Ethem Sancak

Ethem Sancak was born in Siirt in 1954 and completed his primary and secondary education in the same city. He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Business Administration in 1976.
Sancak gave priority to health sector according to his principles of local development and Turkey’s leadership in global competition and founded Hedef Pharmaceuticals and Medical Warehouse in 1981. Hedef Pharmaceuticals became an international brand in a short time and Sancak formed a strategic partnership with Alliance Boots in 2001. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hedef Alliance and served as a member of Executive Committee of Alliance Boots until 2014. Sancak established Medical Park Hospitals Group within the scope of health investments and soon left the health sector and turned to media and defense industry investments.
With the foresight of “New Turkey vision can only be preserved with the help of defense industry and international media power”, Sancak bought Türk Media Group and Star Media Group and formed “ES Media Group” in 2013 and then, later in the same year, he bought BMC, a Turkish brand.
By the end of the last quarter of 2017, he left the media sector and turned to investments in the agriculture and livestock sector. His investments in defense industry are also continuing.
Knowing that taking active part in non-governmental organizations is crucial for civilianization, Sancak has immense management and membership experience in a very broad range of NGO’s.
Sancak was elected “Business Administrator of the Year” in 2001, and “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2005. He received the “National Sovereignty Outstanding Service and Honor Award” from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in 2007. In recognition of his services as Honorary Consul of Brazil in Istanbul from 2006 to 2010, he was honored by the President of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Lula da Silva, with the Medal of Rio Branco, the highest service medal in Brazil.
Together with Dr. Fuat Sezgin, who introduced the share of Islamic civilization in the foundation of modern science to the whole world, Sancak founded the Foundation for the Study of Islam and History of Science in 2010.
Sancak served as the Chairman of the Executive Board at Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Association of Turkey from 2004 to 2010 and as a Board Member and the Head of Social Affairs Commission at TÜSİAD from 2007 to 2008. He also served as the Vice Chairman of Istanbul Modern Art Museum, Member of the Board of Directors at Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Board Member at TEGV, Executive Committee Member at ERG, Founding Member of TÜSEDAD, Board of Trustees Member at TESEV, High Advisory Board Member at Darüşşafaka Society, Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) Headquarters Intra-Party Democracy Arbitration Committee Member. He was awarded the Turkish Red Crescent Gold Medal in recognition of his sensitivity and assistance in the India and Pakistan earthquakes.
Ethem Sancak is married and has three children.