From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Metin Durmaz (born June 16, 1978) is a Turkish entrepreneur, architect, and physics
engineer.[1] He is the Founder and President of Sagist Group.
Early life and education
Durmaz was born to Halil Durmaz and Hatice Durmaz. He graduated in Architecture and Physics
from Sichuan University, Chengdu Sichuan, in 2001.[2] He also studied in China with the
TUBITAK student exchange program during this time.[3] He trained under Zaha Hadid, a British-
Iraqi architect designer, for 6 years.[1]
Career
Durmaz began his career as a home furniture producer[4] and later became an Assistant General
Manager at Hongkong Investment Company.[1][5]
He became the Founder and CEO of the family company Sagist Group, a global manufacturer of
custom-made luxury furniture that works with different businesses on a project basis and creates
investment opportunities for investors in its field. His company has invested in Istanbul, California,
London, Sofia, Dubai, Moscow, Vienna, and Abuja.[6][7] Under his leadership, he turned the
company into an international one that has worked on 126 5-star hotels, 1650 ultra-luxury villas,
and several schools and hospitals in 47 countries. He also managed the company's investments
of several foreign customers in different parts of the world.[8] Apart from Sagist Group, Durmaz is
a Manager in several other companies.
In early 2022, Durmaz made a 5 million dollar agreement to produce furniture with Glee Hotel, the
only 7-star hotel in Africa.[9] He also carried out a 60-million-euro project in Bulgaria following the
launch of Sagist Mega international. The project will work on opening 400 luxury villas in Bulgaria
and will be open to investors, particularly from Africa.[10] Additionally, he has bought 140
thousand square meters of land in Şile, Turkey, to build 40 villas.[11][12]
Philanthropy
In April 2022, Durmaz announced an education scholarship for 100 Female University Students in
Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya. The architecture graduates among
these female students will be chosen for an internship for three years to be personally trained by
Durmaz, subjecting them to an intensive training program.[13]
Awards
Businessman of The Year at The Golden Crow Awards,
2022[14][15]
Europe Best Custom-Made Factory Award, 2022
Europe Best Contract Furniture Manufacturer Award, 2021
International Arch of Europe Award, 2020
Best Contract Furniture Factory Five Star Diamond Award,
2019
The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, 2018[2][16]
Personal life
Durmaz is married to Guluzar Durmaz and has a son.[1] He is fluent in English, Chinese, and
Turkish and currently lives in Istanbul.
References
