Murat Sozer

Senior procurement professional with 25+ years' experience looking for an opportunity in an environment where an entrepreneurial and international mindset is welcomed to create value. Successfully achieved cost savings in all different positions in corporate environments and served as a consultant. Team player working both with commercial and technical departments. Applies a keen eye on cost structure with understanding the criticality of procurement in the overall success of the business model. A great ability of taking decisions under stress and pressure, as a result of a dive master (Both PADI and CMAS) and underwater worker (pipeline controller) career for three years.

Founder - Pintotex B.V. Jun 2020 - Present · Amsterdam

Providing consultancy services internationally including sourcing, market research, customs procedures, and shipment support. 

International Business Consultant - Pintotex Ltd.  Dec 2013 - Jun 2020

Providing services for local & international companies including but not limited to market research, and penetration of clients'  products in theme parks,   zoos,   and public aquariums.   Preparing workflows, setting up product mixes,  and coordinating purchasing process.  Logistics and customs operations including delivering key training. 
Key clients include  Vialand,  Okyanus  Aquarium,  Faruk Yalcin Zoo,  Jurasicland  Theme Park,  Viasea, Funtastic Aquarium, Eskisehir Zoo Trabzon Aquarium-National Aquarium Abu Dhabi. 
Key accomplishments are highlighted below

   - Reorganizing imports of Ocean  Aquarium leading to a 70K USD cost reduction per shipment for

     an average order value of 250K USD.

   - Set up 4 stores within Vialand within one month.

   - Get licensing rights for Turkey & Abu Dhabi for Discovery Media Venture Ltd.,  Animal Planet.

   - Consulting Mojo to work with a key vendor in Turkey to penetrate the Turkish market

Procurement & Operations Manager, Armagan Toys Nov 2010 - Dec 2013

Armagan is one of the leading manufacturers and top brands in Turkey with 74 retail shops acting also as a whole sellers. Founded in 1989 and formed Mega Toys in 2005 to separate country retail operations from import/export activities Above link in Turkish however, provides an overview of all top brands represented. 
Leading market research; Managing suppliers & traders relations including visits and key relationships with China manufacturers including OEM productions; managing logistic operations; preparing optimum cost orders per HS codes related to their protection amounts (import costs decreased from 70% to 30% by implementing new strategies). Coordinating, controlling, and planning licensed product projects. 
Inform, and demonstrate to the customers about the product specifications. Supporting claim procedures.   

Co-Founder & Partner – MYC Marketing Sept 2007 – Nov 2010

Co-founded MYC with ex-General Manager, Intel Turkey, and ex-Sales Manager, 3M Turkey with a vision to bring higher quality & educational toys and new brands to the Turkish market. MYC is still an active whole seller handling multiple top brands with sole distribution rights that grew to 2,5MEUR revenue. The above link in Turkish however provides an overview of all top brands represented.

As a Partner key responsibilities include but are not limited to sourcing and vendor management both maintaining existing as well as finding new ones. Educating other founders and partners on the toys market to transfer their corporate knowledge to this entrepreneurship for a successful reputation both with vendors and customers.

A key prestige project was to provide 1:72 scale diecast F-16s for the Turkish Air Force (TUAF) to be gifted to other countries' top air force commanders around the world in celebration of their 100th anniversary. The project was done under the license of Lockheed Martin. My relationship with the TUAF was initiated by me leading to success without a tender process which happened for the first time in TUAF's history. 

Self Employed - Entrepreneurial Toys Market Import Nov 2004 – Aug 2007

Traveled to China to identify multiple high-quality low-cost vendors for a variety of products for the toys market to import to Turkey. Imported some of the toys for the very first time in Turkey in a self-created online platform leading to a significant network in Toys Market within Turkey and China. 

Product Manager, Spare parts Sewing machines - Tetas Group Jan 2001 - Oct 2004

Tetas is a leading textile machinery importer (knitting, embroidery, sewing, shoes, etc), their spare parts & other supplies in Turkey. Paper label production, garment manufacture, and textile machinery production are among their operations. Group's annual earnings were around €300M with 550 employees.   

Planning international spare parts purchase, preparing forecasts, new product development, preparing price lists & budgeting, assisting sales with product groups, managing warehouses - 5 in the country along with Romania warehouse for own product line, brand management of 14 brands, training sales workforce on products, coordinating relations between sales & technical services, improving relations with spare parts wholesalers,  preparing campaigns to increase slow-selling products sales. The key success was to repurpose some spare parts to meet a wider and different customer base to reduce excess stock.

Product Manager, Spare parts Aftermarket - Federal Mogul Apr 1997 - Jan 2001

Planning periodic orders from Federal Mogul warehouses located in the USA, Belgium, and China, preparing monthly reports for management, preparing price lists & budgets, coordinating claim processes with technical departments and factories, visiting customers for product introductions. 

Istanbul University (*), Istanbul / Turkey 1998        Business Administration

Ranked top 5 in Turkey and within top 500 in the world by different education rating agencies