About İhsan Ateş

İhsan Ateş is the Chief Executive Officer of DeFacto, one of Türkiye’s leading global fashion brands. Under his leadership, DeFacto has grown from a strong local player into an international retailer with operations in more than 90 countries across 5 continents, supported by a fast-growing e-commerce and franchise network. 

Starting his career in fashion retail at LC Waikiki and continuing in different leadership roles, İhsan Ateş has built his vision on three main pillars: customer-centric growth, digital transformation and sustainable value creation. Today, DeFacto’s strategy focuses on data-driven decision making, agile organizational structures and technology investments that support scalable global growth.

He is also a strong advocate of sustainability and inclusion in the fashion industry. DeFacto is a signatory of major international initiatives, aligning its roadmap with the United Nations Global Compact and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while investing heavily in environmentally responsible production, circular economy projects and gender-equality programs across its operations.

Believing that “the real strength of a brand comes from its people,” İhsan Ateş has championed a culture that prioritizes employee happiness, diversity and continuous learning. Under his guidance, DeFacto has been recognized as one of Türkiye’s best employers and continues to invest in programs that enhance the well-being and development of its teams worldwide.