Thaat's It
Haluk Sicimoğlu
Thaat's It
Haluk Sicimoğlu
Thaat's It
Haluk Sicimoğlu
The Brand The Research The Agency
HALUK SİCİMOĞLU
Founder & CSO
Haluk is a “pioneer.” He was the first member of his family of engineers to work in advertising, the first advertising professional to establish a strategy unit at a local agency, and the first person to found a brand consulting firm in the country. Growing up in Istanbul; studying in Exeter—a historic city in southern England—and in the alluring East Coast cities of Akron and Miami; and working in Barcelona, the fast-paced heart of Catalonia, shaped him into a fascinating individual with a blend of diverse cultures. After 24 fulfilling years at BBDO, Haluk let his inner entrepreneur take the reins; he launched the THAAT’S IT brand by teaming up with friends who were just as passionate as he was about telling brand experience stories and understanding consumers.
Haluk’s passion for education—dedicated to training the next generation of communications professionals—has led him to hold positions such as Co-Chair of Strategic Planning at BBDO University, President of the Advertising Foundation, and Advisor to the Graduate Program at Istanbul Bilgi University. In addition to his work in advertising, consulting, and education at THAAT’S IT, Sicimoğlu is currently teaching at Nişantaşı University.
RAHŞAN KARAN
Project Consultant
Rahşan’s passion is discovering the potential in everything—especially in people and in the business world. She finds fulfillment in helping unlock hidden potential and foster sustainable growth.
With 22 years of experience in sales, business development, and management—including more than 10 years as a senior executive—he is also an Organizational and Relationship Systems coach, a facilitator, and a Gestalk coach.
The unique combination of experience in sales, business development, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, coaching, training, and process improvement, when combined with expertise in information technology, is truly unbeatable. The resulting synergy enables him to be highly effective as he works with clients toward success.
In her most recent corporate role, Rahşan led the effort to build the sales team and operations from the ground up for one of Turkey’s most successful startups—one of five to receive an award from President Obama—and transform it into an international organization with $100 million in revenue, while also overseeing its management.
He believes in giving back. He makes an effort to devote time to social responsibility projects, such as working with NGOs, mentoring entrepreneurs, and coaching college students.
He considers it important to adopt a holistic approach and strive for harmony. He always combines the business side with the human side; social impact with respect for nature.
ALPER BARIŞ
CO-FOUNDER & CEO / THAAT’S THE ACADEMY
Alper is a true master of training programs on marketing communication and branding. Although Alper earned his bachelor’s degree in
food engineering, he chose to build his career in human resources and education management.
He first played an active role in the founding
of İzgören Akademi, Ankara’s first and most comprehensive training and consulting firm. He made a significant contribution to the company’s rapid rise to become one of the most
preferred training companies, first in Ankara and later throughout the country.
He served as director and
coordinator of the MediaCat Communication Institute for ten years, an institution that played a major role in shaping his life.
After stepping down from his role as General Coordinator at Eğitim Akademi to focus on personal development, he
co-founded THAAT’S THE ACADEMY with Haluk Sicimoğlu in 2015. THAAT’S THE ACADEMY
quickly became one of the first brands that come to mind when it comes to training in marketing and branding.
Alper Barış teaches courses on entrepreneurship, effective communication, and sales at various universities whenever he has the opportunity.
CEM SOLAK
Director of Strategy
After graduating at the top of his class from Bilgi University’s Advertising Department in 2002, he began his career at Medina Turgul DDB and went on to serve as a strategist and director of strategy at advertising agencies including Ajans Ultra, Lowe Istanbul, Y&R Istanbul, and Publicis Istanbul-Publicis Healthcare. He has been involved in numerous award-winning projects, most notably the Effie Awards and the Crystal Apple Awards. He has worked with a broad portfolio of multinational and local brands, including Unilever, Ülker, THY, Türk Telekom, and Koç Holding. He is a history enthusiast and an avid guitarist. He loves storytelling and sometimes writes his own stories. What he enjoys most, however, is blending different concepts and ideas from various areas of life to discover inspiring connections and metaphors.
SİNEM YÜCELEN
Project Manager
He graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Marmara University. She then completed her postgraduate studies in Marketing Communications at Bilgi University’s AdSchool. She began her career in Client Relations at Ajans Ultra in 2009 and continued it at the advertising agencies UltraRPM, TBWA\Istanbul, and Frög. She has worked with numerous national and international brands. She has worked on advertising campaigns that have won awards such as the Effie, Crystal Apple, and Ads of the World. She currently continues to serve numerous national and international brands as Project Manager at THAAT’S IT!
ECE ŞİMŞEK
Project Manager
Ece joined the Thaat’s It team as a Junior Project Manager while studying Business and Economics at the University of Bologna, where she was admitted with top honors. She is particularly interested in brand personality development and neuromarketing. She is still at the beginning of her career… She has dedicated herself to personal growth and to acquiring new knowledge and diverse experiences in every field. In this era where everything is becoming increasingly homogeneous, she believes it’s important to think outside the box. She loves playing tennis and painting. She’s a total bookworm. Thanks to the books she’s read across various fields, she’s gained the ability to view events from different perspectives, analyze them, and develop greater awareness.
