Güneş Aydoğan is our very own magic man. As our Head of Strategic Business Development, we are confident he has a few tricks up his sleeve that can take us to new heights. 

He arrives with a formidable reputation, established as he rose through the ranks at Mastercard Data and Services. In his previous role, he oversaw crucial engagements that covered multiple countries within a globally significant region. Now he will help us to build relationships across continents that will enable more clients to benefit from our special blend of elite talent identification and sourcing, flexible engagement models and world-class service. 

Güneş is a big fan – and occasional performer – of magic and nobody can be under any illusions as to what he will bring to our A-team. This Q&A will reveal: 

• How a familiar face gave him insights into how we work even before his first interview. 
• What exactly his new role will see him doing. 
• Why he thinks Hyphen has such enormous growth potential. 
• And much more! 

 

What inspired you to join Hyphen and how did you first hear about the business? 

GA: I was first introduced to Hyphen by a former colleague of mine, Akin Akbiyik, who is now Hyphen’s Vice President of Client Partnerships. Before he moved here earlier this year, we worked together closely on various engagements in different countries over a period of four years at Mastercard Data and Services, and I really trusted him as a colleague and a manager there. 

After hearing about the business model and work environment from him, I was curious to learn more and decided to meet the founders. After an impressive round of interviews, three things inspired me to be a part of Hyphen’s A-team. 

Firstly, and most importantly, I was impressed by the attitude and skillset of the people here. Secondly, I believe Hyphen has a strong growth potential with its unique business model that is very relevant to the changing dynamics of the corporate world. Finally, I think Hyphen does a good job of meeting people’s changing demands from workplaces, such as remote working and flexible working hours. 

All these things convinced me that I wanted to be part of the team, without a doubt. 

 

What is it about your role that particularly excites you? Can you briefly explain what your main roles and responsibilities will be? 

GA: My main responsibility as the Head of Strategic Business Development is to help the team identify the right direction to grow while ensuring that we do it in the most effective manner operations-wise. 

This broad definition includes mainly three types of activities. Firstly, with the team, we will work on optimising our growth roadmap around different domains like geographies, clients, engagement types, etc. Secondly, we will investigate how to transform our internal processes and tools for operational excellence. And lastly, I will support the team on client-facing activities, such as proposal creation, relationship management, and so on. 

What excites me the most about the role is that Hyphen has a unique value proposition that combines consultancy, expert sourcing, and technology. That comes with a sea of opportunities in various directions when combined with the company’s flexible engagement models. It will be quite exciting to see how Hyphen will grow and reinvent itself over the years. 

 

Thinking about the differences and similarities, how does this position compare to what else you have done in your career to date? What are the main qualities and skills you think you will bring to this position? 

GA: As a former strategy consultant, I am very familiar with Hyphen’s services and corresponding client needs. That basic understanding is critical to help the company shape its future strategy. Also, based on my previous regional role with Mastercard, I have a solid understanding of several of our key markets. 

I think my main challenge here will be transitioning from a large, fully established corporation to a fairly new venture full of entrepreneurial spirit. Although this is something for me to adapt to, I believe embracing this challenge will come with many learning and growth opportunities in a fast-paced environment. 

 

Which members of our team have you already met, and what do you think of the team from what you have seen/heard so far? 

GA: Hyphen has quite an inclusive and interactive interview process, involving quite a lot of the different people from within the team, which is a nice way of doing it. Thanks to that, I had a chance to meet almost everyone I am going to work with actively. As I mentioned earlier, the friendliness and quality of Hyphen’s team was the primary reason that motivated me to join. 

I would also say the team has a good balance of seasoned consultants and junior talents, which is an opportunity for me to learn as well as to pass on my experiences. It’s an interesting blend and I am very excited to be a part of Hyphen’s A-team. 

 

How would you describe Hyphen’s potential? 

GA: Hyphen has the potential to scale globally, for sure. I think the workforce requirements of companies and government institutions are changing from various vantage points, which represents a potential opportunity for Hyphen. 

With technological advancements, institutions now need more expertise in niche domains, which they cannot develop in-house instantly. Most of the time, these new expertise requirements are unlikely to be met by traditional consultancy companies as well due to being too recent and technical. 

Unpredictable economic conditions are pushing companies to be more flexible regarding their workforce utilisation. When combined with access to resources from different geographies with remote work, organisations enter a new era in managing their human capital. 

I think Hyphen has captured these changing market dynamics very well and provides services tailored to particular situations. With this edge, Hyphen can scale up easily. 

 

In one or two sentences, how would you describe Hyphen to someone who isn’t familiar with the company? 

GA: Hyphen meets clients’ expertise and capability requirements with A-class resources, like experts or consultants, who have real-life experience in getting things done. We also have an exceptional ability to identify specific client needs and tailor the resource requirements and engagement model accordingly.  

 

Okay, enough questions about work – what do you like to do away from the office? Do you have any special skills or hidden talents? 

GA: I think my most ‘unusual’ interest is magic as a performance art. I love going to live shows, watching past performances, reading about techniques and history, and performing for my friends occasionally. I believe creating a moment of impossibility is a powerful and memorable experience for people. 

Besides that, I am a big whisky fan but not only for drinking. I visit distilleries, participate in certificate programs and tastings, and write about whisky on a blog, especially around special whiskies and their investment value. 

I also love travelling a lot, so thanks Hyphen for the remote-working opportunity!