2023 Global Leaders in Consulting: Onur Seckin

Onur Seckin is the Chairman & CEO of ODS Consulting Group. He gained experience in various consulting firms during his career. In 2008, he laid the foundations of ODS Consulting Group. He has 10 years of experience in all procedures of EU-funded Programs and Projects. He is an economist who has prepared, implemented and managed numerous projects, tenders, tender proposals and reportings. He also assists management of companies in preparing business plans and strategy development for SMEs to cope with the market-driven economy. He leads the research and evaluation processes of various companies & markets that can be invested in and plays an active role in the global growth strategy of ODS Consulting Group and the determination of companies as an angel investor. He continues his career as the chief executive officer of HFX Technologies, of which he is an investor, and as the Finance Director of Digiterra Industry 4.0 Technologies company.

What do you consider your greatest personal or professional achievement?

I would say that my greatest professional achievement is having started a veritable business movement in my country that resulted in rapid domestic and international development of multitudinous enterprises, with a grand majority of them evolving into staples of their industry. Looking back, I feel proud that I made my humble contribution.

What advice would you give a professional just beginning a career in consulting?

Start with cultivating and maintaining your curiosity and passion for the work you do. Whatever your field or line of work may be, if you are not wondrous and passionate about your endeavours, you need to reconsider whether you really have to keep working at it. If you feel that you have what it takes in those regards, you will need patience and perseverance in the face of adversities and setbacks. Emotional stability, integrity and congruence will take you all the way to the other side of the road, even if you don't know to where that road really leads.

What have you loved most about your consulting career?

Whenever I thought I had it all figured out, my career path never failed to surprise me in mysterious ways. Perhaps many other professional areas are more deterministic and you pretty much know what you are going to get. A career in consulting, on the other hand, entails that you need to become comfortable with uncertainty, volatility and unpredictability. I can safely say that this particular line of work is not for the faint-hearted. More often than not, you undertake a substantial degree of responsibility for the decisions of not only your own enterprise, but also many others that rely on your intelligence and efforts. Although this can certainly prove to be a credible struggle, it has made me much stronger and wiser for it, which is something I have always loved about my career.

What's the best advice—personal or professional—you've ever received

Stay rigorous and even-keeled. This is without a doubt the best professional advice I have ever received, though it might certainly be applied to the way I conduct my personal life as well. If you bring the necessary rigour to the table, your work will have the highest quality possible. However, it is not always whether your work is good or not that guarantees your success or failure. There are many other factors that come into play, and sometimes you are just going to have difficult problems. So stay even-keeled, too. Don't get too high on your horse when the going is easy, and don't let yourself plummet into an abyss when the going gets tough. Rigour and emotional stability will take you there.

What does being honored as a Global Leader mean to you?

Pinning down what being honored as a global leader might entail is difficult, but if global is the word, I would say that one should start with strictly refraining from any manner of discrimination based on superficial profile, popularity, size or credentials; while remaining selective nonetheless, especially with regard to the quality of mutual exchanges. To be global, not because we reach "every" inch of the earth at once, but "any" inch of the earth at a given time, just as long as we preserve our conviction in one's cause, hopes, aspirations and potential contributions to the world. To be a leader, not because we blandly tell our partners what to do, but intently listen to what they hope to achieve – helping them adapt to changes, avoid pitfalls, integrate best practices and proceed in a world that is fast growing exponentially mercurial – with as much risk and cost as there is opportunity and success. In accordance, recognition as a global leader should amount to unequivocal standards in nondiscriminant selectivity, unwavering prioritization of quality over quantity, always putting partners' needs first and consistency in setting the best possible example of professionalism.