Ilkay Demirdag

Ilkay Demirdag is a seasoned Investor, Board Member, and Board Advisor with over 20+ years of global leadership across private equity, venture capital, corporate finance, investor relations, sustainability, and impact investments. Experienced in Audit, Corporate Governance, and ESG Board Committees, with a proven track record in strategic decision making, IPO execution, fund structuring and fundraising, capital allocation, ESG & impact integration, and enterprise risk oversight. A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Turkey, Ilkay offers a truly international perspective, combining deep market expertise with a proven ability to steward capital for long-term value creation. A strong advocate for embedding sustainability and responsible investment principles at the core of business decision-making, Ilkay has extensive experience advising and leading multinational corporations, family offices, and private equity and venture capital funds across Europe, the US, the Middle East, and emerging markets. She is particularly skilled in navigating complex regulatory environments and aligning financial performance with social and environmental impact goals — qualities increasingly vital in today’s rapidly evolving global economy. Equally well-versed at translating emerging trends into actionable, future-focused strategies that help drive growth and critical innovation across a wide range of diverse sectors. Leveraging such a mindset, backed by incredibly strong business acumen, Ilkay delivers exceptional results across a range of businesses. In addition to her investment work, Ilkay serves on a range of prominent boards at listed companies, funds, NGOs, and scale-ups as an experienced board director and board advisor. Currently acting as a Board Member at Aksa Energy, the Istanbul Technical University Alumni Association, as a Founding Board Member of the Impact Circles Foundation, and Advisory Board Member at Avenea Asset Management. Passionate about creating global investor ecosystems, bridging networks, and the acceleration of impact and regenerative investments to the mainstream, Ilkay has been instrumental in convening high-level investment discussions by hosting global investment events at leading international platforms, including the World Economic Forum, COP conferences, and Climate Weeks. She is the Co-founder of Energy Shift Capital is a trust-based investment platform connecting vetted investors with screened Series A & B energy transition scale-ups across the EU and the US. 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, the Critical Trends for Boards, Impact and Regenerative Investments, Corporate Strategy, and Innovation.