Cem Topçuoğlu, born in Istanbul in 1963, graduated from Marmara University where he completed a degree in Radio and Television.
He began his career in advertising as an Account Executive at Grey during his final year at university. In 1988, he worked in Grey’s New York office and gained experience on fast-moving consumer goods working for clients such as Procter and Gamble and Bristol-Myers.
After returning to Istanbul in 1989, he had continued working at Grey for another five years. He left in 1993, while in the position of Agency Vice-President.
That same year, he founded Select Advertising with two partners. In October 1999, Cem Topçuoğlu established a partnership with one of the world’s leading agencies TBWA Worldwide. The agency from 1999 onwards became known as TBWAIstanbul. Cem Topçuoğlu currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer at TBWAIstanbul.
Having played volleyball for the country’s top teams for ten years, Cem Topçuoğlu has been continually working to encourage and induce the sport to a wider audience. Between the years 1997-2000, he took part in the Volleyball Federation’s Executive Board of Directors.
Cem Topçuoğlu was the President of the Advertising Association from 2007 until 2009. He is married and has two children.