Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM is the Owner, Chairman & CEO of YILPORT Holding. He was born in Sivas, Türkiye in 1960. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Istanbul Technical University in 1983. In 1989, he received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon State University. He began his career as a design and project engineer at Paceco Corporation, working for five years at the container crane manufacturing firm.
Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM joined the management board of the family-owned company in 1993. The same year, he conducted the first international achievement of the company, directly importing coal from Russia. Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM led the company in new initiatives in the 2000s, and in 2008, the company made its first international acquisition in Sweden.
Today, the company is a global player in metals and mining, port management, coal and coke, fertilizers and chemicals, energy, and maritime industry. Lloyd’s List ranks Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM among the top 100 most influential people in the shipping industry, and among top 10 most powerful people in container terminals industry. Consulting company Drewry lists him as one of the top 20 global leaders in port operations. Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM is also among the top three leaders of the global chromium industry.
In addition to his responsibilities at YILPORT Holding, he is a Board Member of CMA CGM Group, a Member of the Board of Trustees at Garip & Zeycan YILDIRIM Foundation, and the Chairman of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) Turkey-Colombia Business Council.
Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM has two children.
Erhan ÇİLOĞLU began his career in logistics after obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. His professional path started in 1999 at Toyota, where he developed his skills in the Supply Chain Logistics Division. In 2003, Mr. ÇİLOĞLU shifted his focus to port operations and logistics, taking on essential roles in sales, project management, field operations, marketing, and customer relations.
Erhan ÇİLOĞLU has demonstrated his capability to adapt to various industries, contributing to sectors such as automotive, white goods, electronics, construction, food, FMCG, textiles, iron, and steel.
Joining the YILDIRIM Group in 2012 as a Business Development Manager, he played a key role in devising and executing growth strategies. By 2014, he advanced to the role of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at YILPORT Inc., managing a network that includes 12 countries and 22 Marine 5 Inland terminals. Currently, Erhan ÇİLOĞLU acts as the President of Executive Board and CoCEO & CMO of YILPORT Holding Inc., with direct management of YILPORT Inc.'s global terminals.
Kadir OKCU worked as a consultant in the construction field for YILDIRIM Group of Companies between 2005 and 2016 and started to work at YILDIRIM Group as a Construction Projects Executive Director in 2017.
He transferred to YILPORT Inc. in 2020. He is responsible for all the construction and infrastructure projects. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Istanbul Technical University. Mr. OKCU previously worked as a Projects Engineer and worked as a Projects Manager focusing on local and international port projects.
Between 1998 and 2009 he worked at SOYAK as Project Manager for Ambarlı Port taking part in various roles for port projects. In 2009, he started to provide consulting and projects management services for various port projects by founding Alp Mühendislik Müşavirlik Ltd. Şti.
R. Cem GÖKTAŞ joined YILPORT Holding in 2012. As of 2025, he has taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer (CCO).
He is responsible for providing operational standards, guidelines, and documentation, Global Logistics Center, Audit and Analysis, continuous improvement, HSSE standards, and terminal development in entire regions of YILPORT Holding.
He was promoted to the position of Global Operations Director effective as of 2017. In 2020, he was advanced to Global Terminal Operations Senior Director. In 2021, Mr. GÖKTAŞ took on the role of YILPORT Gebze and YILPORT Gemlik General Manager & YILPORT Holding GLC Director. In 2024, Mr. GÖKTAŞ was promoted to the position of General Manager of the Türkiye Region (Gebze, Gemlik and Körfez Terminals).
Mr. GÖKTAŞ has a bachelor’s degree in public administration. Previously, he worked as a Container Planning Chief, Operations Manager, Global Logistics Center Manager, and Global Operations Director respectively. Managing a group of central departments serving multiple terminals in different countries within the role of Operations Planning, Berth Planning, Data Control, Customer Support, and TOS Deployment on a global scale.
Luciano ALVERNAZ joined YILPORT Holding as the Global Sales and Marketing Director in 2023. As of 2025, he has taken on the role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Nautical Sciences from the Merchant Marine Officers University in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1997.
Shortly after graduation, Mr. ALVERNAZ began his career as a Deck Officer on container vessels engaged in international trades. In 2001, he transitioned to shore-based roles, taking on various operational positions with shipping lines such as HSUD, NYK Line, CMA CGM, and Maersk. During this time, he managed categories including Stowage Planning, Capacity, Marine/Feeder/Intermodal Operations, Equipment, EMR, and Contracts.
Before joining YILPORT, Luciano ALVERNAZ held several key positions as Head of Operations for Maersk East Coast South America (São Paulo, Brazil, 2013-2016), Head of Inland Procurement and Ocean Procurement for Maersk South Europe Region (Algeciras, Spain, 2016-2021), and Head of Maersk Africa Ocean Procurement (Cape Town, South Africa, 2021-2023). In his procurement roles, Mr. ALVERNAZ was responsible for managing negotiations and commercial relationships with intermodal and terminal operators within the regional portfolio.
Gina ACOSTA joined YILPORT Holding as Chief Operational Excellence Officer in 2023.
Gina ACOSTA received her master’s degree in Transport and Maritime Management at Antwerp University in 2004. Previously, she worked at DP World as Terminal Operations Manager in Belgium (2008-2011), Landside Terminal Operations Manager (2012-2014 - Based in London Gateway/UK), Global Operations and Planning Training Manager (2014-2016 - Based in Head Office Dubai) and as Senior Manager Optimization for Americas Region (2016-2018 - Based in Charlotte/USA). Between 2018 and 2020, she worked at Peel Ports & Terminal Investment Limited as the CEO, of the Container Division (RSCT, MDHC L2 Limited & MDHC Container Services).
Before joining our company, she worked at Terminal Investment Limited as Director of Terminal Investment. Gina held several executive positions in the maritime industry, working with leading global container carriers and major port operators.
Haluk EKİN became part of YILPORT Holding in December 2023 and started to serve as the Global Executive Finance Director in 2025.
In this role, he leads financial strategy, risk management, and sustainable growth initiatives across global operations. His leadership plays a vital role in ensuring financial efficiency, optimizing working capital, and supporting the company's expansion goals in the port and logistics sector.
Before being part of YILPORT Holding, Mr. EKİN held key financial leadership roles at renowned global companies, including Kantar Media, Honda, DSM, and Roche, where he successfully managed financial operations, procurement, and administration.
He is responsible for all global finance-related activities with over 25 years of expertise in finance and accounting, building a distinguished career specializing in international reporting, budgeting, and financial controlling.
His extensive experience in multinational environments has equipped him with a deep understanding of financial planning, business administration, and strategic decision-making. A graduate of Trakya University in Accounting, Haluk EKİN continues to leverage his expertise to drive financial excellence and long-term corporate success.
İbrahim DÖLEN joined YILPORT Holding in June 2022 as Chief Integration Officer and currently serves as Chief Integration & Business Development Officer, responsible for integration of new acquired terminals and driving new business opportunities.
He was graduated from Electric & Electronic Engineering of Bosphorus University in 1990, held his MBA at Istanbul University in 1994 and completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School in 2014.
Between 2002 and 2019, Mr. DÖLEN served as CEO of Borusan Logistics and Borusan Port. He later joined Hemera Capital Partners as Head of Türkiye and held non-executive board member positions across several companies.
Ayşe Gülen KALPAK joined YILPORT Holding in 2011. She has been serving as the Executive Project Management Office Director since 2025.
She received her Bachelor's degree from Çukurova University, Türkiye and her Master’s degree in Business Administration from the International University of America, UK. She has been a trained project manager since 2014, having completed relevant training in project management.
After joining YILPORT Holding in 2011, Ayşe Gülen KALPAK started to take charge of the Project Management Office (PMO) in 2016, starting with handling project-based coordination roles. Under her leadership, a wide range of projects have been successfully delivered across terminals.
Her key accomplishments include leading initiatives in terminal integration, start-ups, system/software implementation, automation, process optimization (operations, EDI, technology), construction, infrastructure, and operational concept development/implementation.
Mehmet Haşim ÖZÇAYIR joined YILPORT Holding in 2024 as Chief Digital Officer. In this role, he is responsible for conducting overall Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence and supporting the company’s Business Intelligence targets, SAP deployment expansion, and integration of international investments.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration & Computer Science and his Master of Science in Mathematics & Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, USA.
Mr. ÖZÇAYIR began his career as a Software Engineer at Logica Consulting Services in Boston. He later advanced to Principal Software Engineer and Project Lead at Fidelity Investments in Boston, followed by serving as Regional CIO for Microsoft Middle East & Africa Region in Dubai in charge of 50 subsidiary locations.
George WAGNER joined YILPORT Holding in 2021 as Global HSSE Director. Mr.WAGNER was promoted to the role of Chief ESG Officer of YILDIRIM Group in 2024. He is directly responsible for the ESG matter and sustainability responsibilities globally and he is focusing on making YILPORT a global leader in HSSE performance.
Mr. WAGNER received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo (Canada) in 1984, followed by a master’s and Ph.D. in systems and control from the University of Manchester (UK). He has worked in a wide range of industries including industrial chemicals, textiles, plastics, and packaging in Turkey and the Far East. He was the Technical Director of the Istanbul site of a major multinational packaging company and took on responsibility for HSE.
In 2007 he became first a regional HSE manager and then the interim director of HSE for all EMEA sites. In this role, he maintained HSE performance through a complex merger with another major multinational packaging company. In the new entity, he worked as a fire safety manager for all EMEA (58 sites) as well as retaining regional HSE manager and group HSE auditor roles.
Martino Vincenzo OTTIMOFIORE began his career through international development and project assignments in South Africa, Argentina, and Pakistan after obtaining a Master’s Degree in Economics and Sociology from the Free University of Berlin and a Certificate in Development Studies from the University of Sussex. In 2008, he joined the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group as a Global HR Business Partner for Damco, the Group’s logistics and freight forwarding division.
Throughout his career, Mr. OTTIMOFIORE has held senior Human Resources leadership roles across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, leading initiatives in organizational development, governance, talent management, leadership development, and HR transformation. A German and Italian citizen, he has worked across five continents and is fluent in English, German, Italian, and French, with working knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish, as well as conversational Urdu.
Before joining YILPORT Holding in 2026, Mr. OTTIMOFIORE served as Vice President HR IMEA at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and held several senior leadership positions within the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group. Currently, he serves as Head of Global Human Resources at YILPORT Holding, leading the Company’s global human resources strategy, organizational effectiveness, and talent development initiatives across its international network.
Tolga ALTINIŞIK joined YILPORT Holding in 2023 and has been serving as Global Procurement Director since then.
He received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Politechnika Lubelska and an Executive MBA from Sabancı University.
He began his career at ARAIA GmbH, focusing on strategic sourcing, supplier development, and market analysis. He later joined Magna International, where he held procurement and operational roles with responsibilities in production optimization, supplier management, and cost efficiency initiatives. He subsequently worked at Trelleborg Group, where he held senior responsibilities in supply chain and procurement management, leading international operations, S&OP processes, and cost optimization initiatives across multiple regions.
Since joining YILPORT Holding, he has been responsible for leading global procurement operations and supplier management strategies across the company’s international network.
Umut ARICAN joined YILPORT Holding in 2026 and has been serving as IT & Digital Transformation Director.
He graduated from the Turkish Naval Academy and Istanbul Technical University in Industrial Engineering and Maritime Studies. He completed his Master’s degree in the maritime field at Istanbul Technical University and is currently pursuing his PhD studies at the same university.
He began his maritime career as an Oceangoing Watchkeeping Officer and later held various roles at Arkas Line in procurement, business and process development, and digital transformation. Through his experience in the procurement department, where he worked with more than 100 ports, he developed strong expertise in port operations and international business practices, gaining a comprehensive perspective across the line, agency, and port sides of the business.
Prior to joining YILPORT Holding, he served as Digital Transformation Director at Arkas Maritime Group, where he led initiatives across more than 30 countries in areas such as process standardization, ERP transformation, artificial intelligence, RPA, digitalization, business intelligence, and data governance. He also led the project management and go-live process of ARMA, a greenfield integrated line and agency operations management system used across Arkas.
He is the author of national and international academic publications and book chapters in the fields of shipping, port management, digital transformation, ERP, and RPA.
Nuno David SILVA received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management & Administration and Master’s degrees in Port Management and Business Information.
In 1998, Mr. Nuno David SILVA started his career in the Corporate Finance and Controlling department at Hanjin Shipping in Germany, and in 1998, he worked as Information Planning & Measures Manager at ABN Amro Bank in Germany. In 2001, Mr. Nuno David SILVA returned to Portugal, and joined Gartner Group as a Project Manager.
From 2003, Nuno David SILVA continued his career at YILPORT Leixões as Operations Director and subsequently as General Manager since 2017.
Nuno David SILVA has considerable depth and breadth of experience in the ports and logistics sectors. Nuno David SILVA speaks three languages, English, German, and Spanish fluently as well as speaks Portuguese, his native language.
Ferhat AKKAYA joined YILPORT Holding in 2023 as General Manager of YILPORT ATSL-Takoradi. He has been serving as Africa Region General Manager since 2025.
He graduated from Saint Joseph French High School and received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Boğaziçi University in 1994.
He began his career at Sabancı Holding in 1994 as Import Chief. Throughout his professional journey, he has held senior executive positions in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods and maritime industries, working with leading global companies and major port operators. Between 1996 and 1999, he worked at Danone as Regional Sales Manager and later as Key Account Manager. From 2001 to 2006, he served at Coca-Cola Türkiye as Group General Manager.
In the following years, he held senior leadership roles including General Manager at Marport (2006–2008), General Manager at Evyap Port (2008–2009), and Managing Director at Sven Yacht Shipyard (2010–2016). Between 2016 and 2020, he worked as an independent Port and Management Consultant, providing consultancy services for various international projects. From 2020 to 2023, he served as General Manager of Mogadishu Alport Corp in Somalia.
He is fluent in French and English, married, and the father of one daughter.