Biography

Onur Tayşu

Onur Tayşu was born on April 27, 1980, in Antalya, Turkiye as the son of a statistician mother and a civil engineer father. He completed his primary, middle, and high school education in Ankara. He learned English at TED Ankara College (1987-1992) and later French at Ankara Anadolu High School (1992-1998). He graduated from Izmir Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, in 2003 without any academic gaps.

Became competent with education in his career

In his professional life, he started working under the umbrella of Borsa İstanbul (formerly known as IMKB - Istanbul Stock Exchange) at Nurol Securities Inc. During this time, he has shaped his career and furthered his education.

He completed European Union specialization education at the European Community Research and Implementation Center affiliated with Ankara University's Faculty of Political Sciences, where he learned about the European Union's path to become a global power and its functioning. The knowledge gained here helped him gain awareness in his professional life.

He completed English Courses / Private English, TOEFL and GMAT courses and specialized preparation programs for MBA education in the USA in METU (ODTÜ) between 2003-2004.

He then pursued an MBA - Master of Business Administration in global management and international finance at Clark University in Massachusetts, USA between 2004 and 2007. He also participated in team collaborations and projects at Harvard University while working as a research assistant at Clark University.

Throughout his professional life, Onur Tayşu enhanced his skills through various educational programs. He also took up roles at Career Explorations, offering career opportunities to young individuals, as well as Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He brought what he learned to Turkiye

After completing his MBA with honors, Onur returned to Turkiye. His first job was completing his military service as a soldier in Van, Erciş. He then chosed to focus on the construction sector, which he considered the most suitable sector for economic development in Turkiye. He started working at the Turkiye Building Materials Producers Association known by its abbreviation Turkiye IMSAD. During his time as Deputy Secretary General, he has provided a wide range of services, from sectoral publications to summit meetings, corporate structuring to European funds, and financial projects to multinational projects. He played an active role in securing direct funding from the European Commission for two multinational projects and their implementation under the EUbuild brand in Turkiye (December 2007 - July 2012).

With the experience and expertise gained here, he transferred to OmMedya to undertake special projects for the Turkish Exporters Assembly known as TIM. As Projects Coordinator, he was part of the management team that organized the first Turkiye Innovation Conference hosted by TIM. He also contributed to the annual publication of the TIM First 1,000 Exporters book, which listed the official inventories of Turkiye's top 1,000 exporters yearly. He also assisted in the preparation of the monthly TIM Report business magazine (September 2012 - August 2013). Concurrently, he took on the role of Strategy and Communications Advisor for TIM, which lasted until 2015.

One of the significant milestones in his professional life was being part of the team that organized the first Turkiye Innovation Week events in December 2012. The international event, held in partnership with Turkcell and Isbank (Turkiye Is Bankasi), and hosted by TIM, brought together innovation leaders such as His Highness the “Father Emir” Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the founder of modern Qatar, Mike Lazaridis, the co-founder and co-chairperson of RIM (Blackberry), Prof. Dr. Clayton Christensen, renowned as the father of innovation and Harvard Business School Management Guru, Lyndon Evans, the Project Leader of CERN Large Hadron Collider, Prof. Dr. Mary Claire King, the geneticist behind the Genome project, and Prof. Dr. Murat Günel, the shining star of the medical world and the Head of the Department of Brain Vascular Surgery at Yale University. The first Turkiye Innovation Conference, part of the ongoing Turkiye Innovation Week, shed light on the era by bringing together business, science, and innovation through its speeches.

Progressing towards globalization

In January 2013, Onur undertook the role of Founding General Coordinator at Global Connection International Media Group, established in the Swiss city of Lausanne. Within this organization, which focuses on the global promotion and lobbying of Turkiye and its industries, he emphasized initiatives to facilitate cultural understanding and closeness among different nations. Under his General Coordination, Global Connection carried out cross-sectoral and sector-specific international initiatives. From tourism and agricultural products to machinery, real estate to construction, ready-to-wear garments to leather, automotive to aviation, he conducted international lobbying, media, and promotional activities for various industries. During this time, he successfully executed the official international publications for the first G20 Leaders Summit held in Turkiye.

In 2017, Onur organized the International Media Forum, which gained attention on the international stage with the participation of 150 high-level media representatives from 50 countries (January 2013 - June 2018).

From November 2018 to January 2022, he worked as Chief Advisor to the Russian Council on Economic, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation (REBTEK) and as Vice President of the High Advisory Board. In this capacity, he facilitated sectoral collaborations and created opportunities for cooperation with Russian medias.

He continues to carry out international works as a member of the Board of Directors of TURKONFED - Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation International (Jan 2023 to present)

A rising star in Russia

Onur coordinated numerous international media campaigns such as "Turkish Citrus" and "Discover the Potential" and published content in Russia's leading media outlets. His distinctive and impactful international promotional efforts for Turkiye during 2017-2018 were crowned with the Gold Print Award, also known as the Russian Media and Communications Oscars, organized by the Russian Publishers Union.

In the aftermath of the tensions following the 2015 crisis in Turkish-Russian relations, he organized the Turkiye-Russia Media Forum. He also effectively coordinated International Media Forum which brought together approximately 150 high-level media representatives from a total of 50 countries.

He organized campaigns that won the first prize in the world brands category at Russia's prestigious award ceremony, "50 Legendary Brands" for the Turkish Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Sector. This recognition in 2021 proved that opportunities can be created by overcoming obstacles, even during the challenging times of the global pandemic.

In addition to his focus on business and economics-oriented media and communications, he ventured into the world of television production with the Turkish-Russian co-production series "The Sultan of My Heart”. He collaborated with Hollywood director Bobby Roth, known for directing successful series like Lost, Prison Break, and Grey's Anatomy. As the International Coordinator, he worked on the international co-production TV series, which was broadcasted on the most significant television channels of both countries (1st Channel/Russia and Star TV/Turkiye) within the partnership of Gazprom Media Holding’s KIT Film Studios.

In his international media projects, he also worked with Hollywood stars like Ben Affleck, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, and Pierce Brosnan on various publishing productions.

Transcontinental Leadership

His success was further strengthened when he was invited to represent Turkiye at the G20 Young Leaders Summit. The five-day assembly, held in Evian, France, gathered 100 young leaders under the age of 45 from around the world to address the primary global issues and propose solutions. Onur Tayşu has been the Member of Friends’ Circle of the G20 Young Leaders Association based in Geneva, Switzerland since 2017, expanding his influence with a sustainable leadership approach.

In 2019, he initially became a member of the Latin America Business Development Association (LAIGED). Until 2023, he held positions as Chief Advisor to the Chairperson and Vice President of the High Advisory Board. He became the Vice President of the organization, which continues its activities today as the Latin American Business Club. (August 2023)

In 2023, he joined the Asia CEO Community, aiming to build a strong network among C-Level executives in Asian countries. Within this structure, headquartered in Hong Kong, he continues to act as a bridge between organizations in various Asian countries and Turkiye. In the same year, he became a member of the Jakarta, Indonesia based ASEAN CEO Club, continuing his work with the motto "learn while having fun, gain while changing." He has been establishing business networks extending from South America to Asia and realized numerous projects.

The latest membership is EUTrade - European Business Club, as Media & Communications Sector Executive based in Vienna, Austria

Onur operates his executive, media consulting, and leadership endeavors within a multifaceted working framework. He engages in promotion, content marketing, and lobbying-focused activities with reputable media organizations worldwide. He shares his experiences in sectoral investments and trade, develops projects with a mutually beneficial approach, and provides consultancy services.

He is the founding partner, Deputy Chairperson of the Board, and CEO of UCOM Global GmbH, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, actively operating in more than 100 countries under the brand UCOM United Communications. In Turkiye, he continues his professional life as the founding partner, Vice President, and CEO of IQRN Technology and Communications Industry and Foreign Trade Inc., headquartered in Istanbul. Currently he is managing UAE based brand new UCOM Communications FZCO as well as UCOM Turkiye office those were established in 2024.

Onur Tayşu is married and a father of two daughters. He is highly proficient in English and has a good command of French.