Açelya Ecem Yıldız

Dr. Açelya Ecem Yıldız is a transformation leader working at the intersection of strategy, risk and execution, with over 15 years of experience supporting organizations operating in complex, high-stakes environments to make better decisions and turn strategic intent into measurable outcomes.

Throughout her career, Açelya has worked closely with senior executives and Boards of Directors, leading transformation initiatives where uncertainty, risk, and accountability are central. She spent 10 years at Rönesans Holding, one of the largest conglomerates in Turkey and Europe, where she held senior roles and contributed to large-scale corporate and project-level transformation initiatives.

She later served as Risk & Transformation Officer at Renaissance Heavy Industries, one of Russia’s leading international oil and gas companies. In this role, she led major transformation programs, including corporate restructuring, business process redesign, and zero-based budgeting, while overseeing enterprise-wide risk and transformation agendas. She was responsible not only for designing transformation agendas, but also for ensuring execution discipline and ownership across the organization. She was also an active member of executive-level committees, including the Risk Committee and Tender Committee, and managed multidisciplinary teams across functions.

Açelya earned her B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU) and went on to complete both her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Construction Engineering and Project Management. Her expertise focuses on organizational theory, strategy, risk and project management. She has published various academic publications in respected international journals and conferences.

In January 2023, she founded MindEx Consulting Group, a management and technical consultancy firm specializing in corporate transformation and capability building. Since September 2023, she has also been serving as a part-time lecturer at METU, teaching graduate-level courses on Risk Management in Construction Projects and Strategic Planning for Construction Companies.

In addition, Açelya is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Committee, contributing to global discussions on business strategy, leadership, and corporate transformation.