Born in Düzce in December 1985, I am the youngest of five siblings. I am fluent in English and have intermediate-level Spanish skills. I graduated top of my class in primary school, being part of the last group to complete the five-year program. I was elected class president for all five years and became the school president in the fifth grade. I attended Düzce Anadolu Arsal High School, where I won first place in chess. At the age of 16, I left high school and went to New Zealand to continue my education. I attended a language school for seven months and then completed one year of high school at Avondale College. Due to my good grades, I was able to transfer to a two-year university program without finishing high school. After completing the two-year program, I pursued a bachelor's degree in Management and Finance at the University of Auckland, ranked among the top 50 universities worldwide. I was one of only two students selected by a jury from the entire university to study abroad at the University of Washington as an exchange student. I focused on marketing courses and graduated with a double major in Marketing and Finance.
During this time, I worked at Zigana Cafe Restaurant for three years, progressing from waiter to barista to manager. I also worked as a junior broker at WSD Financial for a year, where I handled contracts and stock trades for clients on the Forex and American stock exchanges. Additionally, during my student years, I co-founded a company with my teammates to commercialize a new invention – a piezoelectric fiber optic distributor patented by our university. I served as the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) in this venture.
After completing my studies in the US, I embarked on a month-long road trip, exploring from Seattle to San Diego, Miami, and Niagara Falls. I also traveled to Maui, Hawaii in the west and Fiji Islands in the east, completing a full global tour. This experience allowed me to learn about different cultures and people worldwide.
Upon returning to Turkey in July 2009, I took over the management of our family businesses. Within four years, I transformed the family business into a group operating in five sectors. I created the Artemis brand in the Düzce housing sector with the slogan "Düzce's First Wonder." I increased the company's turnover by 14 times since 2009. We have grown from 15 employees to over 100 today. With our young, dynamic, and innovative team, we are steadily moving towards further growth. We continue to develop innovative, robust, and aesthetically pleasing real estate projects. Our business development specialists are working to establish our presence in the international arena. We are also conducting R&D in various sectors and continue to invest in new ventures.
With all my sincerity and dedication, I continue to take firm steps towards contributing to our country and nation by producing, experiencing, and promoting the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Kind Regards,
Bozbeyli Candoğan Bektaş
