Biography:

Dr. Demet Karaali earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematical Engineering from ITU in 2000 and her master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the same institution.

Karaali began her career in the technology sector with a start-up experience and subsequently joined Mercedes-Benz Türk AŞ in 2002 in the Information Technology department. During her tenure, she implemented numerous IT projects and earned her doctorate with a thesis published in technology through ITU’s Industrial Engineering program. She also participated in various certification programs in IT and management both domestically and internationally.

From 2008 to 2010, Karaali served as the Assistant to the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Mercedes-Benz Türk AŞ, and for the following eight years, she managed the IT group responsible for Sales, After Sales, and Marketing. During this period, she held primary ownership of all IT applications and processes used in Mercedes-Benz's Sales and Marketing departments and dealerships. In the period 2018-2022, she led the IT function for Mercedes-Benz Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles, providing IT services to 48 different markets globally in addition to the Turkish market in her role as CIO. She has received numerous awards for her digitalization projects within the company and continues to work in areas of interest such as entrepreneurship, change management, development, and leadership. Karaali, a mother of one daughter, upholds values of originality, diversity, learning, and discovery in all aspects of her life. In her current role, Dr. Demet Karaali is the Senior Manager at Daimler Trucks Asia in Mitsubishi Fuso in Japan. She leads the team responsible for IT production, Engineering, and Quality Management (QM) and driving major transformation, digitalization initiatives in these pillars.

In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Karaali is dedicated to sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of leaders. She teaches graduate courses at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey, focusing on digital transformation in organizations. Through her teachings, she aims to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate and lead in an increasingly digital world. Furthermore, she is a certified Adler coach, providing her with a robust framework to guide individuals and organizations in their personal and professional development.

Expertise Areas: Digital Transformation, Smart Factory, Production and Engineering IT, Strategy Development, Customer Journey Systems, Corporate Transformation Leadership, IT Management

Biography:

Ali DOĞAN, lisans ve yüksek lisans eğitimini İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi Endüstri Mühendisliği bölümünde almıştır. Doktorasını İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi İşletme Bölümü İşletme Programı’nda yapmıştır.

2006-2012 yılları arasında İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi Strateji Geliştirme Departmanı’nda proje yöneticisi ve program yöneticisi olarak; 2013-2020 yılları arasında YERYÜZÜ DOKTORLARI’nda Genel Müdür olarak çalışmıştır. 2021 yılında TÜBİTAK TÜSSİDE’de Enstitü Akademik Müdür Yardımcısı olarak çalışmaya başlamış olup, 2024 yılı itibarıyla TÜBİTAK TÜSSİDE’de Enstitü Müdürlüğü görevini yürütmektedir.

İlgi alanları; Örgütsel Analiz, Tasarım ve Gelişim; Stratejik Yönetim; Proje & Program Yönetimi; Kalitatif & Kantitatif Araştırma Yöntemleri; Sivil Toplumda Kurumsallaşma ve Kaynak Geliştirme’dir. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'ndan günümüz Türkiye’sine sanayileşme sürecinde örgütsel formların ve yönetim uygulamalarının ortaya çıkışı ve dönüşümü üzerine araştırmalar yapmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, makro kurumların ve toplumsal kültürün, örgütler üzerindeki etkilerine (kurumsal mantıklar, yönetim uygulamaları, örgüt kültürü vb.) odaklanmaktadır.