Divan Group has appointed Ziya Alper Önder as its new General Manager, marking a major leadership move at one of Turkey’s most established hospitality and food-and-beverage brands.
The appointment comes as Divan Group, which operates across tourism, hotels and dining, looks to strengthen its long-term vision of service excellence and multi-sector value creation. Önder takes on the role with immediate effect.
The move places an experienced executive with a strong background in finance, operations and corporate transformation at the helm of a group that has shaped Turkey’s hospitality landscape for nearly 70 years. Divan Group says the appointment is strategic, aimed at reinforcing operational efficiency while protecting the brand’s deep-rooted identity in Turkish tourism and gastronomy.
A strategic appointment at a historic Turkish brand
Divan Group occupies a distinctive place in Turkey’s travel and hospitality sector, combining hotels, restaurants, cafés and patisserie brands that are familiar to both local residents and international visitors. Over decades, it has built a reputation tied closely to Istanbul’s urban culture while expanding its footprint to other destinations. The decision to appoint a new General Manager reflects the group’s intent to adapt to changing travel patterns without losing sight of its heritage.
Ziya Alper Önder brings a career shaped largely outside traditional hotel operations, a move that signals Divan Group’s focus on organisational strength as much as guest-facing experience. He is a graduate of Istanbul Erkek Lisesi and Boğaziçi University’s Economics Department and is fluent in English and German. His professional career began in 1995 at PwC, where he progressed through multiple roles before being admitted as a partner in 2006.
During his time at PwC, Önder developed extensive expertise in audit, financial analysis and corporate transformation. These skills later defined his leadership trajectory when he joined Doğuş Holding in 2012. Within Doğuş Yeme-İçme, Turizm ve Perakende Grubu, he held senior roles overseeing a wide range of critical functions, including internal audit, information technologies, finance, procurement, supply chain, operations, technical services and investment processes.
His work focused on optimising complex, multi-functional operational structures and leading large-scale projects in organisational transformation, financial restructuring and operational efficiency. This background positions him to manage Divan Group’s diverse portfolio, which spans multiple sectors within hospitality rather than a single hotel brand or concept.
What the change could mean for travellers
For travellers, leadership changes at major hospitality groups often translate into gradual rather than immediate shifts. Divan Group indicates that Önder’s appointment is intended to strengthen the foundations of the brand rather than overhaul its public-facing identity. The emphasis remains on service quality, consistency and the ability to deliver experiences that feel both contemporary and rooted in local culture.
Divan’s hotels and dining venues play a visible role in Turkey’s tourism offering, particularly in Istanbul, where the brand is closely associated with business travel, cultural tourism and long-established dining traditions. By appointing a leader with strong operational and financial expertise, the group appears to be prioritising resilience and adaptability in a tourism environment shaped by fluctuating demand, rising costs and evolving traveller expectations.
Divan Group says Önder’s domestic and international management experience will support its future vision, helping to carry the brand’s legacy forward while responding to the realities of a competitive global hospitality market. His appointment underscores a broader trend in Turkish hospitality, where established brands increasingly look beyond conventional hotel management backgrounds to guide long-term growth.
As Turkey continues to position itself as a year-round destination for leisure, culture and gastronomy, leadership decisions at groups like Divan carry significance beyond boardrooms. They influence how heritage brands evolve, how service standards are maintained and how local hospitality traditions are presented to a global audience.
For now, Divan Group’s message is one of continuity paired with strategic focus. The new General Manager steps into a role shaped by decades of brand equity, with a mandate to ensure that Divan’s next chapter remains aligned with both its storied past and the expectations of modern travellers.
