Kordsa Global Leadership Summit in Istanbul

Executives from Kordsa’s production facilities around the world came together at the annual Global Leadership Summit. In addition to reviewing 2019 and sharing 2020 goals, world-renowned speakers Peter Marsh, the author of The New Industrial Revolution, and Chris Barez-Brown, founder of Upping Your Elvis, were also present at the summit. Kordsa’s annual Global Leadership Summit, bringing together leaders from all production facilities around the world, took place in Istanbul on 7 January.

In his opening speech, Kordsa’s CEO Ali Çalışkan emphasized Kordsa’s “Inspired to Reinforce Life” motto. He said: “We have been in a rapid transformation since 2018 with both acquisitions and new reinforcement technologies. We have both deepened our competencies and expanded our operation area. Today, as a global player in the tyre, construction reinforcement and composites technologies markets, we operate with more than 4,500 employees in 12 manufacturing facilities across five countries including Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, and the US. From now on, in this rapidly changing world, we will continue to develop new technologies and reinforce more areas by listening to people and being inspired from their needs. With our competencies and know-how, we now produce a wide range of high-tech materials ranging from tyre reinforcement to the aerospace industry.”

Guest speakers

At the Kordsa Leadership Summit, Peter Marsh underlined the importance of cooperation for a sustainable future and sustainable economy with his presentation on the circular economy: “As the world population is growing and living standards are rising, human consumption is increasing, and natural resources are decreasing more rapidly. This makes it essential to re-consider the current ‘linear economy’ based on a take-make-dispose model. Increasingly the ‘circular economy’ model – based on zero waste and recycling – will have a part to play. In a rapidly changing world, it will be crucial to devise new technologies that will help the circular economy to function. Technology development companies have a key role here. Increasingly they will need to collaborate with other companies often in different industries to devise the most suitable circular economy processes.”

“I believe that everyone is creative, the important thing is to know how to reveal this creativity”, said Chris Barez-Brown in his speech on creative and innovative thinking. He added: “The best ideas never come to mind when you’re sitting at your desk. They happen when you’re feeling relaxed, having fun and are tuned into your emotions as well as your knowledge. We need to feel as well as think for great creativity to bubble-up inside us.  In those moments, our conscious and subconscious minds start to communicate and that’s when your creative process starts.”

On the second day of the summit, Kordsa Reinforcement Leaders came together to renovate a school in Izmit, as they do every year. Unlike previous years, in addition to the renovation activity, Kordsa carried out a joint education project with the Teachers Academy Foundation (ÖRAV) to support the professional and personal development of teachers of Akçaova Primary and Secondary School, and other schools in the region.

Ali Çalışkan, mentioning the school renovation project and the cooperation with the Teachers Academy Foundation, said: “As Kordsa, we reinforce life and the future. We see children and young people as our future, and therefore we attach utmost importance to education. We have been renovating schools for the last five years. We wanted to improve our contribution in order to touch more lives. In this regard, we cooperated with the Teachers Academy Foundation, and within the scope of their “Learning Leader Teacher” program, we implemented a training project for the teachers of Akçaova Primary and Secondary Schools, and other schools in the region.”