The Women in Technology Association (Wtech) unveiled its Young Executive Advisory Board – which positions young people not merely as a represented group but as leaders who contribute directly to decision-making – at a press launch on 8 January.
A New Approach to Governance That Puts Young People at the Heart of Decision-Making
The Women in Technology Association (Wtech) has taken an important step in redefining the role of young people in a fast-changing world of technology and business. With its Young Executive Advisory Board, the association aims to turn youth from a subject of the future into an active part of today’s strategic decision-making.
The Young Executive Advisory Board is made up of young people studying and working at the world’s top universities in critical disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, engineering, medicine, sustainability, economics, communications and business development. Its members represent a generation with multinational experience that has engaged with technology, consulting, industry and research ecosystems operating on a global scale.
A Strategic Bridge of Young Minds Between Turkey and the World
Stretching from Turkey to Europe and from the United States to the United Kingdom, this structure is positioned not merely as an advisory mechanism but as a natural intellectual bridge of young minds between Turkey and the world. The board works to support the long-term sustainability of associations, produce data-driven research and deep insights and shape the design of next-generation projects.
Bringing the voice of youth into decision-making and connecting global trends with local needs, the board aims to make the association’s projects more agile, its policies more inclusive and its impact more measurable and sustainable.
This approach is part of a governance standard that is growing ever stronger around the world. In international bodies such as the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations, youth advisory boards play an active role in policy and strategy. In Turkey, some 12.7 million young people aged 15–24 make up nearly 15% of the total population. According to a research report presented at the launch by Akan Abdula, Co-Founder of FutureBright, 6 in 10 young people say university life does not meet their expectations, while half of young people say they were unable to find an internship or work experience in their chosen field during their studies. This picture makes involving young people’s potential in decision-making earlier and more effectively a strategic necessity if it is to be turned into innovation, entrepreneurship and social impact.
Zehra Öney, Founding Chair of the Women in Technology Association, said:
“We created our Young Executive Advisory Board to go beyond listening to young people – to think with them, decide with them and turn those decisions into reality together. This structure is the natural result of a generation, educated at the world’s best universities in the most critical disciplines and in contact with global institutions and research ecosystems, being ready today to contribute actively to decision-making. Building a strong intellectual bridge between Turkey and the world, the board is positioned as an inseparable part of our association’s strategic thinking. Because as we help the young people we nurture plan their careers, we also invite them into the real world, real projects and real governance, so that as people born into the digital age they can become role models and pathfinders for the generation coming after them. We want to strengthen their 360-degree perspective, increase their resilience and equip them with the skills to use their creative minds and emotional intelligence at the same time.”
Selin Şengöz, Chair of the Young Executive Advisory Board, said:
“The Young Executive Advisory Board represents a new understanding of governance in which young people are positioned not just as stakeholders offering ideas but as actors who take responsibility, think with data and create impact. As young Turks from different disciplines and parts of the world, we aim to bring our global perspective together with local needs and to shape the future of the Women in Technology Association together.”
The board was launched under the leadership of Zehra Öney, Founding Chair of the Women in Technology Association, Berrak Kutsoy, Director of Corporate Communications and External Relations at Esas Holding and Banu Soyak, General Manager of Lenovo Turkey, with a governance model built on the direct participation of young people in decision-making.
The Young Executive Advisory Board is made up of young people from different disciplines, organised around specific areas of responsibility. The board is chaired by Selin Şengöz, with Bahar Taş, Zeynep Hazal Karadeniz and Yaren Eray serving as vice-chairs. Yaren Eray also heads the Research and Measurement Committee. Kuzey Özpak is responsible for the board’s financial matters, while Batu Barkın and Reyhan Öykü Bilgi serve as Chairs of the Sustainability Committee. Nilsen Karahan, as Secretary General, is responsible for the board’s coordination and internal operations. Buse Suer chairs the corporate communications committee, and Ayşe Nil Güven and Berra Ülkü Kalcı the business development committee. Melek Uslu sits on the board as Chair of the Institutional Relations Committee, while Ayşe Deniz Kandemir, Beliz Soyak, Cevdet Batuhan Işık, Naz Avşar, Azra Zeynep Kahramaner, İsmail Efe Telatar and Beren Ayorak make up the board’s innovation and new ideas membership.
About the Women in Technology Association
The Women in Technology Association is a civil society organisation that aims to empower women, who are few in number and often lack motivation in the field of technology and innovation, to support sustainable solutions and to put social benefit first. By developing projects that encourage women entrepreneurs and leaders, the association contributes to building a technology-focused ecosystem.
Aiming to add value to society through education, mentoring, employment opportunities and sustainability-based projects, the Women in Technology Association supports women in becoming more visible and effective in technology, and plays a pioneering role in building an equal future.
For more information, visit www.teknolojidekadin.org.
