anatolia. Eren Günhan Ulusoy, who has been the chairman and vice chairman of many NGOs as well as the Presidency of the Turkish Flour Industrialists' Federation, which is one of the most important NGOs in Turkey, which is shown among the "40 managers under 40" by Fortune magazine every year with his success, reveals the golden key to success. He says that he has to work hard in line with the demands.

You sat on the chairmanship of the board of directors at a very young age and today you are managing one of the few companies in Turkey. How did you achieve this success?

When I graduated from Boğaziçi University, Department of Business Administration in 2003, my plan was to continue my education abroad. I even received acceptance letters for an MBA program from one or two universities, such as Boston College, to which I applied. However, when I told my father about this plan, he said that he knew a better university and that it would be better for my business life if I completed my master's degree at Ulusoy Un school first. Thus, I started to work in the export department of our company in July 2003. Indeed, after I started working, I realized that business life is very different from education life. Because in business life, there is no end to learning practically, not theoretically. Although I am inexperienced, as a new employee, with the desire to learn, I tried to understand how things work not only in the export department I was in, but in every department of the company. My father always supported me in this regard, he did not say, "This is not your business, don't get involved". On the contrary, it opened my way. It also allowed me to take responsibility for everything I was interested in, and sometimes make small mistakes to experience myself. At the end of the last 5 years, in a sense, I graduated from the company's graduate program. My father also achieved his goal. Because I got to know and learned many departments. I was appointed to the position of general manager in 2008 and chairman of the executive board in 2010. In 2015, at the age of 34, I was elected President of the Board of directors. Thanks to the company owners, who paved the way for young people who are willing and willing to take responsibility, I had the chance to take on these duties. I think this vision is very important for companies to realize the generational transition.

Your father left his family and went into flour production. Have you ever wanted to do your own business?

Even when I was choosing a department in high school, I preferred the Turkish-mathematics department, which was suitable for business, considering that I would work in our family company. In other words, I always thought of working in the family business from my childhood. I have never worked for another company. Working in a family company has the most effective performance system, as the result of every job you do, together with its difficulties, is returned to you. Working with such a performance system is very motivating. But I believe that the next generation should definitely gain work experience outside the company, if possible, abroad.

How is the structure in your company? Are your father and brother also in the management of the company?

My father continues to follow our investments in other sectors. My older brother manages our tea factory and fuel stations. My mother also started working at our company after she retired from teaching. He also manages our social responsibility projects. In other words, each member of the family carries out separate duties in separate companies. My brother also got a master's degree in business administration after studying economics at the university.

What is your most important goal as the second generation? What are the challenges of being a second generation?

Our most important goal is to make our company a global player in its sector. To ensure the emergence of an effective agricultural industry company in the global arena from an important agricultural country like Turkey. I can say that I am one of the second generation managers who felt the difficulties of being a second generation least thanks to the vision of my elders. Of course, you have to provide an important performance until you prove yourself and it is not easy to accept yourself especially outside the company. But after passing this Stage, being the second generation turns into an advantage, sharing of experience, knowledge and environment between generations becomes an important power for you.

As the second generation, how will you prepare the third generation for work? Do you have a plan if they don't want to work in the family business?

We will definitely ensure that the third generation gains work experience outside of our company. As a family, we worked in the establishment and development phase of the company. At that time, this was a bit of a necessity. Now we are trying to complete the institutionalization phase. The most important step we took in this regard was that we made the company public in 2014. Currently, there is no family member other than me in the management of the company. Because we are like a family with all our employees. This is how we embrace our company culture and our business. I think that when the third generation comes into business life, the company will continue to be managed by fully professional managers. Just as they have the freedom not to want to work, if they want to work in the company, they will have to gain managerial positions by gaining experience outside the company, working and deservedly after entering the company.

In addition to your chairmanship of the board of directors, you are also the chairman of a powerful NGO such as the Turkish Flour Industrialists' Federation. How do you find time for yourself in your busy schedule?

As much as my domestic travels, I spend almost half of the month abroad. That's why I do sports in order to stay healthy and create a partner for myself. Even when traveling, I take care to swim at least 3 times a week. My waterproof headphones are indispensable in my travel bag.

What would be your advice to young people who are going to start business for the first time?

If our young friends, like me, believe that the way to a happy life is to love their job, they should determine their education, which is the beginning of their career goals, in this direction. They should also consider their own skills when choosing this path. Because the more they succeed, the more they will love, and the more they love, the better they will do this job.

Q Life Magazine