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This new alliance is helping grow collaboration on international investment
In the World Investment for Development Alliance, organizations from the investment for development community will work to grow sustainable investment.
Ismail Ersahin
Ismail Ersahin is the Executive Director and CEO of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), bringing over 25 years of experience across public and private sectors in trade, international relations, investment promotion, and business development. His diverse career includes leadership roles in government and significant experience in the automotive, textile, and tourism industries, providing him with valuable cross-sector insights that he now applies in his role at WAIPA.
Before his tenure in investment promotion, Ismail Ersahin held various senior positions with some of Turkiye’s largest automotive groups. In these roles, he was instrumental in expanding the Turkish automotive presence internationally, notably by establishing several overseas distributors that increased market access and brand visibility. He contributed to significant modernization projects within the industry, overseeing country-specific product modifications to meet diverse regulatory and consumer needs. This hands-on experience equipped him with a deep understanding of international market dynamics and operational excellence, which later informed his strategic approach in the investment promotion sector.
Ersahin contributed to Invest in Turkiye (Turkiye’s national investment agency) as Chief Project Director and Advisor to the Vice President during its formative years, where he helped establish the agency’s mission and strategy. Over a period of 4 years active in service, he directly facilitated $2 billion in foreign direct investment, creating 2,500 jobs, while overseeing diverse teams across several sectors.
Ersahin also played a key role in establishing Turkish Development Agencies and led initiatives funded by the World Bank. He coordinated international road shows, conferences, and ministerial delegations to promote Turkiye as a leading investment destination. Notably, he contributed to the country’s first electric vehicle production project, influencing major OEM commitments. His strategic leadership included developing the Istanbul Financial Center marketing and promotion strategy and leading logistics and automotive cluster development projects, earning him recognition from various companies and government entities. This foundational experience in investment facilitation laid the groundwork for his later achievements on the global stage.
As WAIPA’s CEO, Ersahin has spearheaded initiatives to support investment promotion agencies (IPAs) worldwide, enhancing WAIPA’s role in facilitating international investment. Since taking the helm, he has introduced forward-looking strategies, formed critical institutional partnerships, and expanded WAIPA’s global presence through new alliances. His leadership has focused on building IPA capacity, advocating for investment-friendly policies, and fostering economic resilience in both emerging and mature markets.
Under his leadership, WAIPA renewed its institutional partnerships with major organizations, including UNCTAD, UNIDO, WEF, the World Bank, ILO, and IEDC, reinforcing WAIPA’s role as a bridge between investment agencies worldwide and global economic institutions. His efforts were recognized in 2015 with a Special Recognition award from UNCTAD’s Secretary General, underscoring his impact on WAIPA’s outreach and influence.
He also spearheaded numerous initiatives, studies and projects, both independently through WAIPA and in collaboration with partners such as WTO’s Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), EBRD, and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). Through these partnerships, Ersahin secured WAIPA to become a financially self-sustaining organization. His work has expanded WAIPA’s capacity to support global investment promotion agencies, fostering greater resources and knowledge-sharing opportunities for IPAs worldwide.
Ersahin’s broad expertise and commitment to sustainable development have made him an influential figure in FDI. A consummate leader, organiser, speaker, and moderator, Ersahin has graced prestigious platforms such as the UNCTAD World Investment Forum, the Annual Investment Meeting in the UAE, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the CIFIT in Xiamen, and the Africa Partnership Conference. He has been the lead organizer of the last ten World Investment Conferences. He has been instrumental in initiating and implementing projects across more than 80 countries.
His contributions help shape a thriving international investment community, where WAIPA continues to support IPAs in “promoting investment for good” worldwide.
His work spans across several countries and sectors. Following his duties in trade, textile and tourism, he worked for one of the largest automotive groups in the country and established several new export dealers in Europe and North Africa. His understanding of the entrepreneurial sector gave him great insight in his work with the area of investment promotion and facilitation.
He joined Invest in Turkey, Turkey’s investment agency, in 2008 as Project Director during the establishment phase of the Agency. He has been appointed as Ad-Interim Executive Director in 2014, Deputy Executive Director of WAIPA in 2015 and Ad-Interim Executive Director in 2021 by WAIPA Steering Committee. He unveiled WAIPA’s new strategy in 2014 and established WAIPA’s representative office in Istanbul in 2015.
He has studied International Relations at Uludag University and International Business Administration at Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey and joined General Management Program at Open University of Catalonia, Barcelona. He speaks Turkish, English and French.
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