Ozgur Erdem joins management consultancy Forte Partners

Istanbul-based Forte Partners has welcomed Ozgur Erdem to the firm as a managing partner.

Ozgur Erdem has more than 20 years of consulting experience, with a focus on the customer experience and organizational transformation domain. He has managed full-cycle transformation projects across the Middle East and Africa, serving clients in sectors including telecom, technology, non-profit, government, and financial services.

Erdem spent the past seven years at EY. “I’m now stepping into a new chapter, and am eager to bring my expertise in strategy, digital transformation, and customer experience to the dynamic team at Forte Partners.”

Taking the time to thank his now former colleagues, Erdem said: “EY has been seven incredible years. Working alongside such talented colleagues and collaborating with clients to achieve transformative results has been a true honour.”

Forte Partners is a boutique consultancy specialising in customer management. The consulting firm helps its clients with customer strategy, customer value management, customer experience, and analytics, in sectors including financial services, retail and ecommerce, and telecom.

“I’ve always admired the track record of Forte Partners, and I’m eager to play a role in shaping the future of digital transformation with this talented group,” Erdem noted.

To an extent, Forte Partners is somewhat of a homecoming for Erdem. In 2008, he teamed up with Ali Pirinccioglu and Utku Sarioz to launch Forte Consultancy Group, which in the eight years since its inception had grown into a leading management consultancy specialised in customer-centric transformations. In 2016, the Turkish consultancy was acquired by EY, with Pirinccioglu, Erdem and Sarioz leading the team making the transition to the Big Four firm.

Two years on, Sarioz quit EY to launch Forte Partners. In the years since, several team members of the original Forte Consultancy Group boomeranged back to the firm, including current partners Berkin Ozmen and Mine Bayrak Ozmen.

Sarioz said he is excited to reunite with his long-time business partner. “I am personally delighted to reunite and work alongside Ozgur once more, recalling our successful eight-year partnership together. Ozgur’s addition to our leadership is a major leap forward in enhancing our service scope and coverage across the region. His extensive knowledge and experience in digital transformation are crucial assets for our clients.”

“Joining Forte Partners definitely feels like coming home”, Erdem concluded.