After her graduation from Boğaziçi University with a B.A. degree in Guidance and Psychological Counseling in 1999, Tülin Ataş started her career in Project Management Department in Nimet Gıda A.Ş., the first organization to supply daily bread and bakery products to chain stores in Turkey. In Nimet Gıda, she played an active role in defining the organizational structure and cooperative model. The model has become effective within 2 years in more than 2000 store throughout Turkey and the firm’s EBITDA has increased by 7 times.
In 2002, Ataş has taken “Communication in Business” and “Management Skills” classes as a part of Senior Manager Trainee Program at Harvard Extension School. At the same time, she has performed a study regarding American and European Hazelnut Market in Boston.
In 2003, she has returned to Turkey and continued her career as the Purchasing Group Manager of BİM Birleşik Mağazalar A.Ş., nation's leading food retail chain and hard-discount grocery chain. She worked on procurement and management of private label products and she found an opportunity to work with Mr. Dieter Brandes who is the founding consultant of ALDI, the leading global discount supermarket chain based in Germany. She has played a role during the SAP implementation process in BİM. In time, she has managed all purchasing groups ranging from dry beans and peas to oil, from dairy products to fruits and vegetables. In 2005, she went to Morocco to conduct feasibility studies for opening the first international branch of BIM. In Morocco, she prepared the preliminary market-entry report for the geographic area covering Rabat, Casablanca, Fes, Marrakesh, Meknes and Beni Mellal.
In 2006, she opened the Istanbul liaison office of Highland Pte Ltd. an international investment and consulting firm in retail business based in Singapore and as the director of the office, she provided consultancy services in various areas parallel to the needs of the clients such as preparing preliminary market-entry reports, detailed feasibility studies for 5 years or the organizational structure of the purchasing department for South Korea, Chile, Macedonia, Albania, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria. Around the late 2007, as a result of the research that she made on self-service restaurants in America, Canada and Europe and after several correspondence and meetings with the firms, in order to improve her experience in international implementation processes, she visited the firm Aubonpain based in Boston and joined the master franchisee program regarding all stages of the operation.
In 2008, with the Aubonpain concept, she opened up Harvest in Maslak area as the first “quick casual” restaurant of Turkey. Harvest continued its expansion in hospitals and in universities. In 2010, she played an important role as the General Manager and Executive Board Member during the sale of 60% shares of Bageturk Gıda San. Tic A.Ş. which is a company under the brand of Harvest to Yıldız Holding.
After the participation of Bageturk to Yıldız Holding, in 2012, she established the supply organization of the daily bread and bakery products of ŞOK Marketler Ticaret A.Ş., another company incorporated into the Holding, under the structure of Bageturk. In 2013, UCZ Mağazacılık A.Ş. has been added to the customer portfolio with its over 1300 stores at the time. About 3-year period, the company expanded its structure to provide services over 3800 stores with its 9 regional headquarters in Turkey including 900 local producers.
In 2015, apart from being the General Manager of Bageturk, she has constructed Dopa Gıda San. A.Ş., the participation of the Unmaş A.Ş., by opening selling points for bakery products within Migros and Carrefour stores. 39 selling points are opened within a year.
In 2016, she became the director of Petronia Investment Holding Ltd., a Dubai based investment and consultancy company. In order to focus more on international investments and consultancy, she resigned from her General Manager position from Bageturk A.Ş. and Dopa A.Ş.
In October 2016, she founded Petronia Yatırım Danışmanlığı A.Ş. to manage investment and advisory projects and currently providing investment consultancy services. In June 2017 , she founded Beylerbeyi Moda A.S to product textile products especially for modest online fashion sites, she is currently observer in the Board.
During the year of 2018, she provided consultancy in the creation of a software team and especially in the purchasing and product system during the establishment phase of the online market "istegelsin". She also served as a board member during founding period. (www.istegelsin.com)
Ataş serves as the Vice President of Boğaziçi University Reunion Association (BURA) and is a member of Boğaziçi University Alumni Association (BÜMED), as well as Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club Congress and various non-governmental organizations.