NEXT

Ebru began her professional career in New York, as a financial analyst in Corporate Finance at Morgan Stanley. In 1992, she returned to her native Turkey to serve as a senior manager at Citibank, a post she held until 1999 when she joined AIG’s private equity fund as a VP. This all changed when the fund chose to invest in Galatasaray, a major Turkish soccer club based on the European side of Istanbul. Ebru, a life-long fan, worked on the proposal. What began as a six-month stint at the club turned into a new career for this reformed economist. Since she was brought on in 2001 as interim CFO, she served as Galatasaray’s General Manager of Marketing, the Marketing and Finance Group Head, and the Stadium General Manager. Following the merger of football, stadium, and marketing companies in 2010, Ebru was tasked with leading the merged entity, Galatasaray Sports Club, as the CEO. She was the 1st woman to be elected to the European Club Association Executive Board in 2010 and was named Executive of the Year by Stadium Business Awards in 2011. She is currently a senior adviser at J Stern & Co., INED at the Professional Footballers Association, Board Director at Australian Professional Leagues, Chair of Women in Football, UK, and Board Director at Doublepass BV. Ebru is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program. Today she shares her perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion – a fascinating story of her life between family, football, and finance.