Eczacibasi Yatirim Ortakligi : Eczacıbaşı holds its annual digital transformation event, Dijitaliz

Dijitaliz 2022 hosts the "Digital leaders shaping the future"

Digital transformation is a focal point of the Eczacıbaşı Group's business strategies and the inspiration behind its annual Dijitaliz event. On 25 November, Eczacıbaşı employees from every Group company came together in person and online to participate in the 5th annual Dijitaliz event, the goal of which is to encourage the growth of digitalization projects in every business line. "Shape the future" was the theme of this year's event, which brought some of the leading names in Turkey's digital together to discuss the future of business and what companies need to do to keep abreast of change.

The Eczacıbaşı Group defines its digital transformation vision as "shaping the future of its business fields by embracing and incorporating digital technologies and data in all business processes." The goal of Dijitaliz, now in its fifth year, is to encourage Group companies and brands to undertake digital transformation and to reward successful digital projects. In line with this year's theme, "Shape the future," the event featured prominent names from the digital world in Turkey who are shaping the future of their sectors. At the end of the event, the Group announced the winners of the Group's 2022 Dijitaliz Awards for the most successful digital transformation projects, practices and processes and presented the winning team their awards.

After an opening speech by Eczacıbaşı Holding Chairperson Bülent Eczacıbaşı, the event hosted its first guest speaker, Hanzade Doğan, Founder and Chairwoman of Hepsiburada Group & Doğan Online. Other leading names from Turkey's digital world who participated in the event were Hande Çilingir, Co-Founder and CEO of Insider, Hayriye Karadeniz, CDO of Ford Otosan, Mina İlköz, Co-Founder and CEO of Up School, and Ezgi Demirdağ, Partner at McKinsey&Company. Guest speakers also included three members of the Eczacıbaşı Sports Club's championship women's volleyball team, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit: Head Coach Ferhat Akbaş, Team Captain Simge Aköz, and Team Player Hande Baladın.

Eczacıbaşı Group executives taking part in the event and sharing their experiences were Esra Eczacıbaşı Coşkun, Group Digital Transformation Coordinator and Holding Board Member; Atalay Gümrah, Eczacıbaşı Group CEO; Eylem Özgür, Eczacıbaşı Group CHRO; Özgen Özkan, Eczacıbaşı Building Products CEO; Bülent Kozlu, Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products CEO; and Murat Ergün, Digital Transformation Manager and Member of the Ecacıbaşı Sports Club's Board of Directors. Three Group employees were also invited to share their experience with successful digital transformation projects: Yılmaz Durkut, Digital Marketing & Analytics Executive at Decoverse; Muzaffer Şahin, Planning Manager (Paper Products) at Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products (Supply Chain Tower project); and Bensu Ceylan, HR Assistant Specialist at Eczacıbaşı Building Products (Engenius project).

"In order to change, you mustn't fear being wrong"

In the event's opening speech, Eczacıbaşı Group Chairperson Bülent Eczacıbaşı said, "In 2018, we revisited our digital transformation journey with a different approach in order to grasp the requirements of the digital age and develop products, services and new business models accordingly. We've achieved significant progress in the short time since and are making a great effort to do much more. And this gives all of us hope for the future."

Underlining the importance of change, Bülent Eczacıbaşı added: "There seems to be no other way to change and renew oneself but to try things out, to not to fear being wrong, and to have the courage to try again. Because we know that it will be our downfall if the pace of change outside our Group exceeds the pace inside. We will continue to take advantage of the unique opportunities offered by new technologies and new ways of doing business, and continue to make a difference and create value for all our stakeholders."

"We are proud of the experience we offer our stakeholders"

Esra Eczacıbaşı Coşkun, Group Digital Transformation Coordinator and Member of Eczacıbaşı Holding's Board, said, "I believe that the greatest strength of our Group is its ability to renew itself according to the spirit of the time. And one of the most important developments shaping this time is digital transformation. We have a wholistic approach to digital transformation. We strive for a 360-degree and multidimensional perspective all the way from the front-end where we meet consumers to the processes in the background, from developing new business models to cultural change. We strive to get to know both ourselves and the universe in which we operate better and to continuously learn from good practices."

Noting that many projects which were only ideas in 2018 had now been realized, Esra Eczacıbaşı Coşkun added, "In 2022, the financial contribution of digital transformation projects to our operational profitability reached 6 percent. We expect it to rise to 15 percent by 2025, and we will continue to increase our investments towards this end. Higher turnover, profitability and market shares are of course extremely valuable. Even more valuable, however, is the experience we offer our stakeholders as a forever young and innovative brand, thanks to the opportunities created by digital tools, and we are proud of this."

"We are achieving digital progress with our employees"

In his speech at the opening of the Dijitaliz Awards ceremony, Eczacıbaşı Group CEO Atalay Gümrah said, "The increasing number of projects and Eczacıbaşı employees working on these projects, as well as the outcomes and lessons of these projects have given us much more hope for the future. This year, we received 95 digital project submissions from around the Group. The more colleagues we can inspire and involve in this process, the more productive it will become." And he added, "Making digital transformation a part of our business, a part of our future, internalizing it on a company and individual level, creating a shared culture of digital transformation at every level and in every unit of our organizations is the most basic condition for obtaining successful results, being ready for the future, and even shaping the future."