BIROL UNER, CEO, Gemak Shipyard
Mr. Birol Uner was born in 1969 in Istanbul. He was graduated from Kadikoy Anadolu high school in 1991. Shipyard business was always essential part of his life. Starting from the early childhood years, he preferred attending his father’s (Mr. Ismet Uner) shipyard (Gemak) as a trainee. While the turmoil in the world economies started to diminish in the second half of 80’s, Gemak Shipyard was expanding in the ship repair and conversion business and management of a larger organisation was foreseen for the following years. Birol Uner graduated from Industrial Engineering faculty of Istanbul Technical University in 1991 and immediately after, he started his active work life as a research and development engineer at Gemak Shipyard. He implemented modern steel welding and cutting technologies at the yard. In 1993, after building Gemak’s first floating dock he promoted to commercial department and he became marketing manager in 1996. Within the same year Gemak has imported shipyard’s panamax size floating dock from Italy. Since then, Gemak Shipyard repairs more than 80 ships annually. He became shipyard manager of Gemak shipyard in 1998 and the group acquired Tuzla Gemi Shipyard in 2000. With an entry to new building segment he was governing the two yards, as Vice President, in the operational and commercial fields reporting to the president. Both shipyards became well known in the world markets in their own fields and both of the them are being listed in the ISO Top 500 rank industrial companies of Turkey. He is currently in charge as group’s Chief Executive Officer and board member of Turkish Ship builders Association and board member of Istanbul Exporter’s Association Ships and Yachts Division.