United Biscuits

Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Eurasia are the main destinations for Turkish investors, a survey by PwC Türkiye has shown.

The survey asked a total of 95 Turkish executives about their existing investments and investment plans in the future.

It found that 30 percent of them prefer Europe for investment, while the Northern America's (the U.S., and Canada) share is 18 percent.

Yıldız Holding, which is home to global brands such as Godiva and United Biscuits, set up the Sabri Ülker Center at the Harvard School of Public Health in 2014 with a $24 million donation. The holding has 56,000 staff on four continents; they have made $3.6 billion in investments in the past five years.  

Yıldız Holding has decided to sell 71.8 million shares of Ülker Bisküvi, Turkey's largest cookie and biscuit company, to its wholly owned unit Pladis as part of a strategy. 

"Yıldız Holding will be the indirect owner of the Ülker Bisküvi shares through Pladis," said the company in a written statement on Dec. 23. 

The sale will represent 21 percent of the company.

Yıldız Holding chair Murat Ülker said that the group, which has grown through a series of key global acquisitions for the last couple of years, will make over 5 billion Turkish Liras ($1.7 billion) in investment in Turkey over the next five years. 

Y?ld?z Holding Chairman Murat Ülker was again named Turkey's wealthiest person in 2016 with a fortune of $2.9 billion, Forbes magazine revealed on Feb. 29.        

Turkey's leading biscuits and confectionary group, Y?ld?z Holding, has reorganized its global brands, De Met's, Godiva, United Biscuits and Ülker, under the Pladis umbrella, forming a new global giant with annual revenue of $5.2 billion and 26,000 employees.

Y?ld?z Holding will ramp up investments this year to above 1.6 billion Turkish Liras with a new planned project in East Africa and capacity increases in Turkey, the United States and Britain, the company's deputy chairman told reporters late Jan. 13.

Do?an Holding Chairwoman Begümhan Do?an Faralyal? has been named businesswoman of the year at the Bosphorus Business World Awards. 

After gaining 15 years of overseas experience, she moved back to Turkey in 2009 and became CEO of Star TV.

Y?ld?z Holding Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Head of Non-Food Businesses Dr. Cem Karaka?, who had a key role in the company?s global expansion, has been appointed as the group?s executive deputy chairman as of October, said the company in a press release on Oct. 14 

Turkey?s largest food group, Y?ld?z Holding, has sold its Ak G?da dairy unit to French food giant Groupe Lactalis after an intended initial public offering (IPO) was canceled, the company has announced.