We are passing through extraordinary times. We live in such a turmoil that the world never witnessed since the industrial revolution. The activity that we experience is directly affecting societies, nations, economies, hence the companies. This new era urges us to question many habits we have acquired until now. The need for change is felt in enormously varying fields. For instance in today's world, thinking about selling the product is not enough. You should be able to think like a customer. For that reason many companies now focus on innovation as much as their research and development efforts. Managing actively is no longer enough. Catching up with today's dynamics, creating and cherishing leaderships are inevitable. Once a favorite notion now remains vain if not juxtaposed with the approach of relationship-focused thinking.

And then we have the new generation employees… Status and power symbols -titles and company cars- that used to be satisfactory enough for former generations, seem to be insufficient for them. Now they are looking for a meaning which will strengthen them in a different way in their work. Consequently, companies which only think about profit cannot remain permanently in this world. Beyond all things about profitability, the company needs to represent a strong ideal and have a story beyond commercial success. These types of companies see their customers as a huge family, rather than a chart which represents their market share. ENRON was the best representative of this phenomenon in the old world. Now however, Apple heralds us the new world.

Despite all of its turmoil, we believe that there are big opportunities for growth and renewal in this new era. This belief of ours led us to organize this year's conference. As you can see from the artwork of this conference, the left hand side refers to the weaning, inefficient habits of the old world, while the right hand side contains the fresh and prosperous things of the new world. Our perception of growth comprehends both organizational and personal professional development. Thus, we believe that there is an extensive range of opportunities within these prosperous fields for us, the HR professionals and our organizations.

We are preparing a brand new summit with great excitement, in which we will redefine growth and renewal with you. You are expected.

Alper Utku
Conference Chair

Didem Gürcüoğlu Tekay
Conference Chair