Dr. Alper Özbilen
Dr. Alper Özbilen has built a 20-year career in the technology and defense industries, starting at various institutions and organizations, and continues his work on an international scale across a wide geographic area. His focus is on the application and productization of critical technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and big data analytics, in various fields within the security and defense sectors.
Academic Life
Dr. Alper Özbilen completed his undergraduate studies in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Gazi University. He also earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the same university and completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in Technology and Innovation-Based Business Management at Boston University. He has taught courses in his areas of expertise both in Turkey and abroad.
Özbilen continues to contribute to the academic literature with his work in artificial intelligence and strategic technologies. His research, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital transformation, closely examines the development of the sector and its potential to transform companies, industries, societies, and governments.
Professional Career
He began his public career as an assistant expert and continued in roles such as expert, head of department, and head of division. At the beginning of 2019, he took on the roles of Deputy General Manager, General Manager, and Chairman of the Board at Pavotek Electronic Design and Production Inc. By categorizing the company according to its specialized areas, he transformed it from a structure producing critical subsystem components into a technology group capable of offering integrated solutions and ready to compete in the challenging conditions of international markets. Today, he personally manages and oversees the expanding operations in numerous countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, together with stakeholders in the field.
Leadership and Vision
Dr. Alper Özbilen believes that the foundation of his leadership approach is the view that “while considering innovation, expertise, and agility as main elements, being a fair, decisive, and cohesive manager is essential.” He argues that the tendency to please everyone can lead an organization into mistakes.
With the confidence gained from his academic and sectoral experience in technology and innovation, Özbilen prefers to directly manage R&D and productization activities with inputs taken from the international sector and the field, characterized by his risk-taking and competitive personality.
Expressing his perspective of “being a leader, not a follower” at various meetings and organizations, Özbilen defines success not as “catching up with what exists,” but as “shaping what is to come.”
Özbilen emphasizes the importance and functionality of collective wisdom and intelligence as fundamental values, stressing that only the existence of sustainable and adaptable systems can secure an organization’s future.
Believing that the way one approaches problems forms the foundation of their leadership philosophy, Özbilen has stated on various platforms that “for growing and expanding organizations, facing problems is inevitable, and as organizations grow and develop, new problems will inevitably arise, with the main issue being the persistence and sameness of the problems encountered.”
Personal Work Philosophy
Dr. Alper Özbilen notes that the teachings of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, particularly the saying, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself,” form the basis of his personal philosophy. In his view, constantly striving for individual learning and development is the key to success. He believes it is essential to act with the awareness that change is inevitable and to see every challenge as an opportunity and every opportunity as a learning experience.
Author: Medine Yokuş