Ilker Baburoglu is a 2022 Atlantic Council Millennium Leadership fellow and chief executive officer of MedTrade, a multinational energy and commodities trading firm. He has been heavily working to improve and contribute to energy security and reliability for various communities. He has a diverse background in consulting, mega-project development, investments in natural resources, power generation, and critical infrastructure projects, especially in emerging markets; he also has international business experience with a strong focus in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Baburoglu previously held senior-level positions at multinational groups based in the United Kingdom, Turkey, Zambia, and Iraq, some of which he represented at various World Economic Forum meetings. He formerly served as the executive director of an international advisory and investment firm that was one of the founding members of World Economic Forum Global Growth Companies initiative.

Having lived on three different continents, Baburoglu originated social-impact projects in the energy, mining, and infrastructure sectors, and managed investments in Middle East and Africa. He cofounded an investment company in Africa to contribute to responsible mining and hydrocarbon projects. He served as a board member at various business councils while at the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. He coordinated and led high-level diplomatic and commercial events to achieve closer socioeconomic relations between various regions. He is dedicated to good corporate governance and capacity-building efforts to encourage inclusive economic growth and social development in challenging geographies.

Baburoglu is an alumnus of the General Management Program at the Harvard Business School, holds an executive MBA from Koc University, and holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree from Bogazici University with concentrations in international relations, European studies, and history. He is a member of Chatham House and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.