Executive Director of UN Global Compact Türkiye
Melda Çele is the Executive Director of UN Global Compact Türkiye. Established in 2000 by the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, UN Global Compact is an initiative aimed at aligning the operations and strategies of businesses with 10 universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption. It also encourages companies to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their core business strategies and operations. Through its 69 local networks, UN Global Compact has over 19,000 business participants and other stakeholders from more than 160 countries, making it the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.
Melda Çele began her career at TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association) in 2005. In 2013, she assumed the roles of Deputy Secretary-General of TÜSİAD and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Türkiye Local Network hosted by TÜSİAD.
Throughout her career, Çele has closely monitored the sustainability practices of companies. With a belief in the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships, she has initiated and managed several projects in collaboration between the private sector and civil society organizations.
Melda Çele holds a Master's degree in European Integration from the University of Essex, a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Koç University, and is a graduate of Robert College.