25 May 2022
We are happy to announce an important milestone regarding a shift in our leadership.
Bengi Turgan Çiftçi has stepped into the role of Co-CEO. Engin Ayaz, as Bengi’s counterpart, will be sharing leadership responsibilities—as well as the title of Co-CEO—going forward.
What makes us excited about this shift is that it marks a milestone for ATÖLYE on the path to transforming ATÖLYE from a “founder-led” organization into a “founder-inspired” organization over the past few years. This, by far, is the most concrete step we have taken and it fills us with great excitement to imagine what the future holds for ATÖLYE with Bengi in the leadership seat.
Bengi is well-equipped with in-depth expertise of almost two decades in multiple industries coupled with experience as an academic and entrepreneur. Over the past two and a half years, as the Senior Director of our Strategic Design Studio—and while navigating the rough waters throughout the pandemic—Bengi has contributed immensely to ATÖLYE’s design practice. A great testament to her leadership has manifested in our relationship with the Turkish EV company Togg where Bengi has been directing and shaping one of the most significant design contracts ever commissioned in Turkey. Alongside her design leadership, Bengi has contributed to countless projects and programs as a vision setter, director, engagement leader, doer, and advisor. She has masterfully steered our strategic conversations going into 2022, led the recruitment of some of our most senior roles, and perhaps more importantly, played a crucial role in shaping the well-being initiatives at ATÖLYE.
In all respects, Bengi has been setting a role model for fostering a collaborative and upbeat team culture at ATÖLYE. Most importantly, Bengi’s uncompromising desire for craft excellence coupled with her empathetic leadership has been a driving force behind ATÖLYE’s most recent work. Incidentally, at this point in time, this particular quality seems like the natural next step for ATÖLYE too as a maturing organization.
As part of this transition, ATÖLYE’s Co-founder Kerem Alper will be assuming the role of Chairperson and continue contributing to ATÖLYE’s strategy and serve the organization at the board level.
Please join us in congratulating Bengi on her new journey ahead!