Cansen Başaran-Symes

Cansen Başaran-Symes graduated from the Istanbul University, Faculty of Business Administration and joined Price Waterhouse (PW) Turkey when it was established in 1981. She served PwC for 32 years until 2013.

Cansen worked at the PW Copenhagen office in 1983 and at the PW London office in 1989. In 1990 she was admitted to the PW European Firm partnership.
On July 1st, 1998 she was appointed as the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Turkey leader and senior partner in charge of country operations.
Cansen was a member of the board of directors of PwC - Central and Eastern Europe Region between 1998 - 2005 and board member in PwC Eurofirm in between 2005 - 2008.

Cansen has served as President of Turkish Industry & Business Association (TUSIAD) in 2015 & 2016.

As of March 2014, Cansen Basaran-Symes has been appointed as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Allianz Sigorta A.Ş. and Allianz Hayat ve Emeklilik A.Ş. Turkey and is a Member of the International Advisory Board, Allianz SE since May 2015.

In April 2014 Cansen has been appointed as Member of Board of Directors of Nokia, Alcatel Lucent Teletaş Telekomünikasyon A.Ş.

Cansen is a Member of the Harvard Business School MENA and Central Asia Advisory Board since May 2016.

Cansen Başaran-Symes is an active participant in the activities of a number of NGO’s. She holds the following NGO memberships:

• Turkish Industry & Business Association (TUSIAD):
- Member, Council of Presidents
• Endeavor Turkey:
- Founder Member and Member of Board of Directors
• Financial Literacy and Inclusion Association (FODER):
- Chairperson of Advisory Board
• British Chamber of Commerce Turkey (BCCT)
- Senior Advisory Board Member
• Global Shapers Community Istanbul
- Member of the Advisory Board

She was Founder Member of Independent Audit Association (BDD) and Advisory Board Member until 2013, Member of Board of Directors at YASED – International Investors Association (2003-2004), TEGV – Education Volunteers Foundation of Turkey (2006 – 2010), TBCSD – Business Council for Sustainable Development Turkey (2009 – 2013), TMUD - Turkish Expert Accountants Association (1995 – 2013) and DEIK - Foreign Economic Relations Board, Member of Executive Board of Turkish-Dutch Business Council (2005-2009), Vice President of the Executive Board of Turkish-Dutch Business Council (2009-2013), Member of Executive Board of Turkish-British Business Council (2010-2013).

Cansen Başaran-Symes was named a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” at the 2000 World Economic Forum. She was named “1999 Executive of the Year” by Istanbul University/Dunya newspaper, one of the “Most Successful Business Women” in 2000 again by Dunya and in 2006 one of the “Most Modern and Successful Turkish Women” by the Lions Association. In 2010, 2011 and 2012 Cansen was the topic leader at the St. Gallen Symposium. In 2014 she has been rewarded with the “Honour Management Prize” at the EDU Plus Management Summit. Cansen was included in the "30 Top Businesswomen that Drive the Business World" by Business Life magazine in 2016 and ranked 3rd in the "Most Powerful 30 Businesswomen" survey of the Fortune magazine the same year. “Business People of the Year” research conducted by the weekly Economist, has chosen Cansen Başaran-Symes, to be the “Leader of the Civil Society” for consequent years in 2016 and 2017, for the work she has done during her Presidency of TUSIAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association).

Cansen is married and has a son.