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Ilkay Demirdag

Investor, Board Member, and Strategic Advisor 

Ilkay Demirdag is a globally experienced Investor, Independent Board Member, and Strategic Advisor with over 25 years of leadership across private equity, venture capital, corporate finance, and impact investing. She brings a distinguished record in capital allocation, IPO execution, fund structuring and fundraising, ESG- and impact-focused value creation, and strategic transformation — operating at the intersection of finance, innovation, and governance.

A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Türkiye, Ilkay offers a truly international perspective shaped by senior leadership and board roles across Europe, the United States, and emerging markets. Throughout her career, she has led holdings, family offices, multinational corporations, and investment funds — creating sustainable value and guiding complex organizations through transformation, growth, and cross-border expansion. Known for aligning financial performance with social and environmental outcomes, she operates at the forefront of the global shift toward impact-driven and regenerative capital.

Ilkay currently serves on a range of prominent boards across listed companies, funds, NGOs, and scale-ups. She is an Independent Board Member at Aksa Energy, chairing the Corporate Governance Committee and serving on the Audit Committee of Türkiye’s largest listed independent power producer. She is also a Board Member at InoBat, an advanced battery technology company based in Slovakia; a Founding Board Member of the Impact Circles Foundation; and a Board Member of the Istanbul Technical University Alumni Association. She brings deep experience in Corporate Governance and ESG Committees, with a strong grasp of regulatory, risk, and disclosure requirements across multiple jurisdictions.

As Co-Founder of Energy Shift Capital, Ilkay leads a trust-based investment platform connecting qualified investors with Series A & B energy-transition scale-ups across the EU and the US. Passionate about building global investor ecosystems and mainstreaming regenerative investments, she curates and moderates high-level dialogues at global platforms, including the World Economic Forum, COP Conferences, and Climate Weeks, helping shape the next generation of impact-aligned capital flows.

Equally adept at translating emerging trends into actionable strategies, Ilkay helps organizations drive growth, resilience, and innovation across diverse sectors. Leveraging her forward-looking mindset with deep financial acumen, she delivers transformative results across businesses and investment platforms.

She actively engages with global investor networks and startup ecosystems, mentoring emerging companies and contributing to the international discourse as a speaker. Her talks span a wide range of future-focused themes, including Investment Trends and the Future of Capital, Energy Transition, Critical Trends for Boards, Impact and Regenerative Investments, Corporate Strategy, and Innovation.

Ilkay holds dual master’s degrees from University College London and Istanbul Technical University, and has completed executive programs at Harvard Business School and London Business School.

Key Board Skills & Competencies

Corporate Transactions & Capital Strategy

  •  M&A and Strategic Partnerships | IPOs & Capital Markets
  • Project & Debt Financing | Bond Issuances | Portfolio Optimization
  • Capital Allocation & Value Creation Across Energy and Infrastructure

Governance, Risk & ESG Oversight

  • Board Governance, Audit & ESG Committee Experience
  • Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance & Regulatory Governance
  • ESG Strategy, Reporting & Impact Integration

Fund & Investment Leadership

  • Fundraising, Structuring, and Capital Formation
  • Venture Capital (VC), Private Equity (PE) Investments
  • Impact & Regenerative Investment Strategies

Thought Leadership & Advocacy

  • Advocacy and Leadership in Responsible, Conscious, and Regenerative Capital
  • ESG and Impact Strategy Design, Implementation, and Reporting Frameworks
  • Industry Representation and Global Advocacy Networks

Energy Transition & Innovation

  • Batteries, Clean Energy, Storage & Grid Transformation
  • Climate Innovation, Advanced Materials & Digitalization in Energy
  • Strategic Foresight & Emerging Technology Integration

Stakeholder Engagement, Communication & Advocacy

  • Investor Relations Strategy & Disclosure Excellence
  • Global Ecosystem Convening: WEF, COP, Climate Week Dialogues
  • Advocacy for DEI and Women’s Leadership in Boardrooms
  • Cross-Border Regulatory & Stakeholder Management

AWARDS

IN PRESS

TTI Davos Wolrd Economic Forum 2024 Events,Yahoo Finance
TTI Davos Wolrd Economic Forum 2024 Events,Pressmeddelande (di.se)
TTI Davos Wolrd Economic Forum 2024 Events,Globenewswire.com
TTI Davos Wolrd Economic Forum 2024 Events,Finanznachrichten.de
TTI Davos Wolrd Economic Forum 2024 Events,Streetinsider.com
TTI Davos Wolrd Economic Forum 2024 Events,ESG News

Illıminem, February 2024 / Davos provides a showcase for impact investment progress | illuminem 

TTI COP29 Event, Morningstar
TTI COP29 Event, Prnews
TTI COP29 Event, Seekingalpha
TTI COP29 Event,Sustainabilitymag
TTI NYC Climate Week Events, Yahoo Finance
TTI NYC Climate Week Events, Benzinga
TTI NYC Climate Week Events, Prnewswire
TTI NYC Climate Week Events, Seekingalpha

Women-Friendly Brands Platform, 2023, Digital Book for Women Entreprenuers, English Version, Türkiye’nin Girişimci Kadınları Kitabı İngilizce (kadindostumarkalar.org)

Women-Friendly Brands Platform, 2023, Digital Book for Women Entreprenuers, Turkish Version, Women-Friendly Brands Platform, 2023, Digital Book for Women Entreprenuers, English Version, Türkiye’nin Girişimci Kadınları Kitabı İngilizce (kadindostumarkalar.org)

Horasis Conference, Values-Based Investing Underpins Meaningful Impact Investments, Values-Based Investing Underpins Meaningful Impact Investments  – Horasis

TTI COP28 Event: “The Role of Impact Investing in Decarbonisation and Energy Transition”, Yahoo Finance
TTI COP28 Event: “The Role of Impact Investing in Decarbonisation and Energy Transition”, Finanzas Yahoo
TTI COP28 Event: “The Role of Impact Investing in Decarbonisation and Energy Transition”, Market Watch
TTI COP28 Event: “The Role of Impact Investing in Decarbonisation and Energy Transition”, Daily Guardian
TTI COP28 Event: “The Role of Impact Investing in Decarbonisation and Energy Transition”, UAE Industry Times 

Startup Centrum, June 2022 / “Sea, Sun, Pitch”: Yatırımcılar dünyanın farklı yerlerinden girişimlerle Bodrum’da Eurasia Startup Summit II’de bir araya geldi (startupcentrum.com)

Xponentialtalks.com Podcast, July 2021 / 
Ilkay Demirdag – xFab Women Faculty 2021 – (3 mins) – Xponential Talks

PUBLICATIONS