About me

The person behind your Türkiye operations

I am Selçuk Çiğdem, a global trade and supply chain consultant based in Istanbul. For 14+ years I have moved goods across borders for a living, and I still enjoy a clean customs clearance more than I should.

Selçuk Çiğdem

I started in 2011 as an import and export specialist, preparing commercial invoices, packing lists and certificates of origin by hand and learning why one wrong digit on a document can hold a container for a week.

Over six years at IDA Hygiene Technologies I ran day-to-day import and export operations, coordinated purchase orders and supplier schedules, and built the reporting that gave management real visibility over the shipment pipeline.

Since 2017 I have been the Global Trade and Supply Chain Manager at a Turkish manufacturer and distributor, owning the full trade cycle across 55+ countries in Europe, MENA, CIS and Asia. I plan freight, negotiate with forwarders and shipping lines, direct customs clearance for import, export and transit regimes, and run bonded warehouse operations.

The project I am most proud of is a multi-supplier consolidation program in China. I coordinated 4 to 5 manufacturers, organized value-added kitting, and set up direct shipments to Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Tunisia and the UAE without the goods ever touching our home warehouse.

Today I bring that operator experience to international companies as an independent consultant. My promise is simple: I treat your shipments, your money and your deadlines as if they were my own.

Career

14+ years, two companies, one craft

2017 - Present

Global Trade & Supply Chain Manager

Turkish optical products manufacturer and distributor, Istanbul

Full ownership of global trade cycle across 55+ countries. Freight planning, customs compliance, transit trade, bonded warehouses, China consolidation, KPI reporting and international fairs.

2011 - 2017

Import & Export Operations Manager

Hygiene technologies company, Istanbul

Daily import-export execution, trade documentation, procurement coordination, shipment tracking and ERP-based operational reporting.

What I bring to the table

Trade operations

Import & export managementTransit tradeBonded warehousesFreight planningIncoterms 2020Trade documentation

Coordination

Supplier managementFreight forwarder managementCustoms broker supervisionDistributor relationsTrade fair logistics

Analysis & tools

KPI & fulfillment reportingAdvanced ExcelLogo ERPSales Plus ERPCost analysis

Education and certifications

  • B.A. in International Trade, Manisa Celal Bayar University
  • English C1 Advanced, Boğaziçi University Lifelong Learning Center
  • International Trade Certificate, 64 hours
  • Digital Leadership Academy, GSU Innove, 2025
  • Managing Intelligence, D Bilgi, 2025
  • Six Sigma and Business Intelligence seminars

Let's talk about your supply chain

Tell me what you are sourcing, shipping or struggling with. I reply within one business day.