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Connecting the World

Plenty of young people take on casual work while they study. But few can rival Ahmet Serhat Sari, who turned his student job into a high-flying career that has taken him around the world.

Sari started working part time at Turkish Airlines when he was at university, and after graduation joined the ranks of permanent staff at the company’s headquarters in Istanbul.

Established in 1933, the national flag carrier is now recognised as a four-star airline and is a member of the Star Alliance. Awards the airline has received recently include the “Best Airline in Europe” from Skytrax every year from 2011 to 2016.

Its Istanbul base, at the historical intersection of Europe and Asia, gives it a great advantage, and it provides connections to 300 destinations worldwide including around 250 international routes.

Turkish Airlines’ global network also means great opportunities for staff members like Sari. After a few years in the Revenue Management Department in Istanbul, he was promoted to Regional Sales and Marketing Manager in Los Angeles. Here, he was responsible for crafting sales and marketing strategies for new destinations while also handling administration and operational duties.

After 18 months in California, Sari became General Manager – Edinburgh, with responsibility for the Scotland market, then a newly launched destination for Turkish Airlines.

His time in Edinburgh was an inspiring experience, Seri said. “I had to manage and oversee everything starting from scratch, which was both an exciting but challenging venture for me.”

After five years in Scotland, another international move was in the pipeline, and Sari became General Manager – Hong Kong in February last year.

Turkish Airlines set up its Hong Kong office in 2002, and joined the Chamber in 2009 to take advantage of its range of networking platforms.

“The Chamber is a very well-established and successful organization, with members doing business with every part of the world,” Seri said.

“We would like to participate in and enhance our business relations and connectivity both locally and worldwide,” he added.

The opportunity to attend HKGCC’s wide range of events is another plus point for Sari.

“I enjoy the seminars and trade missions the most,” he said. “They are beneficial to our organization from different perspectives.”

 

 

Company: Turkish Airlines

HKGCC Membership No.:HKT0620

Established:2002

Website:www.thy.com.hk

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