Sedef Ayhan
Managing Director, East Mediterranean Area at A.P. Moller – Maersk
Sedef Ayhan was born in 1978. She joined Maersk in 2001.
Sedef has spent all her professional career with Maersk, where she joined as a management trainee and took various operational and commercial roles in Copenhagen, Genoa and İstanbul. Since 2017, Sedef has been the Managing Director of Maersk in East Mediterranean Region covering16 countries including Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia.
Sedef is Turkish and has an 8-year-old daughter. She graduated from Üsküdar American Academy (Üsküdar Amerikan Lisesi) and holds a BA degree in Economics from Koç University.
Aycan Koç
I was born on June 4, 2002, in Istanbul, where my journey into medicine began. I attended Burak Bora Anatolian High School, excelling in my studies, which laid the foundation for my acceptance into Istanbul University’s Faculty of Medicine ranking first in my year. Driven by my passion for neuroscience, I have focused my education on understanding the complexities of the human brain, with the goal of becoming a neurologist
Thanks to opportunities that were made possible with the support of the Türk Üniversiteli Kadınlar Derneği, which I joined during my second year at university I had the chance to pursue my dreams, and my recent internships have been pivotal in shaping my career aspirations. At UC San Diego’s Daneman Lab, I conducted research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), mastering techniques like immunostaining and microscopy, and gaining hands-on experience in animal experiments. Additionally, my observership at Rhode Island Hospital allowed me to immerse myself in the U.S. clinical environment, learning from experienced medical professionals.
Back home, I have been actively involved in research at Istanbul University’s Neuroimmunology Clinic, where I study the effects of treatment discontinuation in Multiple Sclerosis. These experiences have deepened my commitment to advancing neurological research and patient care on an international stage.