‘Women to Watch: Women Who Make a Difference’ ceremony was held at Swissotel The Bosphorus, Istanbul.
Ece Aksel successfully met her personal goal of becoming general manager by the age of 40. Her story is exemplary for those who are at the beginning of their careers.
Ece Aksel, Frito Lay Turkey, General Manager
As someone who has worked for a considerable amount of time in several countries, Ece Aksel still dreams about traveling to discover different countries, cultures and lifestyles. Upon returning to Turkey, Aksel marked significant achievements at Frito Lay Turkey, where she was appointed general manager in 2008. Last year, the company drew attention by marketing Lay’s oven-roasted fries and made a splash with its Doritos Fritos campaign.
After completing internships in various industries throughout college and viewing a presentation in her senior year, Ece Aksel decided on the career she wanted: Marketing. Her journey began after making that decision. Following the MBA she received in the US, Aksel started her career at P&G’s headquarters in Cincinnati, later working in the Turkish and Moroccan branches of the same company. Due to the success of the team of which Aksel was a member in Morocco, they were put in charge of an additional country.
In 2004, Aksel’s career continued at PepsiCo in five markets, including Turkey. Since 2008, she has served as the General Manager of PepsiCo Food Turkey.
When she started her career in 1992, Aksel dreamed of reaching her current position. “I aimed to be a general manager before the age of 40, and I managed to achieve that goal,” Aksel says, noting that the most critical decision of her career was to switch from P&G to PepsiCo.
Describing this switch, Aksel says: “When I neared the end of my assignment in Morocco, it was decided that my new appointment would be in Geneva. At that time, based on my family’s wishes, we decided to take advantage of any opportunity that may arise to return to Turkey. My transfer to PepsiCo came after this decision. My switch to a different company and category became another serious turning point in my career.” Aksel also stresses, “Of course, you have to accept that you can’t plan every step of your career. The luck factor also plays a part most of the time. What you have to do is make good use of that luck…”
As someone who managed to reach the goal she set at the beginning of her career, Aksel has valuable advice for those who are just starting to climb the career ladder: “Know yourself well. Determine the field of work you enjoy and that will allow you to utilize your strengths. Aim work with passion and perfection. And also understand that there is no end to continuous learning and self-development.”
“You have to accept that you can’t plan every step of your career. The luck factor also plays a part most of the time. What you have to do is make good use of that luck.”
