Current/ previous positions: Founder & Chair, BigChefs

BIOGRAPHY

Gamze Cizreli is the Founder and Chairperson of BigChefs, an all-day casual dining restaurant chain. Founded in Ankara in 2007, BigChefs now operates in136 locations in 11 countries. As a woman-led business, the brand is known for its creative use of local farming, its support for women producers, and its strong focus on sustainability. Besides her core business, she has been a part-time lecturer on “Entrepreneurship” at Middle East Technical University and was one of the jury members of “Dragon’s Den” broadcasted on Bloomberg TV and “Winning Restaurant” on FOX TV. In 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017, she was named “Woman Entrepreneur of Turkey” by Economist magazine. Most recently, she was selected to the Forbes list of “50 Women Over 50” in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.