Vuslat
DOĞAN SABANCI

As a philanthropist and leader of the business world, Vuslat Doğan Sabancı is one of the leading voices in our country and in the world in the topics of human rights, gender equality, and freedom of expression.

She has served in Turkey's leading newspaper group Hürriyet Publishing between 2004-2008, as CEO, and between 2008-2018 as Chairperson of the Board, with a total of 22 years of service. She resigned from this position in May 2018, after the Doğan Family ended all media-related activities.

Hürriyet, under the leadership of Doğan Sabancı did not only become the largest and most influential newspaper in Turkey, it also became the largest digital content company in the country. Before she left office, one in every two Turkish internet users was interacting with Hürriyet's online content every day; this ratio was higher than any other digital company. She is still actively serving as the Chairman of the Board of Turkey's largest online real estate site Hürriyet Real Estate that Doğan Sabancı led during its initiation. The platform began by showing the ads in the newspaper in Hürriyet and today is the largest real estate online platform in Turkey.

In addition to leading this high-level digital transformation, Doğan Sabancı also ensured that issues such as gender equality and minority rights are kept on the agenda in the newspaper's editorial perspective and contributed to the advancement of law and social perception in these fields.

The "Stop Domestic Violence" campaign, which has been leading an important social change and awareness since 2004, is one of the first examples of Doğan Sabancı's efforts to use the media for positive social transformation. The campaign was awarded the Grand Prize by the United Nations in October 2006 and was presented as an example in the report of the European Mediterranean Parliamentary Union Women's Rights Commission.

Doğan Sabancı launched the “Rightful Woman Platform” in cooperation with 42 non-governmental organizations to empower women in politics. The platform works for women's equal representation in politics, business, and social life. Doğan Sabancı with the support he has given to Grameen Bank's microcredit project contributes greatly to women's economic empowerment in Turkey.

With 20 years of experience in journalism, media, and civil society leadership, Doğan Sabancı felt the need to explore alternative channels in order to organize meaningful discussions amid intensified social, economic, and political divisions. To this end, she is currently working on establishing the V Foundation, a global initiative to develop authentic connections "within oneself and with the other" through art and storytelling, cultural entrepreneurship, research and, policy partnerships.

Recently, Doğan Sabancı has been actively organizing more fruitful debates on difficult issues such as Islam and emphasizing the role of the media in this context. In line with these efforts, Doğan Sabancı hosted a panel titled "Islamophobia: Overcoming Legends and Having a More Effective Discussion" together with the Atlantic Council. She also spoke at the World Leaders Forum at Columbia University, titled "Conducting a More Productive Debate on Islam: The Role of the Media".

Doğan Sabancı, a prominent opinion leader, constantly advocates for Gender Equality on different platforms. She gave a speech titled "Women and Media: Social Gender Equality" on gender issues in the media at the Columbia University campus.

Before Hürriyet, Doğan Sabancı worked for The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, where she took part in the creation of the Asian Business World News Channel and the Latin American edition of the Journal. She has a bachelor's degree in Economics from Bilkent University and a master's degree in International Media and Communication from Columbia University.

Doğan Sabancı is currently a Member of the Board of Directors at Doğan Group Companies, one of Turkey's largest companies in the fields of distribution of fuel products, electricity production and trade, automotive trade and marketing, industry, finance and investment, internet, real estate and entrepreneurship, entertainment, and media, operating in tourism and foreign trade.

Doğan Sabancı is a lifetime honorary Board Member of the International Press Institute (IPI), which advocates for freedom of thought and media on a global scale, and a member of Columbia University's Global Centers Advisory Board and Columbia Global Leadership Council.

Doğan Sabancı is also a founding member of Endeavor Turkey which encourages entrepreneurship in Turkey and a board member at the Turkey Business Women's Association (TIKAD).