Tolunay Yıldız was born in 1980. He graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Yıldız Technical University. He attended the MBA program at Gebze Technical University. He pursued doctoral studies in economics at Maltepe University and in business administration at Istanbul Kültür University.
Tolunay Yıldız is a business leader who approaches the energy transition as a systemic restructuring process on a global scale. Built upon his foundation in electrical engineering, his multidisciplinary academic background has enabled him to develop a strategic decision-making approach that combines engineering discipline with an economic perspective.
Since 2004, as the co-founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO of YEO, he has positioned the company along the axes of Digitalization, Decentralization, and Decarbonization. In line with this approach, YEO has evolved beyond being a company that merely executes projects; it has become an integrated transformation and investment platform that designs the future of energy systems.
Today, YEO provides end-to-end engineering, technology, and investment solutions across a broad spectrum, ranging from energy storage technologies and electrical grids to high-voltage substations, renewable energy power plants, industrial facilities, and hydrogen solutions. By playing an active role throughout the entire value chain—from project development to engineering, installation, and operation—the company has established itself as a holistic player in the energy sector.
With more than 700 employees and hundreds of projects delivered in over forty countries across four continents, YEO has transformed from a Turkey-based initiative into a global energy actor. The company’s inclusion in both the Fortune 500 and Capital 500 lists serves as institutional confirmation of this strategic scaling and financial strength.
Throughout his career, Tolunay Yıldız has focused beyond short-term operational achievements, directing his efforts toward creating long-term systemic impact. He has transformed YEO into not merely an engineering organization, but a platform that builds an energy ecosystem.
In Tolunay Yıldız’s leadership philosophy, sustainability and capital discipline are positioned together. The 2035 net-zero target is not only an environmental commitment; it is a guiding framework that shapes investment decisions, partnership strategies, and the company’s growth model.
He adopts an approach that addresses organizational transformation alongside cultural transformation, strengthening innovation capacity through reverse mentoring, the participation of young talent in decision-making processes, and a diversity-based corporate structure.
The foundation of Tolunay Yıldız’s management approach is long-term value creation, investment decisions aligned with carbon-neutral targets, and sustainable infrastructure architecture. In line with the 2035 net-zero emissions vision, YEO’s investments are based on a holistic perspective that addresses energy security and environmental responsibility together.
Recognized among the “10 Leaders Shaping the Turkish Energy Sector,” Tolunay Yıldız advances competition in the energy industry through vision, speed, technology adaptation, and international collaboration capacity, focusing on more digital, more decentralized, and lower-carbon energy systems.
Tolunay Yıldız has also extended his dynamism and work ethic from his professional life into volunteer work and civil society organizations, serving as a member and executive in various associations, foundations, and institutions. He is a member of the Turkish Young Businessmen Association (TÜGİAD), where he previously served as Vice Chairman of the Board. He continues to serve as an Executive Board Member of the Ukraine and Uzbekistan Business Councils and the Energy Business Council within the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK). He is also a member of Dii – the Middle East and North Africa Energy Industry Association – and the Electromagnetic Industrialists’ Association (EMSAD). Additionally, he holds an Angel Investor license.