Vuslat Doğan Sabancı

A graduate of Bilkent University Dept. of Economics, Vuslat Doğan Sabancı went on to attend Columbia University in New York for her graduate studies in International Media and Communications. Vuslat Doğan Sabancı currently chairs the Board of Directors at Hürriyet, and has held this post since May 26, 2010.

Doğan Sabancı worked at the editorial department of The New York Times for a year, and later at The Wall Street Journal, where she was instrumental in the formation of the Asian Business World News Channel and the paper's Latin America edition, before she joined Hürriyet.

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı joined Hürriyet in 1996 as Vice President in charge of advertising, before receiving a promotion to the post of Marketing Group President three years later. Her responsibilities in Hürriyet included marketing, sales, human resources and information technologies (IT).

During her tenure at CEO capacity between 2004 and 2010, Vuslat Doğan Sabancı transformed Hürriyet from a leading paper in Turkey into an international powerhouse through her acquisition of Trader Media East (TME) in 2007 in a move that represented the largest ever foreign procurement executed by a Turkish Company.

TME is an online and printed media advertising company operating in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia. Iz ruki ruki is among the best recognized media brands in Russia, while Irr.ru is the leading online classifieds company.[1]

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı ensured Hürriyet's position as a major player within the emerging new media in Turkey through investing in digital publishing and services.

The return on such investments manifested itself in the form of launching news portal Hürriyet [2] and raising it to the level of those sites across Europe generating highest levels of traffic. Hürriyet currently offers classified advertising services through its sister sites such as hurriyetemlak.com, hurriyetoto.com, yenibiris.com, in addition to yakala.co, a deal finder website, and yenicarsim.com, an e-trading portal.[3][4][5][6][7]

Following the sale of Hürriyet to the Demirören Group in 2018, a move considered by many as part of government takeover of remaining free Turkish media,[8] she left the company.

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı has also evolved into a strong voice for human rights and especially issues revolving around gender equality in Turkey, by investing in such topics in Hürriyet. A law was enacted on domestic violence following an 8-year effort on her part through the “No More Domestic Violence” campaign she has initiated while she waş the Chief Executive Officer of Hürriyet.[9]

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı also helped establish a platform to gather all Non Profit Organisations formed around issues concerning women under the same roof, and function as a pressure lobby to ensure more women could be voted into the Parliament, prior to the General Elections in 2010. As a consequence of this effort, the number of female MPs rose to 78 after the 2011 elections, from 48.[10]

Besides these, Doğan Sabancı carries on with a multitude of activities in the name of giving women their rightful place both in social life and within the economy. The microloan project for women, along with similar efforts, constitute examples of such Social Responsibility Projects.

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı is a lifetime honorary member of the International Press Institute (IPI), where she served an 8-year term as a board member.

Endeavor, a New York-based international NGO, where Vuslat Doğan Sabancı has been serving as a board member since its inception, has commenced its operations in Turkey in 2006. Endeavor Turkey furthers its efforts in Turkey through the support provided by its board, members of the Advisory Council, as well as Endeavor Mentors; identifies Endeavor Entrepreneurs and supports them.

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı is also a member of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) in good standing since 2003.