Mechanical Engineer Yalçın AYDIN completed his master’s degree at Texas State Lamar University in the USA, where he studied on a scholarship. He subsequently conducted doctoral research as a research assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Later, he completed the MBA program at Middle East Technical University (METU) and earned a senior management certification from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
AYDIN began his professional career in 1997 as a Design & CAE Engineer at FORD Motor Company. In 2000, he was honored by FORD with an award for his deep drawing analysis simulations of sheet metal dies using the finite element method. That same year, he moved to the United States to join GE Aircraft Engines as a Special Process Manager.
In 2005, he won the Corbett D. Caudill Award—GE Aircraft Engines’ most prestigious engineering excellence award—for the ITD (Integrated Tooling Design) project. His ITD and Shot Peen Modeling projects were also nominated for engineering excellence awards by the GE Global Research Center in Albany, New York, and subsequently received patents.
Between 2006 and 2009, he represented GE Aviation in the NADCAP (National Aerospace & Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) for three years, receiving the unanimous vote of all prime aerospace companies.
He holds Certifying Agent certifications in Thermal Spray, Cleaning Dry Film Lubricants, Painting, Etching Removal Process, Hole Making, and Material Testing Lab. Additionally, he is an ISO9001/ISO17025/ISO13485 Lead Auditor and a Green Belt certification holder.
In 2009, he received the Thierry Leclercq CEO Special Award at GE Healthcare. Between 2015 and 2017, he served as the Global Supply Chain Strategy Director for GE, responsible for Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
From 2017 to 2020, he served as the Director of Procurement and Supplier Management for the Türk Telekom Group, while also holding the position of Vice President of the Türk Telekom Basketball Team.
Between 2020 and 2023, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Turkish Technic. During this period, he also acted as the Chairman of the Board of TNC (Turkish Nacelle Center), a Turkish Airlines group company, and as a Board Member of Cornea.
Yalçın AYDIN, who served as the Acting General Manager and Chairman of the Board of Eti Maden Operations as of October 2, 2023, was officially appointed to these positions on January 29, 2024. He is married with two children and is fluent in English.