GAMA Enerji Appoints Aybars Yağız as Deputy Managing Director – Legal and Corporate Communications

GAMA Enerji A.Ş., a Turkish company specializing in power and water infrastructure development and investment, has announced the promotion of Aybars Yağız to the position of Deputy Managing Director – Legal and Corporate Communications. Yağız, who has been with GAMA Enerji for over a decade, will now oversee the legal, corporate communications, and public relations teams within the company.

Aybars Yağız is a highly experienced legal professional, with a background in legal advice, dispute resolution, and legal writing. Fluent in both English and Turkish, Yağız has been recognized in the GC Powerlist Turkey for individuals in 2017 and 2022, and teams in 2018.

Prior to his promotion, Yağız held various positions within GAMA Enerji, including Legal Counsel, Deputy Managing Director - Legal, and Member of the Board of Directors for eight group companies in the natural gas, wind, hydro power, and water conveyance fields. His past experience also includes positions at prestigious international law firms such as CMS Cameron McKenna and White & Case, where he specialized in construction law, dispute resolution, and project finance.

Aybars Yağız holds a Bachelor's degree in Law from Bilkent University and a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Financial Law from King's College London. He has also completed an Executive MBA at Bilkent University.

What personal and professional skills do you believe are most important for your role at GAMA Enerji?

A company initially hires a talent based on written resume, few Q&A to test professional knowledge and maybe one or two recommendations, none of which qualifies for long-term career advancements and promotion. I am convinced that it is the soft skills which gives a boost to earn and expand the role. Without communication, conflict management and coaching, none of my legal knowledge would be useful to the company, but there is also a fourth pillar to complete the picture – Self-assurance. This is slightly different than self-awareness, which only stands for being aware of your potential. Self-assurance builds on that awareness, and it means to be content with yourself and with what you can and cannot do. This skill is very important in overcoming the “legal ego”.

How do you feel about working in a highly regulated industry?

I would expect a high level of visibility and predictability in regulated markets against the sacrifice for high profit margins; however, the never-ending interventions and restrictions to energy regulations diminishes the visibility and also new investment opportunities. Yet, this environment taught us how to adapt and create innovative solutions, especially with the market regulator.

My legal side keeps an eye open all the time on daily basis to capture the intended changes in the market. The team is more than capable with years of experience to adapt these volatilities. My corporate communications side is highly reactive to market dynamics and their potential effects to the company. The team is very talented to set the tone of the company and create a corporate voice.

In short, it is exhaustive to sustain a continuous growth in this environment but highly rewarding both emotionally and professionally.