Over the course of her career starting at Price Waterhouse (PW), Başaran-Symes held numerous positions at various levels at the company's Copenhagen, London, and Istanbul offices. Appointed as the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Turkey leader and senior partner in charge of country operations immediately after the Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merger, she subsequently held her position as a member of the board of directors of PwC Central and Eastern Europe Region and board member in PwC Eurofirm, respectively.
Having spent over 30 years in professional services, Başaran-Symes has provided assurance and advisory services to a wide range of clients in her portfolio, including multinational companies, financial institutions, Turkey’s largest firms and holding companies as well as state-owned institutions and enterprises.
Cansen Başaran-Symes is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Allianz Sigorta A.Ş and Allianz Hayat ve Emeklilik A.Ş. and a member of the International Advisory Board of Allianz SE. Alongside her duties in Allianz, Başaran-Symes served as an independent member of the board of directors at Nokia Turkey in 2014-2020, and as a senior advisor at McKinsey & Company in 2018-2020.
Cansen Başaran-Symes is an active participant in the activities of many NGO’s. In 2015 and 2016, she served as the President of Turkish Industry & Business Association (TUSIAD). She is currently a Member of Council of Presidents of TUSIAD, Co-President of TÜSİAD/Berlin Bosphorus Initiative (BBI), Founder Member and Member of Board of Directors of Endeavor Turkey, Senior Advisory Board Member of BCCT and a Member of the Harvard Business School MENA and Central Asia Advisory Board. Since 2022, she has been an advisory board member of ScaleX Ventures.
"Growth is the oxygen of any society and elevates ambitions and inspires a sense of purpose. I am very excited to join Scalex as an LP and adviser to support their growth and impactful value creation vision in the face of unprecedented challenges around the world." - Cansen
