Businesswoman (b. 1941, Ankara - d. 15 September 2020, Istanbul). She is the daughter of the businessman Vehbi Koç, the sister of
Rahmi Koç and the aunt of Mustafa Koç. She finished the Arnavutköy Amerikan Kız
College and then she finished the Department of Banking and Financing at the
Boğaziçi University. She started her professional life by working as the
assistant of Vehbi Koç in the year of 1960. In time, she advanced to the
general secretariat of Koç Holding A.Ş. (1965-70). After that, she worked in
Koç Holding A.Ş. in the positions of Planning Member, General Secretariat
Employee and Administration Vice Presidency (1970-77), Administrative Board
Membership (Responsible from the Employee and Administration, 1977-80), Administrative
Board Vice Presidency (1980-81), Administrative Board Vice Presidency and
Administrative Committee Membership (1981-87), and Administrative Board Vice
Presidency and Member in Charge (General Administration, 1987-98). After 1998,
she continued her duties as the Vice Presidency of the Administrative Board and
Administrative Committee in Koç Holding A.Ş.
Mrs. Kıraç collected thousands of
unique works of arts and founded a giant library composed of 30 thousands of
works of arts within the context of the “Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation” that
she founded together with her husband. She developed the project of the
institute based on the thought that all the civilizations, cultures, beliefs
and values that lived on the Anatolian land were the cultural heritage and
advantage of today’s Turkey.
Suna Kıraç, who was a second
generation manager in Koç Holding that was founded by her father Vehbi Koç, one
of the first businessmen of Turkey, was awarded the “State Outstanding Service
Medal” by the President of the Republic, Süleyman Demirel on 27th
October 1997 with the decision dated 23rd September 1997 of the
Council of Ministers because of the contributions she made to Turkey in the
fields of education, health and social services. In 1999, she was deemed worthy
of the “Honor Membership” of the “London Business School” because of her
contributions to Koç Holding, to the business life and to the education of Turkish
children, by virtue of her administration and leadership characteristics.
Suna Kıraç has spent her recent years by suffering from and fighting against the disease named Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis” (ALS). Because of this disease, she could only communicate with her entourage by means of her eyes. She continued her service investments to her country with the “Pera Museum” that they founded together with her husband and the “İstanbul Araştırma Enstitüsü” (T.N. Istanbul Research Institute) that they put into service in the date of 1st March 2007. Suna Kıraç, who continues her practices for the purpose of bringing a worldwide auditorium and cultural center to Istanbul, published the memory book named Ömrümden Uzun İdeallerim Var edited by Rıdvan Akar in 2006 and all the income of this book is donated to the Türkiye Eğitim Gönüllüleri Foundation.
Suna Kıraç is the Member of the Administrative Board of the Vehbi Koç Foundation, the Member of the Board of Trustees of the Koç University, the Member of the Board of Trustees of the Türk Eğitim Foundation, the Member of the Board of Trustees of the Robert College, the Founding Member and the Member of the Board of Trustees of the Türkiye Eğitim Gönüllüleri Foundation (TEGV) and the Administrative Board Member of the Türkiye Aile Planlaması Foundation. Mrs. Kıraç, who speaks English and French, is married to İnan Kıraç and she is the mother of a girl named İpek, who was born from this marriage.
REFERENCE: KIRAÇ, Suna - İslâm Ansiklopedisi (iae.org.tr, 1941-1967), Tarihi değiştiren kişilerin gençlik halleri (haberturk.com, 31 Ekim 2014),Koç Ailesi'nin acı günü! Suna Kıraç hayatını kaybetti (hürriyet.com.tr, 15.09.2020).
