| Demet Mutlu | |
| Occupation: | CEO and founder of Trendyol group |
| Education: | New York University Harvard Business School (dropped out) |
Demet Mutlu is a Turkish entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Trendyol, an e-commerce operating in Turkey and Europe.[1] She left Harvard Business School in 2010 and founded Trendyol. She is also an investor and co-founder of Peak Games, and one of the largest companies in the global mobile gaming industry which was acquired by Zynga for $1.8 billion.
Demet Mutlu graduated cum laude from New York University with a degree in Economics. After working for a number of companies in marketing and business development in Switzerland, Japan, America and Turkey, Demet Mutlu started her MBA at Harvard Business School in 2009.[2]
During a visit to Turkey during the summer after her first year at Harvard Business School, Demet Mutlu saw there was a gap in the field of e-commerce, especially in fashion, and left Harvard Business School to found Trendyol in 2010.[3]
Trendyol has taken an important step to reach consumers in Europe and launched the en.trendyol.com website for the users of 27 countries in Europe.[4] Trendyol is an online marketplace that enables local merchants to sell online through the platform. This model enables Trendyol to promote Turkish manufacturers and brands around the world.[5]
Trendyol has launched new businesses in line with demands from consumers such as Trendyol Express (logistics), Trendyol Go & Food (instant grocery and meal delivery), Trendyol Wallet (e-wallet) and Dolap (second-hand fashion marketplace) [6]
In 2011, she was named one of the “10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in the World” by Fortune magazine.[7] In 2011, she was selected as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and she became a founding member of the Global Shapers in Turkey. In 2012 she attended the Davos Summit.[8]
In 2013, she was the only Turk on the BOF 500 – a list prepared by "Business of Fashion", which includes 500 names that lead today's fashion world.[9]
In 2015, she was named one of Europe's 50 Most Inspiring Women in technology.[10]
In 2016 she was the only leader nominated from Turkey who got selected to the Young Global Leaders list of the World Economic Forum.[11] Trendyol was defined as "the world's most exclusive private social network".[12] In 2016, she was cited by The Hundert and Forbes magazines as a model for European women entrepreneurs.[13] In 2016, she was cited by The Hundert and Forbes magazines as a model for European women entrepreneurs.[14]
In 2017, she became the representative for Turkey of the “Inspiring Women” project of the world-famous lifestyle platform Refinery29.[15]
In 2019, she was named ‘Woman Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Business People of the Year Awards by Ekonomist magazine.[16]