Cigdem Oktem

Cigdem (pronounced “Cheedem”) Oktem has been a trusted advisor to directors, boards and c-suite executives for twenty years. Her combination of governance, strategy and finance expertise, along with her experience of delivering insights in boardroom settings, enable her to drive productive, actionable discussions for key decision makers.

In her role as EY’s Southeast Region board liaison, Cigdem brings emerging issues in governance and strategy to directors and boards to equip them to ask better questions in an increasingly complex environment. When sharing best practices with a board or committee or individual director, she draws from a wide range of research and discussions to synthesize insight and explore the most challenging issues facing corporate leaders today. Cigdem has also become a sought-out thought partner for CEOs and c-suite executives who are enhancing their relationship and communication with the board.

Prior to joining EY, Cigdem worked with audit chairs of F5 companies, managing and leading a corporate governance program focused on peer-based learning while at Tapestry Networks. Her past experience includes overseeing global syndicated research and content delivery for programs serving finance and strategy executives during her lengthy tenure at CEB (now Gartner). She has also experienced the challenges of the start-up world, serving as CFO for a risk-management software company.

Cigdem is currently based in Atlanta, GA.