Zeynep Dereli is a geostrategic management Professional. She is the executive board member of Calinos Holding and CEO of the conglomerates’ agriculture, mining and energy businesses.
Zeynep is also a non-executive board member at ODAŞ Energy, a group of companies operating in the fields of energy and mining with a vertically integrated structure. The group operates in the electricity production, retail sale of electricity and sale of natural gas, and mine manufacturing and sale based on a vertically integrated business model.
Zeynep also serves as a non-executive board member at Çan2 Termik Ltd. that has been operating in the energy industry since 2013.
Prior to joining Calinos, Zeynep founded Tink, Technology and Humanity Colleges. Tink had redefined the fundamental approach to educational delivery and was selected as one of the most innovative schools in the world. Five years after the school’s launch, Zeynep was awarded as the female entrepreneur of the year in Turkey in 2021. However, she decided to go back into industry after covid related shut downs that caused economic difficulties in private education business.
At the beginning of her career Zeynep worked in finance at Dundas & Unlu and then moved to Shell Shipping and Trading Company in London. After returning to Turkey, she worked as a financial analyst and procurement analyst in Shell Turkey.
In the second part of her career, she continued her duties in various institutions such as the Atlantic Council, a world renowned think tank and APCO Worldwide, a global communications firm with headquarters in Washington DC, USA. Zeynep established both of these institutions’ Turkish offices and then moved onto more global roles within the organizations. She advised several PE funds on political due diligence and investment decisions with regards to Turkey.
In her free time she also prepared and presented a weekly talk show called "Leaders and Decisions" on SKY Turk and CNBC-e channels. She traveled the world and interviewed leaders such as NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, President of Azerbaijan and Turkish Minister of Justice.
She holds a master's degree in Development Economics from SOAS University in London and a BA in Economics from Princeton University, NJ.
Zeynep is an active public speaker and author of Digital Natives. She serves on the advisory boards of İTÜ Kaum, Women in Tech, Yeniden Biz and Corporate Social Responsibility Association. She is also one of the founding members of Endeavor Turkey.