Murat ÖZDEMİR

I was born in Ankara in 1971 and completed my primary and secondary education in the same city. Following my graduation from Kuleli Military High School, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Management from the Turkish Military Academy in 1993. Between 1998 and 2000, I completed a Master’s degree in “Systems Management” at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School/CA, USA.

During my career in the Turkish Armed Forces, I held various leadership and staff positions across Türkiye, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and other NATO and allied countries. My final post was as Department Head at the NATO Centre of Excellence in Ankara. In 2016, I chose to retire voluntarily and transitioned to the private sector, joining Askon Demir.

In addition to my current responsibilities, I am also involved in one of our affiliated group companies, Askon Design Center, as a minority shareholder. This partnership reflects our broader commitment to innovation and design-focused growth within the group.

In line with our company’s core value of continuous learning and development, I am currently pursuing a PhD in Industrial Engineering. My research focuses on customer segmentation using Machine Learning and Multi-Criteria Decision Making techniques.

Askon Demir’s long-term vision is to become one of the world's top five steel service centers by 2035. On this path, I try my best to bring strong capabilities in strategic planning, analytical thinking, team building, decision-making, communication, change management, adaptability, resilience, continuous development, and leadership.

I firmly believe that the “Partnering in Business with Germany” program—fully aligned with our strategic planning framework, AS-tra (Askon Sustainable Strategy: Team – Resilience – Agility)—will serve as a powerful catalyst and motivator for advancing our ongoing collaborations in Germany. Germany holds a uniquely important position in our international business network, particularly in terms of supply chain, customer relationships, and strategic partnerships. We see this program as a key opportunity to extend these collaborations into new and mutually beneficial areas.

I am married; my wife is a specialist medical doctor in pathology, and we have a 14-year-old daughter who is currently attending high school.