Dr. Yılmaz Argüden is renowned globally for his work in preparing institutions for the future, through his innovative and creative management strategies, and his contributions to society, serving as the Chairman of the Board at ARGE Consulting. In addition to his role as the Chairman of the Board for Rothschild & Co. in Turkey, he has served on the boards of over 70 companies in various countries throughout his career. Dr. Argüden began his professional journey at Koç Holding’s R&D Center, later working as a Specialist in Strategic Analysis at The RAND Corporation. He has worked with 20 countries while holding the position of Section Chief in the World Bank’s Loans Department. Between 1988-1990, he led the Privatization Program and served as the Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister in 1991. During his presidency at KalDer, Dr. Argüden initiated the National Quality Movement and was elected as the Global Network President, serving on the Board of the UN Global Compact, the world’s most extensive sustainability platform.
Recognized worldwide for his work on boards and governance, Dr. Argüden’s books and articles have been published in multiple languages. He holds international positions such as the Chairmanship of the Business at OECD Governance Committee and membership of the IFC Corporate Governance Advisory Board, in addition to chairing the Board of Trustees at the Argüden Governance Academy. A graduate of Boğaziçi University with both academic honors and the Rector’s Award for student leadership, and a point guard for the Tarsus American College and Boğaziçi University basketball teams, winning the Turkish Basketball Championship three years in a row, Dr. Argüden also served as the Vice President of the Turkish Basketball Federation.
He has taught courses on strategy, governance, and sustainability at Boğaziçi University, Koç University, and the War Academies. Throughout his career, Dr. Argüden has received numerous professional awards, including for Outstanding Citizenship, Strategic Leadership, and Leadership in Quality, and has been selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow.
