Yücel Yilmaz
Mayor of Balikesir, Turkey

Yücel Yılmaz, who was born in Germany in 1975, is from Yıldız Village of Susurluk. He graduated from Anadolu University’s Department of English Teaching. During his university years, he led the university’s student councils. After graduation, he worked in various schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education.

Having founded YDS Academy Language Schools in Balıkesir, Yücel made his brand stand out amongst foreign language education companies. YDS Academy operates in 8 different cities producing materials for language exams all over the country, bringing a new breath of fresh air to the language teaching sector in Türkiye and beyond, as he also has a company in the UK.

Yücel has been successfully working with various CSOs. He represented Balıkesir in the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.