Nurtac Ziyal Afridi

Yıldız Holding Board Member

Nurtac Ziyal Afridi was named the global chief executive officer (CEO) of GODIVA in December 2020 and is a member of the GODIVA board of directors. In this role, she is leading the transformation of GODIVA’s business, making the company’s premium-quality chocolates more accessible while maintaining the rich, indulgent taste and iconic heritage associated with the GODIVA brand. Afridi comes to GODIVA from Yildiz Holding – GODIVA’s parent company. Afridi was a key member of the team that transformed Yildiz into a global snacking group with more than 300 brands available in more than 120 countries. In addition to her operational experience, she led the acquisitions of iconic brands like GODIVA in 2008 and McVitie's, Carr's, Jacobs, and BN (United Biscuits) in 2014. The latter led to the creation of the pladis company, the world’s third largest biscuit company. Afridi also led licensing deals for GODIVA in Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition, she spearheaded the acquisition and IPO of Sok Marketler, which is now the second largest discount retailer in Turkey, and Bizim Toptan, the leading discount retailer company in Turkey. Before Yildiz Holding, Afridi held leadership positions at such global companies as Accenture and Arthur Andersen & Co.   Afridi earned her MBA in Germany and a bachelor's degree in marketing and finance in Istanbul.  She is based in New York.