1-How did you plan your first 100 days, what kind of goals did you set for yourself?
If we group the planning function into three categories: long-term, medium-term and short-term planning, 100 days must be thought of as very short-term planning.

Accordingly, our shortest-term targets are:

1)Updating Management Procedures
2)Identifying the priorities in automation, creating focus groups and taking action
3)Developing the HR processes and completing the 360-degree performance evaluation study
4)Initiating the necessary preparations for the new Turkish Commercial Code
5)Initiating internal awareness-raising efforts on Corporate Sustainability

2-What are/were the most important items on your 100-day agenda?
All of the targets given above are important and they are listed in order of priority.

3-As a leader have you identified your 3 to 5 strategic priorities that the company needs to focus on?

“Corporate Sustainability” is a concept that should not be only on our company’s agenda but also on the agendas of all companies. We are carrying out preparations both to provide services to our clients on this subject and to ensure that our internal processes and all our work is conducted in consideration of these principles.

We have been seriously focusing on internal innovation since 2010. In the long-term we aim to be a sector leader in this area of focus.

Another target we are focusing on is the expansion of our service network in different cities in Turkey with professionals who give the utmost priority to humans and who do not compromise the principles of quality, ethics, independence and integrity.

4-Around which goals are you thinking of bringing your team together? What kind of actions are you going to take to get senior management locked on target?

I have made various changes to our management procedures and the definition of the company’s vision and mission. In addition to these changes, I have added some clauses that regulate the duties, powers and responsibilities of the company’s board of directors and executive board and their relationship with each other.
These procedures were developed after obtaining the opinions of all partners. I believe that the implementation of these procedures will facilitate all parties to envisage the future of the company more readily and allow the network of relationships to be based on stronger corporate foundations.

5-What are the fundamental problem(s) that you have acted or will be acting on in these 100 days?

In my opinion, what lies behind the problems is the lack of communication between departments and our offices located in other cities. I have sent a letter to all departments which set out my expectations with regard to solving this issue. I shared similar letters with the service units. These letters are both compatible with our management procedures and clearly express the future of the company as well as the role the relevant departments are expected to play in that future. Following this, I held informal meetings with each department to try to ensure the harmonisation and coordination of their targets with the targets we had defined with our partners.

6-Will there be or have there been any changes to the structure of your team or any new appointments in line with the new targets in this process?

As a company we do not deem any such changes or appointments necessary, at least for the first 100 days.

7-What kind of a working plan have you made to get to know the employees, processes and the operation of the company?

This question is not applicable to me. I have been working at the same company for approximately 20 years.

8-What are the numerical or non-numerical data you have used to direct your plans and identify your targets to support your processes?

Since the date of establishment of our company we have taken care that our internal accounting and finance structure is strong. Every year we send our three-year roll-on budgets to our overseas partner Mazars. In consideration of the economic state of affairs in Turkey, currently I do not foresee any changes to our three-year budgets, which are prepared prospectively through the use of the data we obtain from our accounting department on a departmental basis.

9-What kind of an analysis have you made with regard to areas such profitability and revenue increase? Have you developed a new road map for these areas?

We are trying to increase our turnover by setting up new service units. On the other hand, we offer training programmes to our teams to provide them with the opportunity for short-term work in other departments on a job-specific basis. This results in decreased costs. We keep in contact with colleagues in different cities who are willing to work with us. We are continuing our infrastructure works for the Turkish Commercial Code. We aim for substantial growth in 2012.

İzel Levi Coşkun

Email: icoskun@mazarsdenge.com.tr
Website: www.mazarsdenge.com.tr