Zeynep Bodur Okyay

From 1992 to 1993, Zeynep Bodur Okyay served in various positions as a management trainee in the production units of Çanakkale Ceramic Factories in Çan, Çanakkale. In 1995, she was appointed as a Member and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Kale Group's Marketing Companies and has been serving as the President and CEO of Kale Group since 2007.

Zeynep Bodur Okyay actively contributes to many non-governmental and international organizations by taking part in their management levels.  Served as the President of the Assembly of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry for two consecutive terms between 2013 and 2022, Okyay currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Global Relations Forum Association, Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), Chairman of the Türkiye-Morocco Business Council at DEİK, Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce Association, and member of Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), Impact Investing Advisory Board, and Carnegie Europe Advisory Board.   Zeynep Bodur Okyay, who has been actively supporting the G20 processes since the 2015 Turkish Presidency, will continue to serve as Co-Chair of the B20 “Women Diversity Inclusion Action Council” during the Brazilian Presidency through 2024. 

Zeynep Bodur Okyay was awarded the "Cavaliere di Lavoro" decoration by the Italian State in 2006 for her contributions and services to Turkish-Italian relations and received the “Ufficiale dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” high-level state decoration in 2014. In 2010, she was honored with the Franco Nobili Award within the scope of “Türkiye in Europe” for her contribution to the relations between Türkiye and the European Union countries. In the same year, Zeynep Bodur Okyay received the Distinguished Service Award from the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.  

Also supported the establishment of a Turkish Chair at Harvard University through her work at the Harvard Alumni Association, of which she is one of the founders, Okyay leads many pioneering programs within Kale Group to contribute to Türkiye's education, design, art, local development, and social entrepreneurship ecosystem as Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dr. (h.c.) İbrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Health, and Social Aid Foundation. 

Zeynep Bodur Okyay is fluent in Italian and English, having graduated from the Italian High School, Istanbul Technical University Department of Management Engineering, and Harvard University's graduate executive training programs, respectively. Zeynep Bodur Okyay is married to Osman Okyay, Vice Chairman of Kale Group, and has one child.