Early Life
Hamdi Akın was born on August 17, 1954, in Istanbul, Turkey. He is the third child of Hasan and Hikmet Akın. He completed his high school education in Ankara and then studied mechanical engineering at Gazi University.
Rise to Success
Hamdi Akın began his entrepreneurial journey in his third year of university, manufacturing water storage, fuel storage, and heating boilers in his father's workshop. In 1976, he founded Akfen Holding. Akfen Holding's early projects included infrastructure projects. A significant milestone was the Antalya Airport Terminal Building project, which was developed using the 'Build-Operate-Transfer' model. He also founded TAV Airports in 1997. Akfen Holding has expanded its portfolio to include energy, real estate development, and infrastructure. He is also the founder of Mersin International Port (MIP).
Key Business Strategies
Key strategies include partnerships such as the one with PSA to win the tender for the privatization of Mersin Port's operational rights. Another strategy was the founding of Akfen Real Estate Investment Trust Inc. in 2006 and forming a strategic partnership with Accor S.A. to build city hotels.
Philanthropy
Hamdi Akın founded the Turkey Human Resources Foundation (TİKAV) in 1999 to support education. He also opened his homes to Syrian refugees in December 2015.
