Female board members hit all-time high at Koç Holding

Elif Ergu - ISTANBUL

A total of four females have become members of Koç Holding’s board, a record in the 91-year-old business group’s history, at the 52nd Ordinary General Board meeting on April 5. 

In the first ordinary general meeting that was held for the first time after the death of Koç chairman Mustafa Koç, three females became board members, making the overall total four with existing board member Semahat Arsel. 

Caroline Koç, late Mustafa Koç’s wife, and İpek Kıraç have now become board members as well as BoostHEAT Chairperson Anne Lauvergeon, who will serve as an independent board member. 

One of Mustafa Koç’s biggest dreams was to provide more space for women in Koç’s management and board. Koç, one of the country’s most prominent businessmen, died of a sudden heart attack on Jan. 21. He was one of the supporters of the HeFORShe movement of the United Nations. 

The number of board members has now increased from 15 to 18 at the ordinary general meeting, which was headed by Koç Holding Chairman Ömer Koç.

Rahmi Koç has again been selected as honorary chairman, Ömer Koç as chairman and Ali Koç as vice chairman of the board at the meeting. 

At the opening of the meeting, a text prepared by Mustafa Koç for the 2015 Business Activity Report ahead of his sudden death, was read. 

A speech from Rahmi Koç was also read at the meeting. 

He marked his son’s sudden death and thanked everyone for their condolences and support in the name of his family. 

According to the 2015 Activity Report, Koç Holding ranked 381st in the Fortune Global 500 List in 2015. The business group hired a total of 91,304 people by the end of 2015. Koç Holding’s combined revenue equaled to 7.4 percent of the country’s GDP and the market share of its companies at the Borsa Istanbul was 18 percent in 2015, said the report.