His main work areas are Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), civil society, social development projects, youth and women policies, and food and agricultural policies. He co-authored the book Good Practices in Youth Participation. Gür graduated from Marmara University, Department of Political Science and Public Administration. For his higher education, he worked on the Evolution of European Union Aid Policies and Millennium Development Goals at CIFE European Institute. He experienced the journey from this process to the SDGs.
As a consultant and trainer, he works with numerous NGOs, companies, academia and international organisations on social policies and project management. With Rational Games, he provides training on negotiation techniques to many organisations in Europe and Turkey.
She serves as a jury and consultant in various non-governmental organisations and corporate social responsibility platforms. She also has responsibilities as an expert and consultant in the European Union Sivil Düşün Program, International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), and United Nations (UN) programs. She works as a mentor in The EarlyWarning Europe Mentor Academy, a European Union program. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Turkey-Europe Foundation, the Foundation for Innovative Learning Centers, and the Board of Directors of the European Association of Turkey.
After graduating from Galatasaray University's Department of International Relations, Rana Birden continued her academic career by completing the European Union Master's Program at the same university. In 1999, Ms. Birden started her professional career and has played pioneering roles in public relations, civil society, and impact investing in her 24-year career.
After starting her career as a Senior Research Specialist at the Economic Development Foundation, Birden worked as a Deputy Project Coordinator and Grant Specialist at the European Union Civil Society Development Program and as EU Research and Documentation Coordinator at Bahçeşehir University. She also served as the Director of the Foundation for Social Participation and Development, where she carried out important projects in this field.
With her extensive knowledge of civil society, she has consulted for prestigious organisations such as the Sabancı Foundation, Third Sector Foundation of Turkey, and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Between 2012 and 2014, she served as the General Manager of the Global Relations Forum Association. Between 2014 and 2016, she assumed a strategic role as a member of the Turkey Europe Foundation and a C20 Executive Board member.
Since 2016, she has managed Corporate Communications and Impact Investments at Kale Group, implementing social responsibility projects and innovative business models. As a leader who, in her own words, feeds on “responsibility, not problems,” she has demonstrated her vision of mobilising the spirit of civil initiative at every step.
Since 2016, Rana Birden has been leading Kale Group's Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Community Management, Impact Investments and Social Benefit-oriented projects while also serving as the General Manager of Dr. (h.c) İbrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Aid Foundation (KSV).
Yalçın started her professional career in telecommunications, working as a regulation specialist at FusionTel Turkey and then as a publications coordinator at the European Foundation for Europe in Turkey. In 2005, she moved to Brussels for an assignment at the European Commission. Afterwards, she worked at Blueprint Partners and Interel consulting companies, advising many global companies on public relations and strategic communications.
In 2010, she decided to continue her career in Turkey, a more dynamic market and joined Grayling as Director of Public Affairs and Business Development. She then took the agency's helm, advising global and local companies on public relations and public affairs.
Seda has extensive experience developing and executing local and regional lobbying and communications campaigns and has managed large communications campaigns covering multiple European markets. Mr. Yalçın has advised many CEOs on government relations and strategic communications and has written numerous opinion pieces for her clients throughout her career.
Yalçın graduated from Marmara University with a degree in Public Administration in French. She completed her master's degree in European Union and International Relations at Institut Europeen des Hautes Etudes Internationales in France and European Union Economics at Marmara University European Community Institute and her executive MBA at Bradford University in England. She is currently pursuing her second undergraduate degree in Geography at Istanbul University.
Seda Yalçın Ulusoy is a member of the Board of Directors of the European Union Association of Turkey and the European Foundation for Europe in Turkey, as well as a member of Yuvam Dünya and the Association of Women on the Board of Directors (YKKD).
In addition to her mother tongue, Turkish, Yalçın is fluent in English and French and speaks German, Dutch and Spanish. She is married and has two children.
After completing her high school education at Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway with a Royal Norwegian scholarship, Erkut received her bachelor's degree in International Relations and Economics from Mount Holyoke College in the USA with a scholarship. In 2002, Yasemin Erkut became the first Turkish person to serve in the Office of the Chair of the Democratic Party in the US Congress and received a scholarship to study International Trade at American University.
Upon returning to Turkey, she worked as a senior advisor at the US Embassy for 9 years, improving bilateral trade relations and increasing mutual investments and public relations. After this position, she continued her professional life as the Regional Manager of Government and Corporate Affairs at Herbalife International, where she was responsible for activities in Azerbaijan, Greece, and Turkey. Between 2014 and 2019, Yasemin Erkut worked as Corporate Affairs Department Manager at Mey|Diageo, where she led corporate communications and sustainability projects and the construction and implementation of public communication strategies. Between 2019 and 2021, she served as MSD Health Policy Director.
Since November 2021, Yasemin Erkut has served as a company representative in various platforms and commissions, including the International Investors Association (YASED), the American Business Association, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), is a founding member and Vice President of the Public Communication and Corporate Relations Management Association.