Keynote Speakers

Dr. rer. pol. Harald J. Bolsinger is Professor of Business Ethics and Economics at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (FHWS). Würzburg-based business ethicist Harald Bolsinger has gained considerable practical experience in corporate customer service and distribution in the cooperative banking sector as well as a business promoter for the City of Nuremberg. He is actively involved in numerous initiatives to promote ethics and Christian values in business life. He has taught at various universities and was recently the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at FHWS.

Mr. Kemal Sahin was born in Konya, Turkey. After his graduation from Konya High School as a boarder, by passing a nation-wide exam in Turkey he got a state scholarship for RWTH Aachen University in Germany, and studied Metallurgical Engineering.

He started his own business in Aachen by opening a small gift shop in 1982. Over the years he expanded this shop and established the wholesale and retail company “Santex Modern GmbH” which was the foundation of today’s Sahinler Holding.

Mr. Sahin is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sahinler Holding whose turnover is over 1 billion dollars with 10 thousand employees. The company operates in 6 countries, in 7 industries, and exports its products to 170 countries.

Mr. Sahin has a number of recognitions and awards such as:

• Germany Businessman of the Year Award (1997)
• First Turk chosen as a member of the Entrepreneur of the Year Institute, known as the Rulers of the World Society in the US (1997)
• European Ruban d’Honneur Award by the Club of Europe for his contributions to the development of democracy, market economy and Turkish-German friendship (1998)
• State Medal for Distinguished Service by Süleyman Demirel, the then President of the Republic of Turkey, due to his outstanding success in promoting Turkey to the world (2000)
• Honorary Doctorate degree in Business Administration by Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey for being an exemplary entrepreneur model (2000)
• Entrepreneurship Master Award by Cologne and Environs’ Craftsmen Association (2010)
• Order of Merit 1. Class by the German Presidency for his remarkable contributions to Turkish-German relations (2014)
• Order of Edirne Honorary Townsmanship by Edirne Mayor due to his successful investments in textile sector and generating employment in Edirne, Turkey (2014)

Mr. Sahin has also been founder or one of the founders of many organisations such as:

• Turkish-German Textile and Apparel Manufacturers Association (TÜDET) (1992)
• European-Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists Association (ATIAD) (1992)
• Turkish Foreign Trade Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (1995)
• Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TD-IHK)
• Turkish-German Students and Academicians Association (TD-Platform) (2006)
• Stiftung: Bildung! Education Foundation (2012)

Mr. Sahin has two books:

• Zirvedeki Sahin (The Falcon at the Zenith) [his biography] (2000), and
• Der Falke in der Fremde (The Falcon Far Afield) [his management and business approach] (2002)