Gem Private Equity Partners, which focuses mainly on private equity in Turkey, with selective investments in the former Soviet Union, has appointed Natalie Yukselen-Alink as managing direc
Gem Private Equity Partners, which focuses mainly on private equity in Turkey, with selective investments in the former Soviet Union, has appointed Natalie Yukselen-Alink as managing director as the firm seeks to expand its investments and its team to meet strong interest from investors in Turkish private equity.
Yukselen-Alink brings to Gem Private Equity extensive experience in business restructuring, turnaround strategies, supply chain improvement, costs analysis and post-merger business and IT integration in a wide range of sectors including utilities and industrial goods, consumer goods and retail, financial services, logistics and supply chain and information and communications technology.
She has 14 years experience mostly in business restructuring and strategic management consulting as a manager at McKinsey in Istanbul, with Boston Consulting Group in Amsterdam, and as an entrepreneur. Most recently she spent six years in Turkey advising at chief executive and board level on the restructuring of leading Turkish companies and banks including Arçelik Beko of Koc Group, Turkey’s largest privately-held company. She was also involved as an entrepreneur in drugstore retail in Turkey and a shareholder in various mid-size companies and start-ups.
‘The appointment of Natalie is the start of a major expansion by Gem Private Equity Partners,’ says chairman Anthony Inder van Rieden. ‘Her track record of working in the restructuring of companies is a strong fit with a number of similar investments which we have undertaken.
‘Natalie’s excellent network in the Turkish business community will support the identification of investment opportunities for Gem Private Equity Partners and we are delighted with her appointment. We look forward to expanding the team in the coming months.’
Yukselen-Alink says: ‘The firm’s competitive edge resides in identifying high-quality businesses with enduring competitive advantages through in-depth research and an intimate knowledge of the potential internal and external value creation catalysts which can affect those businesses. Our research approach seeks to identify promising investments before these companies hit the main investor radar screens.
‘The depth of the research undertaken provides the conviction to acquire attractively-priced majority control in companies and enable full value creation by means of restructuring, mergers and acquisitions and other forms of turn-around. The firm’s specific investment approach, together with its established presence in Turkey since 1993, are key attractions for me, facilitating win-win outcomes for all stakeholders.’
Gem Private Equity believes that the Turkish macro-economic and business environment has developed to a level which is now ready for an increase in private equity operations. Increasing economic stability has seen inflation substantially reduced, with the consumer price index falling from 70 per cent in 2001 to a forecast 5 per cent in 2007.
GDP per capita has increased from USD2,123 per capita in 2001 to a forecast USD5,650 this year. Turkey’s economic growth is supported by a very young population, with 50 per cent of the population in the 0-24 year age group. The population is forecast to grow by 17 per cent from the current 72 million to 84.3 million by 2020.
Gem Private Equity works closely with its sister company, soeciualist emerging markets investment manager, Gem Global Equities Management in conducting research and investment decisions. The latter’s investment philosophy involves applying private equity-style activist investment techniques with selected listed companies, developing research based on long-term forecasts, and using proprietary models that compare the worldwide capacity and potential growth of various business sectors.
Following 14 years’ experience of investing in Turkey and other emerging markets, the investment team at Gem Global Equities Management has identified various investment opportunities more suited to private equity investment than portfolio investment in listed securities, the firm’s core business. Gem Private Equity Partners will be the main investment vehicle for private equity operations.
