Gizem Erken

Gizem Erken is currently a Senior R&D Project Manager at pladis Global, with a professional background in product development and engineering in the food industry. Previously, Gizem held several roles at Eti, including Product Development Unit Manager for both Functional Products and Cracker & Salty Snacks, where responsibilities included developing snack and bakery strategies, leading R&D teams, managing product launches, and ensuring interdepartmental coordination. With earlier positions as a Senior Product Development Engineer and Food Engineer, Gizem cultivated expertise in product formulation, production trials, and evaluating new ingredients. Education includes a Bachelor of Engineering in Food Engineering from Middle East Technical University, a Master's degree in Industrial and Product Design from the same institution, and a Second University Degree in Brand Communication from Anadolu University.