More Data, Better Targeting: The Direction of Tax Audits in Turkey

Two announcements. One clear direction.

Over the past two weeks, the Turkish Tax Authority released two announcements that deserve attention from finance and tax leaders.

The first was the publication of H1 2026 enforcement results. The second was the launch of VDK-MİHENK, an AI-supported risk analysis platform designed to strengthen the authority's ability to identify transfer pricing and related-party transaction risks.

At first glance, these appear to be independent developments.

In reality, they represent two sides of the same strategy.

One demonstrates the results the authority is achieving today. The other reveals the capabilities it is building for tomorrow.

The numbers tell a bigger story

The headlines focused on a record TRY 354 billion of identified tax base adjustments and reduced losses during the first six months of 2026, a 57% increase compared with the same period last year.

More striking is the increase in traditional audit outputs:

• Tax base adjustments identified through audits increased by 97%
• Proposed taxes increased by 89%
• Proposed penalties increased by 80%
• More than 33,000 taxpayers were examined

These figures signal more than a successful audit cycle.

They suggest that the authority is becoming increasingly effective in selecting where to deploy its resources.

Historically, large tax administrations often faced a simple challenge: finding the right cases among millions of transactions and thousands of taxpayers.

The latest results indicate that Turkey is improving that capability.

A shift from audit activity to risk intelligence

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the government's messaging is what it chose to emphasize.

Both the Tax Inspection Board and Minister Şimşek highlighted:

• risk analysis,
• monitoring programmes,
• guidance,
• voluntary compliance,
• invitation to explanation mechanisms.

This is a notable shift.

The objective is no longer limited to increasing audit activity. The objective is to influence taxpayer behaviour before a full audit becomes necessary.

In many respects, Turkey appears to be moving closer to the model increasingly adopted by advanced tax administrations globally: identify risks early, intervene selectively and reserve audit resources for the highest-risk areas.

Why MİHENK matters

The launch of VDK-MİHENK provides a clearer picture of how this approach will evolve.

The platform combines artificial intelligence, e-invoice data and large-scale transaction analysis to strengthen risk assessment capabilities, particularly in transfer pricing.

The significance is not that the authority now has another technology platform.

The significance is that the authority is building the ability to analyse pricing, costs, transaction patterns and profitability across a much broader universe of real economic transactions than was previously possible.

For tax authorities, this fundamentally improves one capability: identifying outliers.

For taxpayers, it increases the likelihood that unusual pricing outcomes, profitability levels or related-party transaction patterns are detected much earlier.

Transfer pricing moves further up the agenda

One message comes through clearly in the MİHENK announcement.

Transfer pricing is becoming a priority area.

This should not come as a surprise.

Recent years have already seen a significant increase in transfer pricing reviews across multinational groups operating in Turkey. The latest announcements suggest that the authority is now investing in the analytical tools required to expand those efforts.

The focus is unlikely to be limited to transfer prices alone.

The authority's roadmap already points toward broader profitability and margin analysis as the next stage of development.

The growing focus on outcomes

A particularly important detail is the planned introduction of sector profitability and margin analytics.

This reflects a broader trend seen in tax administrations worldwide.

The discussion increasingly moves beyond questions such as:

    "Was the transfer price correct?"

toward questions such as:

    "Does the overall profit allocation make economic sense?"

For multinational groups, this matters because profitability often receives less day-to-day attention than transaction pricing itself.

Yet profitability is ultimately where transfer pricing policies become visible.

As analytical capabilities improve, sustained deviations from sector norms may become as important as the pricing of individual transactions.

What finance and tax teams should consider

The practical implication is not necessarily more audits.

It is more targeted audits.

The challenge for taxpayers is therefore evolving.

In the past, success often depended on whether a potential issue could be identified.

Going forward, success may increasingly depend on whether a business can clearly explain its outcomes once those outcomes have been identified.

That places greater emphasis on:

• consistent transfer pricing policies,
• robust local documentation,
• support for management fees, royalties and service charges,
• clear business rationale for profitability outcomes,
• alignment between legal arrangements and operational reality.

Documentation remains important. But increasingly, the ability to explain the business story behind the numbers may become equally important.

Looking ahead

Taken together, the H1 2026 enforcement results and the launch of MİHENK point to a broader transformation.

Turkey is not simply increasing enforcement activity. It is investing in the data, technology and analytical capabilities needed to make enforcement more targeted and more effective.

For multinational groups, the message is clear: transfer pricing, profitability and the ability to defend commercial outcomes are likely to remain at the centre of the Turkish tax agenda for years to come.

AI Can Generate the Slides. We Still Need to Generate the Insight

AI can create a polished PowerPoint presentation in minutes.

But can it explain the reasoning behind every recommendation on the slide?

That question changed the way I think about using Copilot.

This Sunday, I was reflecting on one of the goals in my Individual Development Plan: becoming a stronger stakeholder and contributing to better decisions, not just better outputs.

While thinking about that, I came across an article by Paul Millerd, How to use AI in knowledge work and consulting work without shipping slop.

What I expected was another article about prompting techniques and productivity.

What I got instead was a challenge to the way I use AI.

Like many of us, I use Copilot regularly, especially in PowerPoint. It helps me structure ideas, summarize information, build storylines, and create first drafts much faster than before.

And honestly, I often look at the result and think:

"That's pretty good."

But one example from the article made me pause.

Millerd asked an AI model to create a slide about U.S. real estate trends. The first result looked impressive: charts, headlines, and a convincing storyline. At first glance, it looked ready for an executive presentation.

Then he started asking simple questions:

• What exactly do we mean by "rebound"?
• Do the data actually support the headline?
• Is the title aligned with the evidence?
• What's the real takeaway?
• Why should an executive care?

With each round of questioning, the slide improved. The insight became sharper. The story became clearer.

The lesson was simple: the first draft looked finished, but the thinking wasn't.

One point from the article stayed with me:

AI lowers the cost of producing work, but increases the value of judgment, understanding, and synthesis.

That example felt very familiar.

How often do we stop at the first polished output because it looks convincing?

How often do we confuse a well-designed slide with a well-developed idea?

The more I reflected on it, the more I realized that I sometimes use Copilot as a content generator when I should be using it as a thinking partner.

Not to tell me what to think.

But to challenge my thinking.

Instead of asking:

"Create a slide for me."

Maybe the better questions are:

"What assumptions am I making?"

"What am I missing?"

"How would a skeptical stakeholder challenge this?"

"Would I feel comfortable defending this conclusion in front of my leadership team?"

That's where the real value starts.

Because as AI becomes better at producing content, our value shifts from creating slides to creating clarity.

From generating answers to asking better questions.

From presenting information to generating insight.

My biggest takeaway from this Sunday reflection:

The first AI output should be the start of the conversation, not the end of the thinking.

Key Takeaways

• AI can generate content, but humans still need to generate insight.
• A polished presentation is not the same as a well-developed recommendation.
• The value of knowledge workers is shifting from content creation to judgment and synthesis.
• Copilot works best as a thinking partner, not just a content generator.
• Better questions often create more value than faster answers.

Final Thought

The most important skill in the age of AI may not be prompting.

It may be judgment.

As tools like Microsoft Copilot become better at generating content, the competitive advantage of knowledge workers will increasingly come from framing problems, challenging assumptions, and turning information into actionable insights.

AI can create the presentation.

People still need to create the understanding.

📖 Inspired by Paul Millerd's article: How to use AI in knowledge work and consulting work without shipping slop
https://strategyu.co/using-ai-in-knowledge-work-and-consulting/

Has AI mainly changed the way you work, or has it also changed the way you think?

#AI #Copilot #KnowledgeWork #StrategicThinking #Learning #FutureOfWork  

The Future of Global Travel Retail: Why AI, Personalization, and Connected Journeys Will Define the Next Decade

Global Travel Retail Is Entering a New Era

Global Travel Retail (GTR) is evolving.

After years of disruption, changing traveler expectations, digital acceleration, and increasing competition for attention, the industry is redefining what growth means.

Passenger traffic remains important. However, the next phase of growth may depend less on footfall and more on understanding the traveler behind the boarding pass.

As traveler expectations become increasingly digital, seamless, and personalized, Global Travel Retail has an opportunity to transform from a transaction-focused industry into an experience-driven ecosystem.

Why Traditional Duty Free Models Are No Longer Enough

For decades, duty free retail benefited from a unique advantage: location.

Travelers entered airports, passed through security, browsed stores, and completed purchases before departure.

Today's reality is fundamentally different.

Consumers research online, compare products through mobile devices, engage with loyalty programs, and make purchasing decisions before arriving at the airport. Many already know what they want long before entering a store.

This means airport retail can no longer operate as an isolated touchpoint.

The future of Global Travel Retail will depend on how effectively the industry integrates into the broader traveler journey.

Artificial Intelligence Could Become Travel Retail's Biggest Growth Enabler

Artificial Intelligence is often discussed in terms of automation and efficiency.

Its greatest impact in Travel Retail may be something much more valuable: relevance.

Every day, millions of travelers move through global airports with different needs, destinations, and shopping intentions. Historically, the industry has offered largely the same experience to everyone.

AI creates the opportunity to shift from mass engagement to meaningful engagement.

Imagine a future where travelers receive relevant recommendations based on their preferences, travel history, or destination. A future where promotions become more useful, product discovery becomes easier, and the traveler experience becomes significantly more intuitive.

The objective should not be to increase digital noise.

The objective should be to reduce friction throughout the traveler journey.

The Rise of Connected Traveler Journeys

One of the most important trends shaping the future of Global Travel Retail is the emergence of the connected journey.

Consumers do not separate their experiences into categories such as airlines, airports, retailers, and brands.

They simply experience one journey.

The traveler journey begins when a trip is planned, continues during booking, develops through airport experiences, and extends long after arrival.

This creates an important opportunity for the entire industry.

Organizations that successfully connect these touchpoints can create stronger engagement, higher satisfaction, and more meaningful long-term relationships with travelers.

The future of travel retail may be less about a single purchase and more about the lifetime value of a traveler relationship.

Why Collaboration Is Becoming the Industry's New Competitive Advantage

No single stakeholder owns the complete traveler journey.

Airports understand passenger flows.

Airlines understand itineraries.

Retailers understand purchasing behavior.

Brands understand consumer preferences.

Each participant possesses a different piece of the puzzle.

As a result, the next wave of innovation may come not from individual organizations working independently but from stronger ecosystem collaboration.

The companies that create the most value in the future could be those that connect insights more effectively, align experiences more seamlessly, and place the traveler at the center of every decision.

In many ways, collaboration may become a greater competitive advantage than physical scale.

What This Means for Smoke-Free Categories

This evolution is particularly relevant for smoke-free products.

Adult nicotine users increasingly seek information, guidance, and choice rather than purely transactional interactions.

As alternatives continue to develop across heated tobacco, nicotine pouches, and vapor categories, personalized engagement becomes increasingly important.

Global Travel Retail offers a unique environment to support these interactions.

Few channels combine international reach, diverse consumer profiles, high engagement opportunities, and premium discovery experiences at the same scale.

This makes Travel Retail an important platform for helping adult consumers make informed choices while creating meaningful brand experiences.

Three Predictions for the Future of Global Travel Retail

1. AI Will Move from Experimentation to Execution

The discussion around AI will shift from potential to practical application.

Successful organizations will focus on using AI to improve traveler experiences rather than simply implementing new technology.

2. Data Ecosystems Will Matter More Than Store Size

Physical retail footprints will remain important, but access to actionable traveler insights may become an even greater source of competitive advantage.

The future winners may be those who understand travelers best.

3. Traveler Experience Will Become the Primary KPI

Sales per passenger will continue to matter.

However, future success will increasingly be measured through engagement, loyalty, experience quality, and long-term traveler relationships.

Final Thoughts

Global Travel Retail is entering a period of transformation.

The industry's next growth chapter will not be defined solely by airport traffic, store productivity, or transactional efficiency.

It will be shaped by how effectively we create connected, personalized, and digitally enabled traveler experiences.

The organizations that succeed in the coming decade will likely be those that look beyond the transaction and focus on building meaningful connections throughout the traveler journey.

Because the future of Global Travel Retail is not just about what happens inside the store.

It is about everything that happens before, during, and after the journey.

Travel Retail's Next Competitive Advantage: Why Experiential Retail Is Accelerating Smoke-Free Adoption

Travel Retail Is No Longer Just About Selling Products

For decades, success in travel retail was largely driven by passenger traffic, retail footprint, and product visibility. While those factors remain important, recent developments across the Global Travel Retail (GTR) industry suggest a more fundamental shift is underway.

The industry's fastest-growing opportunities are increasingly being created through consumer engagement, education, and experience.

Recent reporting from GTR Magazine, DFNI, TRBusiness, and The Moodie Davitt Report highlights two interconnected trends:

• Continued momentum of PMI's smoke-free portfolio, particularly IQOS within travel retail environments.
• Growing investment by airports and retailers in experiential retail formats, immersive activations, and consumer-centric engagement models.

Viewed independently, these are noteworthy developments.

Viewed together, they reveal something much more important: experiential retail may be becoming one of the strongest catalysts for smoke-free adoption globally.

Why Smoke-Free Products Benefit From Experience-Led Retail

Unlike many traditional consumer goods categories, smoke-free products often require understanding before adoption.

Adult consumers may seek information about product features, usage, alternatives, and the overall experience before making a decision. This means education and engagement can play a particularly important role in the consumer journey.

This is precisely where travel retail is evolving.

Across airports worldwide, retailers are increasingly moving beyond traditional transactional environments. Beauty brands offer personalized consultations. Luxury brands create immersive experiences. Spirits companies invest heavily in storytelling and sampling-led engagement.

The common theme is simple: Consumers are spending less time looking at shelves and more time interacting with brands.

For smoke-free products, this evolution creates a natural advantage.

An airport is often one of the few places where brands can engage adult consumers in a premium environment, supported by trained staff, experiential displays, and sufficient time for meaningful interaction.

As travel retail becomes more experience-driven, the value of consumer education grows alongside it.

The IQOS Opportunity Beyond Traditional Visibility

Recent industry reports highlighting travel-retail-exclusive IQOS launches demonstrate how the category continues to leverage airports as innovation showcases.

Historically, exclusive products were primarily associated with luxury, beauty, and spirits categories. Today, they are increasingly relevant for smoke-free products as well.

However, the real opportunity extends beyond limited editions or exclusive devices.

The bigger question is: How can every consumer interaction become a learning opportunity?

As airports continue investing in experiential formats, brands capable of combining innovation with education are likely to gain an increasingly important competitive advantage.

This is particularly relevant as smoke-free products continue their global expansion journey.

In many cases, conversion may depend less on visibility and more on understanding.

Why This Matters For The Future Of Global Travel Retail

The broader travel retail sector is effectively redesigning itself around experience.

That evolution may prove especially significant for categories that require higher levels of consumer engagement and education.

The industry's investment in immersive retail experiences, combined with PMI's continued smoke-free momentum, signals an interesting convergence:

• Retailers need meaningful consumer engagement.
• Adult consumers increasingly seek informed choices.
• Smoke-free products benefit from education-led interactions.

When these three elements come together, travel retail becomes more than a sales channel.

It becomes an environment capable of accelerating product adoption, strengthening brand perception, and creating long-term consumer relationships.

Closing Thought

The most valuable asset in airport retail may no longer be shelf space.

It may be attention.

As experiential retail continues to reshape airports worldwide, brands that successfully transform consumer attention into education and understanding will likely be best positioned for future growth.

For PMI and the broader smoke-free category, that makes travel retail far more than a distribution channel.

It makes it one of the most influential consumer engagement platforms in the world.

 

Sources

• GTR Magazine – Airport retail trends, retail expansion and experiential activations
• DFNI – PMI smoke-free portfolio performance and IQOS travel retail developments
• TRBusiness – Global travel retail consumer trends and market analysis
• The Moodie Davitt Report – PMI smoke-free growth and travel retail performance

By Volkan Yorulmaz

Views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Philip Morris International (PMI) or its affiliates. 

What a Lost Teddy Bear Teaches Us About Customer Experience

Sometimes the most powerful business lessons come from the simplest human stories.

Recently, I came across a story about a child who accidentally left his beloved teddy bear at a Ritz-Carlton hotel. What happened next transformed a potentially disappointing experience into a remarkable example of customer-centric thinking.

The hotel team not only found the toy and returned it. They went much further.

To reassure the child that his teddy bear was safe and enjoying its extended stay, the team created a series of photos showing the bear relaxing around the hotel, working backstage, and enjoying various activities before heading home.

For a child, it was magical.

For business professionals, it is a masterclass.

Business Key Takeaways

1. Customers Remember Emotions, Not Transactions

Most organizations focus on completing transactions efficiently.

Great organizations create emotions.

The hotel could have simply shipped the toy back. Problem solved.

Instead, they created a memorable experience that the family will likely remember for years. People rarely become loyal because a process worked correctly. They become loyal because someone made them feel valued.

2. Empowered Employees Create Extraordinary Experiences

No policy manual can anticipate every customer situation.

The difference often comes from employees who feel empowered to make decisions and act creatively.

When frontline teams have the confidence and support to do more than the minimum requirement, customer service becomes customer delight.

3. Small Investments Can Generate Huge Returns

The cost of taking a few photos and spending additional time was negligible.

The impact, however, was enormous.

Positive stories travel far beyond marketing campaigns because they are authentic. A small act of care generated publicity, goodwill, and long-term brand equity that money alone cannot easily buy.

4. Culture Reveals Itself in Unexpected Moments

Corporate culture is not what is written on office walls.

It is what employees do when no one is specifically instructing them.

Moments like these reveal whether an organization truly lives its values or merely talks about them. Extraordinary service is rarely an isolated act. It is usually the visible outcome of an invisible culture.

5. Exceeding Expectations Creates Differentiation

Many competitors can offer similar products.

Many can match prices.

Few consistently create stories worth sharing.

In increasingly competitive markets, customer experience becomes one of the most sustainable forms of differentiation. When customers become storytellers, the organization wins.

A Leadership Lesson

Leaders often focus on strategy, financial results, technology, and operational excellence.

All of these matter.

But sometimes the lasting impact of a company is determined by how its people handle a single unexpected moment.

The lost teddy bear story reminds us that excellence is not achieved by meeting expectations.

Excellence is achieved when people care enough to exceed them.

And in business, those moments often become the stories that define a brand.

Final Thought

Every organization should ask itself a simple question:

Where can we go one step further than customers expect?

Because that extra step is often where loyalty, reputation, and long-term success begin.

Inspired by a story shared about the Ritz-Carlton team's exceptional customer care and the timeless business lesson that extraordinary experiences are created by ordinary people who choose to do a little more than expected.

What Do PMI Q2 2026 Results Mean for Global Travel Retail?

Every earnings season produces a few headline numbers that attract most of the attention. PMI's second-quarter results are no exception. Revenue growth exceeded 10%, smoke-free products continued to gain share, and IQOS, VEEV and ZYN all contributed to a strong quarter.

For those working in Global Travel Retail, however, there is another story within the results.

Global Travel Retail recorded a 21.5% heated tobacco share in Q2 2026, up 3.1 percentage points versus last year. According to PMI, that was the largest increase among its top ten IQOS markets worldwide.

That performance deserves attention because Travel Retail operates under very different conditions from domestic markets. Airport retail is highly competitive, customer interactions are brief, and consumer demographics change constantly. Delivering that level of share growth in such an environment suggests that Travel Retail is contributing far more than incremental sales.

It is becoming an important source of consumer recruitment for smoke-free products.

Smoke-Free Growth Continues to Shape PMI's Business

PMI reported net revenues of US$11.2 billion in the second quarter, representing growth of 10.4% versus the same period last year. Smoke-free revenues increased by 11.7% and now account for 42% of total company revenues.

These numbers reinforce a trend that has been developing for several years. Growth is increasingly coming from smoke-free categories rather than traditional combustible products.

For Travel Retail, this is a significant development. The more PMI's business depends on smoke-free products, the more valuable consumer acquisition becomes. Sales remain important, but attracting and converting new users is becoming just as critical.

This is where Travel Retail has a unique advantage.

Travel Retail Reaches Consumers at the Right Moment

Most retail channels compete for consumers who have already formed purchasing habits. Airports are different.

Travellers are exposed to new brands, new products and new experiences. They are often more receptive to trying something unfamiliar than they would be in their everyday shopping environment. This creates an opportunity that few other channels can replicate.

A consumer may first encounter IQOS while travelling internationally and make the decision to switch weeks or months later in their home market. The sale itself may not occur in Travel Retail, but the introduction often does.

That type of influence is difficult to measure, yet it may be one of the channel's most important contributions.

A Broader Portfolio Creates More Opportunities

Another notable aspect of PMI's results is the continued growth of VEEV and ZYN alongside IQOS.

For Travel Retail, a broader portfolio means access to a wider range of consumers. Not every adult nicotine user is looking for the same product category. Some may prefer heated tobacco, others vaping products, while some may be interested in oral nicotine alternatives.

Having multiple smoke-free categories increases the likelihood that consumers will find a product that matches their preferences.

As the industry evolves, portfolio diversity could become a competitive advantage in its own right.

Why This Matters for the Industry

The strongest IQOS share growth among PMI's top markets is more than a quarterly performance indicator.

It highlights the changing role of Global Travel Retail. Increasingly, the channel is being recognised not only for what it sells but for the consumers it introduces to smoke-free alternatives.

For years, discussions about Travel Retail focused on passenger traffic, average transaction values and commercial performance. Those metrics will always matter. What is changing is the recognition that Travel Retail can also influence long-term consumer behaviour.

That makes the channel relevant far beyond the airport environment.

Final Thoughts

PMI's second-quarter results confirm that smoke-free products continue to drive the company's growth. They also provide further evidence that Global Travel Retail has become an important part of that growth story.

The channel's ability to deliver strong IQOS share gains in a highly competitive environment suggests that its role extends beyond retail execution. It is increasingly contributing to awareness, trial and adoption.

For industry professionals, that may be the most meaningful takeaway from the quarter. Travel Retail is no longer simply supporting the smoke-free transition. It is helping to accelerate it.

The Bigger Game: How World Cup 2026 Changed Football Forever | Book Launch by Volkan Yorulmaz

What started as an idea became a book.

The Bigger Game: How World Cup 2026 Changed Football Forever is now available on Google Play Books. A story about football but also about technology, leadership, innovation, and change.

Read it here: The Bigger Game: How World Cup 2026 Changed Football Forever - Volkan Yorulmaz

Why I Wrote This Book

At first glance, this might seem like a book about football. In reality, it is a book about change.

World Cup 2026 was one of the most significant sporting events in history. It brought together more nations, more fans, more technology, more data, and more commercial influence than any World Cup before it. But what fascinated me most was not who won or lost. It was what the tournament revealed about the future.

Football has become more than a sport. It is a global platform where technology, business, politics, media, culture, and human ambition collide.

The tournament became a lens through which I could explore bigger questions:

• How is technology changing decision-making in sport?
• How are data and AI reshaping competition?
• What happens when global events become economic ecosystems?
• How do traditions survive in a world of constant innovation?
• And why does football continue to matter so deeply to billions of people?

More Than Match Reports

Rather than writing a chronological recap of the tournament, I wanted to tell the stories behind the stories.

Each chapter begins with a memorable moment—a goal, a player, a tactical innovation, a controversy, or a turning point—and then expands outward to examine the larger forces shaping the game.

The result is a journey through:

• The evolution of football tactics
• The growing role of analytics and artificial intelligence
• The changing economics of global sport
• The influence of media and technology
• Governance challenges facing world football
• The cultural impact of the world's most popular game

A Personal Journey

This project started with a simple idea and slowly grew into something much bigger.

Along the way, I spent countless hours researching matches, statistics, historical context, tactical trends, business developments, and technological innovations. I also experimented extensively with modern AI tools to help organize research, challenge assumptions, and improve productivity while ensuring that the core analysis, conclusions, and storytelling remained my own.

In many ways, writing this book taught me as much about learning and creativity as it did about football.

Thank You

I am grateful to everyone who encouraged the project, shared feedback, discussed ideas, challenged my thinking, and supported me throughout the writing process.

Most importantly, thank you to future readers. I hope this book helps you see football not only as a sport, but as one of the most fascinating mirrors of the modern world.

If you decide to read The Bigger Game, I would greatly appreciate a review on Google Play Books and any feedback you would like to share.

The Bigger Game: How World Cup 2026 Changed Football Forever

Football changed. The world changed. This book explores how - and why it matters.

Available now on Google Play Books: [Google Play Books Link]

— Volkan Yorulmaz

The Best Way to Survive AI: Leadership Lessons from My Summer Vacation

My phone has been buzzing with notifications recently. Thank you to everyone who sent messages celebrating my 13 years at PMI!

Being on vacation during this milestone gave me a chance to step back. I am almost completely disconnected from the daily corporate rush. When the noise fades, you finally have the mental space to think about the bigger picture and future growth plans.

During my morning walks by the sea, I’ve been listening to podcasts about Artificial Intelligence and its impact on us - white collar professionals. The fear is everywhere: What happens when machines can do our jobs faster?

An early morning walk with podcasts on AI

The best answer didn’t come from a tech or HR expert. It came from two local business owners I met here in Marmaris.

Before I tell you what they did, you need to know how I found them. I didn’t use a search engine. I hired our boat captain because the hotel insisted. I drove to a restaurant in Söğüt because a neighbor told me I simply had to go. That is the payoff of real leadership. When you lead well, your customers do your marketing for you.

The Captain Who Helped a Rival

Our boat captain in Selimiye was flawless. The wind was heavy, but he docked our boat smoothly on the first try. The boat right behind us, however, was struggling. They tried and failed multiple times.

Time to have nice memories with my son in the boat

An algorithm only cares about its own success. It finishes its task and stops.

Our captain didn't do that. He stood up, shouted directions over the wind, and patiently guided his competitor until they were safely docked, too. As we left, the rival crew yelled their thanks across the water. He didn’t just steer a boat; he helped a rival succeed.

Family comes first, and vacation period is the best time for quality time with family

The Welcome Before the Menu

A few days later, we drove to that highly recommended restaurant in Söğüt. Before I even turned off the engine in the parking lot, a woman walked up to our car with a huge, warm smile.

It was Yasemin, the manager who also named the restaurant. She didn't wait for us to walk inside. She saw we were new, welcomed us right at the car, and personally guided us down a narrow path to the water.

Software can take a dinner reservation in one second. It can send automated reminders. But it cannot walk up to your car and make you feel valued before you even sit down.

The Un-Automatable Growth Strategy

After 13 years in Philip Morris International (in addition to 3 years at PwC and another 3 years at General Motors), I know how much we focus on efficiency and automation. They are important. But efficiency is not a legacy.

If your business model relies entirely on doing tasks faster, AI will eventually catch up. But if your growth relies on empathy, building deep trust, and showing genuine care to competitors and customers, you are irreplaceable.

You cannot automate a good reputation. We don't need to act more like machines to survive the future. We just need to be more human.

From Mailbox to the Hero of the Story

In a world obsessed with productivity hacks and inbox zero, we often mistake being "busy" for being "essential."

We pride ourselves on being the "go-to" person. But there is a hidden trap in that title. If you are the go-to person for administrative fires, routine approvals, and data retrieval, you haven't built a career; you’ve built a cage. You’ve become a mailbox—a pass-through entity where information enters and leaves, leaving no trace of your own brilliance behind.

The goal isn't just to be useful. The goal is to be strategic.

Here is how to stop managing the flow and start designing the outcome.

A strategist with the whiteboard containing a stakeholder map, vision execution plans, and a risk framework.

1. Own the Strategy, Not the Admin

Administrative tasks are comfortable. They have clear beginnings and ends. Strategy, however, is messy. It involves building things—commercial frameworks, AI integrations, and cross-functional solutions that don't just solve a finance problem, but a business problem.

When you limit yourself to your specific silo, you limit your value. To be strategic, you must have "something for everyone." You aren't just a guardian of the budget; you are an architect of growth. Ask yourself: How can I help the people around me bring the money in?

2. The Three-Year Horizon

We live in an era of instant gratification, but influence is a slow-cooker. It often takes years - not months - of consistent excellence to prove you deserve the next role.

Influence isn't granted by a title; it’s built through a "Dual Risk Framework." Every big move involves two people: you and the decision-maker. To reduce their risk in choosing you, you must provide a track record of being reliable and visionary. They need to say, "He can imagine the difficult situations before they arrive."

3. Maps, Not Just Calendars

Stop looking at your organizational chart and start looking at your Stakeholder Map.

Authentic networking isn't about "grabbing coffee." It’s about research. What countries did your stakeholders work in? What were their previous roles? What keeps them up at night? When you read a quarterly report or an annual statement, do it with a predator’s focus. Look for the dollars per share, the dividend risks, and the shifts from last year.

When you understand the map, you can give something back. You stop asking for permission and start offering insights.

4. Stop Being a Mailbox

If a complex case lands on your desk—like a regulatory hurdle in a foreign market—don't just forward the email.

A mailbox says: "See attached." A strategist says: "Here is the risk, here is my proposed solution, and here is why it aligns with our 2026 goals. Do you agree?"

Don't just share numbers; share the story behind the numbers. Be the person who can sit down with a Managing Director and explain not just what happened, but what will happen.

5. Be Brutally Honest

Finally, find your own path. Being seen as strategic requires a relentless, almost uncomfortable level of honesty with yourself about your career. It requires the effort of relationship building when you’d rather stay behind your screen.

The "go-to" person is replaceable. The person with the vision to share the strategy is indispensable.

Which one are you becoming?

While I am preparing for this blog post

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Power Words:

Dual Risk Framework: A unique concept that sets your content apart.

Stakeholder Mapping: Critical for senior-level career advice.

Commercial AI: Connects technical trends with high-level strategy.

Authentic Opportunities: Appeals to the modern desire for genuine professional connections.

Growing Together with my Interns

They were my interns.

Or maybe the better word is: my project partners.

Over the past two weeks, they came to the office to visit me, and we ended up sitting at the same cafeteria table with the same relaxed conversations. Nothing formal - just genuine connection.

But after I sat there with them, it was my personal reflection time.

Most of our work together happened through screens - Teams calls, shared screens, digital problem‑solving. Seeing them in person reminded me how much they’ve shaped my own journey in these past two years as well.

Not just with the work they delivered.

But with the way they helped me grow.

Arda: Building Our Digital Hub (Summer 2024)

Arda was the one who helped us turn digital chaos into something organized and useful.

He built our Finance SharePoint hub from scratch - bringing order to scattered files, links, and documents. The system he created is still the place the whole team relies on.

He also helped us fight against the parked‑invoice issues and made our follow‑ups clearer and more structured.

But what impressed me most was his attitude:

• curious
• open
• willing to try without fear

Working with him pushed me to look at my own digital habits. I realized how easy it is to fall into routines - and how refreshing it is when someone younger shows you a simpler, better way.

Emre: Bringing the Spark of Automation and AI (2025–2026)

A year later, Emre joined with a different kind of energy - one driven by automation and AI.

He built the first version of our Tax Intelligence Monitor, created Python scripts that automated websearches, and explored new AI tools with zero hesitation.

Our conversations often became small learning exchanges.

Sometimes he taught me something new.

Sometimes I shared context from tax, treasury or something what we call soft-skill.

But the bigger lesson was this:

Staying up-to-date is not a one‑time task.

It’s a habit. A muscle. A mindset.

Why These Moments Matter

We talk about simplification and digital transformation as if it’s only about systems, dashboards, or technology.

But it really starts with people.

With fresh eyes. With honest questions. With energy that makes you rethink your “normal.”

Arda and Emre delivered great work.

But they also gave me something just as valuable:

I didn’t only share my know‑how with them, I learned from them too.

Their reverse mentoring - intentional or not - helped me stay up‑to‑date, stay open, and stay curious. They reminded me that progress doesn’t always come from big projects. Sometimes it comes from a simple conversation at the cafeteria table.

And for that, I’m grateful.