General Manager, Altıparmak GidaYeşim Güra
Yeşim Güra is an experienced executive in FMCG and Food & Beverage.
Ms. Yeşim Gura has started her career in 1991 with Procter & Gamble in Finance in Turkey, and spent 13 years working in various roles from Financial Analysis to Sales Finance, Product Supply Finance, Corporate Treasury, Tax, Accounting, Forecasting and Strategic Planning. As the Finance Manager of the Sanipak JV with Eczacıbaşı, Ms Güra had a seat on the Board of Directors of Sanipak which gave her valuable exposure. Following this experience, Ms. Güra was leading the valuation for the acquisition and restructuring that followed; merging three legal entities of P&G into one. The Finance experience gave full VUCA exposure; living through 1994 and 2001 economic crises. Ms. Güra’s latest role in P&G was Associate Director for the whole Finance Organization, managing all of the 10+ product categories (from Laundry Detergents to Haircare, Snacks, Health & Beauty Care, Paper Products and more).
Following P&G experience, she joined Danone Company in Turkey as VP Finance in March 2004, right after the acquisition of shares from Sabancı. She transformed the Finance Organization to a %100 Danone Company through organization restructuring, systems and reporting set up and managing cultural changes. After three years, a new role was given to her as a preparation to General Management; the role of Business Unit Director of the HOD (Home Office Delivery) Business Unit; as an Accelerated Business Unit. Rapid growth, managing 500+ distributors, reaching 400,000+ homes directly, yielding high double-digit profit margin and new geographical expansion through acquisition. This responsibility led to promotion to General Manager of Waters Division in Turkey in January 2009.
Yeşim Güra held the General Managers Water Turkey role for 8 years until February 2017. During this period, a new Joint Venture was formed through Danone’s acquisition of Sırma Beverage Company shares (50,1%) in July 2013. While this JV was managed as a separate legal entity, Ms. Güra was in a position to lead it from many angles; definition of a strategic roadmap, brand and sales strategies, organizational support and synergies in operations. The combined businesses had a major complexity with 10 factories, 10+ warehouses, 1500 people.
During her tenure, she set up the Sales and Distribution Operations for Hayat and Akmina after a period of five years of exclusive distribution with Ülker. Also has led several key innovation projects which achieved profitable growth for the Company and also grew the Beverage Category. Some of these ideas were exported to Danone Companies abroad (Spain, France, Mexico) as best practices. Ms.Güra also led R&D projects to launch new categories, set up a digital roadmap and new business models for growth.
Throughout this role, Ms Güra was the Board Member of SUDER (Water Association) and the Chairman for a period of four years. She also was Executive member of the Danone Waters Board of Directors.
Yeşim Güra later joined Altıparmak Gıda (Balparmak) in March 2017 as the first General Manager of the Company, leading an important mission to bring back the Company to growth following several years of no growth, opening up internationally and leading Corporate Governance. The results at the end of 2017 were double-digit strong profitable growth, a new project kicked off to open globally starting with the Middle East as planned through a strategic distribution partnership, and new partnerships formed with EBRD and other Corporations to move along the Corporate Governance Roadmap.
Yeşim Güra has decided to leave this role as of early January 2018 to focus on new ventures. Today, Ms.Güra is assisting young startups, companies through a model of strategic business consultation and coaching-mentoring.
Ms. Güra is an ICF Coach, accredited by Gestalt Coaching in June 2017.
Yeşim Güra also has the following volunteer experience :
Member of the Board BRM: Boğaziçi University Business People Association,
Member of YKK (Yönetim Kurulunda Kadın): More Women in the Board of Directors Association,
LEAD Network Turkey Member.
Member of BUMED (Boğaziçi Alumni), Member of P&G Alumni, Member of IU Alumni.
A supporter of the following Non-Profit Organizations :
TEGEV (Education Volunteers Foundation), PAYDA, Koruncuk, YenidenBiz, Binyaprak, TurkishWIN, YenibirLider, Günyüzü.
She is recently appointed as a member of the Global Deans Council of Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, USA.
Yeşim Güra holds an MBA from Kelley School of Business (Indiana University) and a BA degree from Bogaziçi University in Turkey.
She lives in İstanbul with her husband, and their two sons, 18 and 15 years old.