My Journey: From Ankara to Championing Hospitality
Born as the first baby of 1977 in Cologne, Germany, my life’s journey soon took me to Ankara, Turkey. With a Bosnian mother and an Albanian father, I grew up immersed in a rich blend of cultures, flavors, and entrepreneurial spirit.
My 1980s childhood in Ankara was filled with dusty streets and endless games, but my real passion was basketball. Unfortunately, a severe back injury at 21, coupled with the loss of my father, ended my sports dream. However, this led me to discover my true calling in Bodrum, a sun-kissed Aegean town. There, I fell in love with the world of hospitality, spending six transformative years in a resort, honing skills in Swiss-style service and discipline.
In 2005, love brought me to The Netherlands, where I married Laura and embarked on a new chapter. My career in hospitality flourished with Van der Valk hotels and Accor Hotels, where I led various initiatives in innovation, digitalization, and change management across cities like Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, and London.
In 2018, I joined Hotel Arena to oversee its successful renovation and market repositioning. Then came Kanteen25 in Amsterdam, a no-waste, locally sourced restaurant, hotel and event center. Within a year, we made it Amsterdam’s best terrace. More than a business, Kanteen25 is a mission to train refugees in hospitality, addressing industry staffing needs while empowering lives.
My efforts have been recognized with several accolades, including a top-5 finish in the 2016 Hospitality Awards’ “Best General Manager” category in Paris, leading the “Best Internship Hotel” in Rotterdam, and managing Europe’s happiest hotel staff.
Beyond hospitality, I’m deeply involved in the arts, serving as the chairman of Hip Hop In je Smoel, the largest street art and hip-hop platform in Holland, and the PowWow Rotterdam Festival.
I’m here to serve, to uplift those in my professional circle and beyond. Let’s connect, and I’ll be more than happy to help.