Leyla Alaton is a Turkish businesswoman and art collector, member of the Board of Alarko group of companies.[1] She has been named to that position since 2008.[2] She is also a Board Member of Alvimedica Medical Devices.[3]

Biography

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Leyla was born in Istanbul. She is the daughter of İshak Alaton,[4] one of the founders of the Alarko Holding, one of the largest business conglomerates in Turkey, listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. Her father died on September 11, 2016.[5]

Alaton studied at Şişli Terakki Primary School, Sainte-Pulchérie French Secondary School and Notre Dame de Sion French High School in Istanbul.[6] She also has a degree in Business Administration and Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and completed a master's degree in Social Sciences at the New York University.[1]

Alaton started her entrepreneurial career by selling belts[7] while in the United States. She is a founding member of Kadiger, the Turkish Association of Women Entrepreneurs.[8] She is a popular speaker on women's rights issues and on the role of women in modern Turkey, as well as fostering social entrepreneurship.[3][9]

In 1993, she was one of the first Leaders of the Future named at the Davos World Economic Forum.[1][6] In 2014, she was made Chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur.[10]

Alaton is known in Turkey for her extensive collection of contemporary art,[6] from artists both from Turkey and abroad. She is a member of Contemporary Art Istanbul Consultative Committee and the Leadership Council of the New Museum in New York City.[11]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Leyla ALATON. Board of Directors. Alarko Holding
  2. ^ Leyla Alaton. Bloomberg
  3. ^ a b "Leyla Alaton | Cartier Women's Initiative Awards". cartierwomensinitiative.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  4. ^ Istanbul Journal; The Sephardim Give Thanks for 500 Good Years. New York Times
  5. ^ Prominent Turkish businessman Isak Alaton dead at 89. Anadolu Agency
  6. ^ a b c Leyla Alaton. Indeks
  7. ^ The success stories behind Turkey's rising female entrepreneurs. Sabah
  8. ^ "Leyla Alaton | Sisterhood in Turkey". turkishwin.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  9. ^ "My City, My Istanbul: An Interview with Leyla Alaton". atdaa.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  10. ^ a b Leyla Alaton’a Fransa’dan ‘Légion d’Honneur’ (Onur Nişanı) (in Turkish)
  11. ^ Leyla Alaton Archived 2016-09-27 at the Wayback Machine. Women's Forum for the Economy and Society