Sabancı Holding CEO Kıvanç Zaimler evaluated the agenda and answered questions at the Anadolu Agency (AA) Finance Desk, prepared with the contributions of Istanbul Finance Center.
Stating that we are going through a period in which global geopolitical tensions have increased and macroeconomic forecasts have become difficult, Zaimler said, "This requires large structures like us and companies that manage large portfolios to be more disciplined. The summary of 2026 was discipline for us." he said.
Zaimler stated that the sales of CarrefourSA shares in food retailing and Akçansa shares in line with their growth targets in a different track in the cement sector are important indicators of their disciplined management of their portfolios.
Stating that the cash obtained from these sales reduced the level of indebtedness on the balance sheet and brought the company to a more reliable position, Zaimler noted that the weight of B2B businesses and the increase in diversity in the portfolio also strengthened resilience.
Zaimler stated that they experienced an increase in profitability in the first two quarters compared to the previous period and said, "We continue to maintain this momentum. We anticipate continuing to do so. We will announce our third quarter results in the coming days." he said.
OUR BIGGEST PRIORITY IS TO INCREASE RETURN ON EQUITY
Kıvanç Zaimler emphasized that their biggest priority is to increase equity profitability and stated that they aim to maintain the momentum they have achieved so far in 2026 in 2027.
Stating that the business lines in their portfolio are affected by different developments to different extents, Zaimler stated that they will try to achieve balance between these areas.
Emphasizing that disinflation is essential for permanent stability, Zaimler said, "We cannot expect this (disinflation) to be constant and linear. It will include ups and downs, but in terms of permanent stability, the successful implementation of the disinflation program is important for our country." he said.
Zaimler noted the following regarding his financial and operational priorities:
"I can summarize it under four headings. The first of these is the management of the balance sheet. This includes our indebtedness and having a strong balance sheet. The second is the diversity of our portfolio. In other words, we are in different business lines, so the level of resistance of each business to both geopolitical and macroeconomic fluctuations in this world is different. Therefore, we try to keep this in balance. This diversity provides us with significant benefits. Operational efficiency and cost management are among the other issues we focus on. Of course, the most important thing is the profit we make while managing these operations, the quality of profitability, the quality of this profitability. cash management due to its conversion into cash.”
WE PLAN TO EXPAND GROWTH IN Türkiye AND INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIES
Sabancı Holding CEO Zaimler stated that they evaluate their growth plans in 5-year periods and prepare a medium-term 5-year plan every year.
Noting that it is an important indicator whether the budget is progressing in accordance with the medium-term plan or not.
Zaimler said, "We already see the course of that year in the first quarter or second quarter. Are there any deviations from our medium-term plan? Accordingly, we can organize these plans in the medium-term plan we will make a year later." he said.
Zaimler stated that the current medium-term plans were prepared to be resistant to external risks and continued his words as follows:
"It includes various options. We can push our growth earlier or further. There is flexibility in our portfolio decisions regarding our investments. This already brings discipline as well as being fast and agile. We plan to grow in our existing businesses and in the areas around them, along with the businesses we are strong in, and to expand this both in Türkiye and in international geographies. We have an appetite for growth. But we will never give up on discipline and return on equity."
WE ARE RESEARCHING NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Kıvanç Zaimler stated that they manage a wide portfolio from financial services to energy and industry, and that they prioritize efficiency in all business lines.
Stating that they use artificial intelligence and new technologies to increase efficiency in their activities, Zaimler stated that these solutions not only increase product and service quality, but also make it easier to offer new products to customers.
Zaimler pointed out that artificial intelligence also creates new business opportunities in the digital field and said, "Today, we are one step of this with our companies such as SabancıDx or Bulutistan. We are also investigating new opportunities in this axis. We also see an important gaming opportunity in our data centers, the data center in our bank and the ecosystem around it." he said.
Zaimler stated that they benefit from new technologies in all business lines and that they have established business partnerships and made investments in artificial intelligence and energy transformation, especially in the fields of energy and climate technologies, within the scope of venture capital investments.
Emphasizing that people are at the center of technological transformation, Zaimler noted that it is important for employees to be developed in line with new technologies and for the products and services offered to make people's lives easier.
WE HAVE INVESTED APPROXIMATELY 10 BILLION DOLLARS IN THE LAST 5 YEARS
Sabancı Holding CEO Zaimler gave the following information about the holding's investments at home and abroad:
"We have invested nearly 10 billion dollars in the last 5 years. Nearly 90 percent of this is in Türkiye. Our growth strategy includes increasing our footprint abroad with our leading, strong companies and subsidiaries in Türkiye. Growth abroad is always growth moves from Türkiye, created with the competencies in Türkiye. Therefore, growth projects abroad will also develop with the competencies in our existing businesses."
Zaimler stated that they look at scalability, large investments in the portfolio and competitiveness in their investment decisions and said, "Today, a different competitive ecosystem is developing in the world, especially in the Far East, and we need to have some competencies against competition in the new business areas we will enter within this." he said.
Pointing out the importance of discipline, equity efficiency and profitability, Zaimler said that they have made significant investments in Türkiye in the last 5 years, the annual investment amount increased from 800 million dollars to 2.5 billion dollars, and that they aim to maintain their growth appetite both in Türkiye and abroad.
Zaimler stated that they did not limit investments to a certain geography and noted that they evaluated all regions that could provide competitive advantage and scale.
CRITICAL MINERALS AND ELECTRIFICATION ARE AMONG NEW GROWTH AREAS
Kıvanç Zaimler touched upon the sectors they will prioritize for growth and made the following statements:
"Material technologies and energy are competitive. We have strong subsidiaries in both building materials and energy, both in Türkiye and internationally. These are the main growth areas, but we look at other areas next to them. It is always related to them, but when you look at the world today, critical minerals and material technologies extending from there are already an important trend. On the other hand, today's energy transformation has evolved towards electrification. So, we strive to be on these two main trends."
While answering the question about the role of Sabancı Holding in producing high value-added products using technology, Zaimler said that the inclusion of information and technology in the national growth plan can make a difference, and this is possible with qualified human resources.
Stating that they integrated technology and knowledge into all business lines of the holding, Zaimler said, "While producing buses at TEMSA, our share in exports increased approximately 15-16 times. Our value per kilogram in exports is many times higher than the Turkish average. Here, our exports of both electric buses and batteries lead the way." he said.
Zaimler noted that Kordsa provides significant supplies to the space, aviation and automotive sectors with its composite activities in the field of material technologies, and that they have a significant market share in calcium aluminate cement worldwide in building materials.
Referring to the work in the energy sector, Zaimler said, "The ability to manage our power plants and networks remotely and with technology both provides efficiency and contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of the country." he said.
