New Year with New Goals and Hopes…

Unfortunately, we are leaving behind a busy year in which we experienced many societal sorrows, while also treading on risky ground in our own professional life while achieving many successes and firsts. In this final article of 2016, I wanted to share with you my goals for 2017, along with an assessment of what we accomplished throughout the year.

 

What a year it was! The increasingly challenging global and domestic climate hasn’t made our job any easier.

Constantly trying to achieve something on slippery ground has both its advantages and disadvantages. The downside is the feeling of walking on thin ice, and the physical and psychological effects it can have. You absolutely must find ways to cope with these challenges. I’ve always focused on my goals, keeping my head held high and always looking ahead.

The upside is that even under such challenging circumstances, we achieved our goals and achieved success with our colleagues in various fields. Achieving success during such a period significantly boosted our self-confidence.

Beyond just being successful, we’ve also achieved many firsts in many of our areas of activity this year. To summarize:

1. EKORE: We completed our first financial closing for the Konya Kulu Solar Power Plant project. The project financing we received from TEB was also a first for TEB. It was the first solar power plant project the bank has ever financed. We also completed the first financial closing for the Wind Power Plant (RES) project with TKB (Development Bank of Türkiye) on the İzmit Kandıra RES project. Thanks to TKB, we used World Bank funding for the first time. The first solar power plant we commissioned was Konya Kulu. Below, you can find the videos of the Konya Kulu construction process and the press conference I previously shared.

 

 

We announced Türkiye’s first production facility covering module, cell, and wafer processes and laid the foundation in Niğde Bor. We aim to create a global brand in Türkiye with the high-efficiency panels we will produce.

While at a New Year’s dinner with our companies EkoRE Wind and EkoRE Solar Industry in Ankara…

2. MOKA: We received our license from the BRSA in April 2016. This was a first for me. We were the first to begin serving various sectors on the virtual POS side. We were also the first to begin providing payment infrastructure to various sectors.
3. EKOCC: Despite all the challenges in the retail and e-commerce sectors we serve, we managed to expand our portfolio to over 30 companies. In a call center industry that is constantly being acquired by foreign companies, this is the first time two 100% Turkish call centers have achieved a significant merger. You can read the details later in this article.
4. TİDER: We joined the Adım Adım platform for the first time and launched a campaign for the Istanbul Marathon. As a result of this successful campaign, we raised significant funds for our new Support Market in the Bağcılar-Esenler area. We also surpassed our long-term goal of employing 50 people. In other words, we provided vocational training for 50 people in Maltepe. For the first time, we expanded into diverse product lines, such as fruit and vegetables, and delivered them to those in need through the Support Market. We received our first support from major companies like Unilever.

Finally, for the first time, we were awarded by a significant institution like the Sabancı Foundation and selected for their Changemakers Program. This has added great value to us at TIDER. I’d like to once again express my gratitude to those who deemed us worthy of this program.

I’ve also disciplined myself for the first time and started posting my articles regularly to my site. Looking back at the first article I wrote this year, I feel like I’ve been wanting to tell you everything in advance. The greatest joy for me about these types of articles is that I open them up after a while and say, “Wow, I predicted or predicted that too! Well done!” Here’s my first article of the year: http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/2016-guzel-bir-yil-olacak

After a very successful year, marked by all these firsts, I’d like to write about my goals for the new year, as well as my goals for the companies and civil society projects we lead.

A photo from my last year-end speech to my colleagues

Let’s start with business. A very busy year awaits me and my colleagues. I’ve summarized the situation below. I’ve grouped all the topics that concern my work under the “General” heading. You can also find a summary of our specific plans for our companies below.

 

GENERAL:

•  All ventures should generate profit and cash flow: All companies aim to become profitable and generate cash surpluses. Some of our companies have achieved this goal, and others will do so next year. However, next year, all of my ventures, without exception, aim to become profitable and generate cash flow.
• Moving to a new location: It’s time to leave our Maltepe office, which has been our home for seven years. We’re moving all our companies to a single 8,500 m² building in Çekmeköy. This will not only foster growth in employment at EkoCC, EkoRE, Moka, and Bonbon, but also bring all our companies together to create a more pleasant and productive work environment. We’ll create an environment similar to Google’s offices, with a conference room, training and hobby rooms, a library, a fitness center, a cafeteria, and a terraced cafeteria.

 

EKORE:

• We will complete our 30 MW solar power plant and wind power plant portfolio. We commissioned our Konya Kulu project last October. Current planning plans include commissioning the Osmaniye, Konya Akören, Tokat, and Aydın projects in the first half of the year. In September, we will commission our first wind power plant project, the İzmit Kandıra wind power plant.
• We aim to expand our portfolio to at least 100 MW in Türkiye. Our discussions with investors are ongoing. We will take the necessary steps to rapidly expand our 30 MW renewable energy portfolio, currently under construction, to 100 MW.

• Launching our first solar power plant and/or wind power plant project abroad: We aim to serve as a technical contractor abroad, similar to Enka and Rönesans Holding. We are one of the companies with the best know-how in this field in Türkiye. We aim to leverage this knowledge and represent our country internationally in the best possible way. To achieve this, we transferred a manager responsible for international projects. We’ll establish an international projects department under him. A single project abroad will be enough to overcome this psychological barrier. We’re currently conducting market research and meeting with relevant authorities in many countries. Countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia are our priority.
• YEKA: We haven’t yet decided whether to participate in the massive 1,000 MW YEKA tender, which has been postponed to February 14th. We may participate if the desired conditions are met. For details, you can read my previous article: http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/dev-yeka-ihalesi-ve-ekore-uzmanligi
• Production will begin in 2018 after the factory construction is finalized: Independent of the YEKA tender, we will definitely begin production of our high-efficiency panels, which will exceed 25% efficiency in double-sided panels. We plan to begin factory construction in the first quarter of 2017, which we postponed several times this year due to both procedural changes and a relocation within the same Organized Industrial Zone.

MOKA:

• We aim to increase revenues at Moka fivefold compared to this year, like a snowball. The growth trend has been on track since the beginning of this year. We can accelerate this process with some strategic moves.
• We plan to upgrade our license from a Payment Institution to an E-Money license. We will apply to the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) in 2017.
• We plan to increase the update and use of the Moka app. We will implement significant improvements that will make life easier in this area.

EKOCC:

• Perhaps the fastest growth will occur at EkoCC next year. Let me be the first to announce this here. EkoCC, our call center with 130 customer representatives, is merging with Vodasoft, which has 380 customer representatives.
• No merger is easy. We are working diligently to ensure the smooth completion of the merger and integration.
• We will employ over 500 people and serve over 100 brands at this call center. We plan to increase this number to 650 with the additional positions we will take on by the end of the year.
• This merger will create the call center that serves the most brands in Türkiye. Furthermore, we are talking about a call center with 100% Turkish shareholders.
• I also have a special project. Currently, more than 3 million Syrians live in Türkiye. Many of them need to work and support their families. I want to undertake a project that will generate significant employment for Syrians and generate income for our country. We’ve discussed with our other partners that we will accelerate our efforts to launch a call center specifically for Syrians, which will, in a sense, export services. To serve wealthy Middle Eastern countries like the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, we first need to find customers who will use this service. After finding these customers, we plan to make this investment in a province in Anatolia with relatively low security issues. I don’t know if we can launch this project in 2017, but we will accelerate our efforts in this area.

 

BONBON:

•  Unexpectedly, the Bonbon team’s WiFi Analytics program has become quite popular. Many retailers are requesting our use. We hope to expand our WiFi Analytics program in 2017.
• I will write a detailed article about Bonbon later. For now, let me just say that our WiFi Analytics program, which provides heat maps, has stood out in such diverse use cases and has therefore exceeded expectations.
• We may release a new product within the Internet of Things concept. Let this remain a surprise.

 

Beyond business, we also have clear goals for civil society work. I’d like to share them with you:

 

• TİDER (www.TIDER.org): The successful work of the Basic Needs Association, which we founded in 2010 and restructured in 2014 to move to a different platform, will continue in 2017. It will be another year of firsts for the association. First, we will open a new Support Market on the Bağcılar-Esenler line. While we are assisting 5,000 families in Maltepe, we expect this number to reach 100,000 in Bağcılar. In addition, we will launch an accreditation system and collaborate with institutions and organizations in Anatolia and Thrace that have embraced the principles of impartiality, transparency, integrity, and sustainability. Next year, we plan to accredit at least one organization (our specification booklet is being prepared). This will bring our Support Market to three. We also aim to launch our vocational training platform. We also launched the Adım Adım platform with the Istanbul Marathon. We plan to double the number of successful campaigns we have run there next year. We will first run our campaigns at the Antalya Runtalya Run in March (Runtalya; I’ve run it before and even wrote about it: http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/runtalya-bir-kosunun-anatomisi ) and then at the Istanbul Marathon.
• Honorary Consulate of Costa Rica: Since taking office in 2008, I have always viewed the Costa Rican Honorary Consulate as a public service and have worked with this understanding. We have undertaken many important initiatives to develop commercial, official, and cultural relations between our two countries. You can find my articles on this subject at the links below:

 

http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/kosta-rika-fahri-konsolosu-olarak-son-doneme-girerken

http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/kosta-rika-fahri-konsolosu-olarak-gecen-5-yil-2010-2015

http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/2009-turkiye-kosta-rika-iliskilerinde-donum-yili

http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/kosta-rika-istanbul-fahri-konsolosu-olarak-yasadiklarim

I’m considering leaving the Costa Rican Honorary Consulship in 2018, as I’ll be completing my 10th year in this position. Next term will be my last full year. We plan to undertake many important projects. We will accelerate our efforts to sign bilateral agreements between countries, such as the Free Trade Agreement. Procomer, Costa Rica’s commercial agency, which we established this year, will build connections between many different sectors to increase commercial activity.

Furthermore, in the cultural arena, we will be hosting an exhibition by prominent Costa Rican artist Jose Sancho at the Pera Museum from 31 May – 21 August. You can browse Jose Sancho’s works at http://josesanchoescultor.com/link. May it be auspicious for art lovers.

• Combating Climate Change: 2016 was a very busy year in terms of combating climate change, both globally and on my own agenda, and witnessed some historic moments. The Paris Climate Change Agreement Signing Ceremony, attended by nearly every state on Earth as a signatory and attended by me at the invitation of the United Nations, was a vital step forward for our planet and our future.

As someone within the industry, being able to share my experiences on a platform like the United Nations, and the signing of a cooperation agreement between RASIT and EkoRE, a group driven by the Iraqi Princess Nisreen Hanım’s mission to bring women into science, were significant developments. Numerous events were organized in this direction throughout the year, and I did my best to participate in international conferences and seminars where I was invited as a speaker and share my knowledge. The latest of these events was a live broadcast focusing on Türkiye as part of “The Climate Reality Project,” founded by former US Vice President Al Gore. Following Al Gore’s opening remarks on Türkiye, first Ergem Şenyuva and then I answered the speakers’ questions about Türkiye and our work. Here’s the link to an article I wrote a few weeks ago on this subject: http://serhansuzer.com/tr/dunyayi-iyilestirmek-isteyenlerle-her-seyi-kendine-isteyenlerin-mucadelesi

You can find the relevant interview below. Al Gore’s honorary letter to me is below it.

Al Gore’s thank you letter

 

Next year, I will continue to contribute to the fight against climate change by speaking at important platforms like the United Nations and Climate Reality, accelerating renewable energy projects, and developing technology. You can be sure that I will do my best in this regard.

 

Now, let me share what I want to accomplish in my personal life next year. Let’s start with sports. In addition to my regular cardio (running) and definition (kinesis and/or weight training), I have several other sports I plan to explore, some for the first time and others again. I’ve listed them below:

 

• Returning to Skiing

I had a serious heli-skiing accident in January 2015. However, I was able to recover. Because skiing is a passion of mine, I will start skiing again in 2017. This year, I want to go to Sarıkamış, Kars, once, or perhaps several times, as it’s my favorite place to ski in Türkiye. I’m also thinking of going to Erciyes Mountain in Kayseri, which I’ve never skied before. Since it’s on the road to our Niğde factory, a weekend trip to Erciyes will be relatively convenient for me. I’m also planning to visit Kartepe, the closest ski resort to Istanbul, at least once. As for abroad, when I visit the Swiss technology company we’re strategically collaborating with for our solar panel factory in the coming months, I plan to visit their ski resort. This will probably be Zermat. In other words, I have plenty of skiing days ahead of me until mid-April in the new year. If I’m satisfied with my performance, I’ll return to heli-skiing in 2018.

A shot before starting the heli-ski

 

• Starting Kitesurfing

I was originally planning to start kitesurfing last summer. Although I really wanted to, I decided my shoulder wasn’t fully healed and postponed that plan until next season. I’ll start kitesurfing as soon as the ski season ends, which is in April. I’m looking forward to taking up this sport, which has a high probability of becoming a passion like skiing.

•  Returning to Kickboxing

If I have the time, I want to start kickboxing again. This isn’t so much about fighting as it is about the unparalleled cardio workout kickboxing provides. Nothing beats a rigorous one-hour kickboxing or boxing workout for the sweat it brings. Punching the punching bag, jumping rope, and doing drills in the ring, you’ll be working your body to its maximum efficiency and feeling truly relaxed afterward.

• Starting Pilates or Yoga

I always say that a good athlete should have three qualities: speed, strength, and flexibility. I’ve always had speed and strength. However, I’ve always struggled with flexibility. I want to change that. I plan to get my muscles, which I haven’t had the opportunity to work out much, into good shape with Pilates or yoga, which could help me gain flexibility. I’ll start this in the first months of the new year. Flexibility is crucial. Regular stretching relaxes the muscles, relieves fatigue, and reduces the risk of injury. Currently, I’m looking for a place within walking distance of my home where I can enjoy my sessions.

 

• Dance

Generally, in dance venues, our young people prefer to wander around with glasses in hand. However, I believe that at weddings or nightclubs, people should have fun and enjoy the moment. And dancing is essential for having fun. I have two plans for dance next year:

o Aegean and Black Sea/Caucasian regional dances: In Türkiye, I enjoy the dances and dance tunes of the Aegean and Black Sea regions the most. In the Black Sea region, in addition to the horon dance, I especially enjoy the Caucasian (Circassian) dances. I’ll make a choice next year. I’m thinking of learning either the Zeybek or the horon. Whichever I choose first, I’ll focus on the other one next year.

o Salsa: Besides our own local dances, these are the Latin dances I enjoy most, both dancing and watching. My two favorite dances, originating from Latin America, are salsa and tango. I used to do salsa, but I practically forgot about it when I stopped practicing. I plan to return to salsa this year. Of course, in the classic sense, you need a regular practice partner for salsa or tango.

I’ll also be taking some radical steps next year. To give you some ideas, I’ve listed the people I want in my life below:

• Genuinely well-intentioned people who want my best interests at heart,
• Sincere people (who are genuinely like me),
• Those who don’t upset me,
• Those who don’t smile to my face and talk behind my back,
• Those who are loyal (or not ungrateful),
• Those who can use their brains and hearts together,
• People of good character,
• Cheerful people who know how to laugh and have fun,
• People I can learn from and who can contribute to my life.

 

I’m eliminating everything from my life that falls outside the definition above. I started doing this in November. Believe me, it’s been incredibly beneficial. I’ll be continuing this purification of my life next year. I’m no longer obligated to attract anyone. On the contrary, I’ll focus on creating, adding to life, and enjoying life with the right people. The last time I experienced this was on my birthday. I’m sharing it to give you an idea of ​​that beautiful encounter:
 

 

The last of the birthday celebrations took place at our office. Since my birthday falls right around New Year’s, I’m sharing what we’ve done, what we’ll do, and my wishes for my colleagues in my speech, which also includes the New Year.

While celebrating my birthday with my friends at 360 Istanbul…

While waiting for appetizers at a fishmonger in Parga, Greece, where I last visited during the holiday…

Let me also say this: I may say goodbye to the house I’ve lived in in Nişantaşı with great pleasure for nine years next year. My main reason for living in Nişantaşı was to be close to my office in Dolmabahçe and Akaretler (and also to the location of the house, along with the owner and his family). Due to the current situation, I’ve been commuting to our office in Maltepe for the last three years. Traffic can be a real pain. Since we’re moving our office to Çekmeköy soon, I think it would be more logical for me to move there as well. I think I’ll be saying goodbye to Nişantaşı with sadness next year. Of course, I also think Çekmeköy is a livable place, and living in a house with a garden and greenery would be a pleasure.

The last thing I want to do in my personal life is change my car. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a luxury-seeking car enthusiast. I’ve been driving a Renault 100% electric Fluence since 2013. Since July, I’ve been without my car. Unfortunately, the battery system broke, and Renault couldn’t bring it to Türkiye to repair it. If I can meet my business goals next year, I plan to reward myself and buy a Tesla, the ultimate 100% electric vehicle.

And that concludes my last post this year. I’ve been writing almost every week throughout the year without fail. From now on, I won’t be writing for three weeks. I’m taking a break, too. 🙂 As is my custom, I’ll take a three-week break each year, around New Year’s Eve and during the summer. I also won’t be writing on public holidays like Republic Day and Şeker Bayramı. Apart from this, I’ll continue to share my thoughts and experiences with you, focusing on a different topic each week.

On this occasion, I wish all my friends a happy, healthy, and wonderful new year.

 

Tag: business world