Aykut Altın
Aykut Altın
Managing Partner / VP Communications
Aykut studied Literature at Galatasaray High School between 1975-83 and Philosophy at Bogazici University between 1983-88. He was heavily involved in theater during his high school and university years. He lived three years in the United States taking writing and television classes. He worked temporary jobs in Chicago, Charleston, and Las Vegas, while traveling.
In his advertising career, which he readily started while he was a student in 1986, he worked as a copywriter, creative director and manager at important advertising agencies in Turkey such as Merkez Ajans (Lowe Lintas), Markom (Leo Burnett), Mod Agency. He founded Altın Vanderlee Advertising Agency in 1996 and served Merck Sharp & Dohme as a main client for six years.
He established EM&DM Events and Direct Marketing Agency in 2002, and later created the IMS Platform Group of Companies, which includes CRM, advertising design, call center, research, direct marketing and event organization units and companies serving large customers such as Teknosa, Pepsi, Hyundai, Kalekim and Akbank. In 2011, following a key passion of his and transferring his shares, he opened a restaurant to serve individual customers instead of the corporate. In 2013, he joined back the advertising industry creative groups. He worked as a campaign manager at the Health Garden Educational Agency, and managed the campaigns of the Turkish Medical Association, Istanbul Medical Chamber and Istanbul Dentistry Chamber. In the last four years of his advertising career, he served as a member of the executive board in charge of marketing in the Wellpoint Human Resources Group, which has a 600 payroll portfolio mainly consisting of physicians and occupational safety specialists. He managed all the brands of the group at the group’s in-house agency, Curative Digital Works, and trained and mentored young advertisers. He still continues advertising, marketing and brand consultancy. He trains and mentors at the Copywriting Workshop, a program he created. He is back to stage acting and took part in the foundation of the ArtNiyet Performing Arts Ensemble. Inspired by the mentorship he gave to young people, added a new direction to his career by getting a Valuematch / Spiral Dynamics Practitioner certificate in 2021.