Ayça Akat Özyıldırım

Ayça Akat Özyıldırım brings over 25 years of leadership experience to the food and biotechnology sectors, with a distinguished international career spanning FMCG, B2B, and B2C markets. Currently, she serves as the General Manager for AAK Turkey & Middle East, where she oversees the strategic deployment of sustainable, plant-based oil solutions across diverse and dynamic regional markets.

During her tenure at Chr. Hansen (now Novonesis), she held the role of General Manager for Turkey, where she was instrumental in driving the “Nature’s No. 1” strategy and implementing bio-based solutions to reduce global food waste. Her career began at Nestlé, providing her with a world-class foundation in quality and consumer-centricity that has informed her leadership approach throughout her subsequent roles in the specialty ingredients sector.

She is a graduate of Istanbul Erkek Lisesi (IEL), which provided her with a disciplined analytical mindset. She holds a BSc. in Food Engineering from Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) and a MSc. in Food Management from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Ayça Akat Özyıldırım is married with one daughter. In her free time, she is a passionate traveler and food culture enthusiast.