Ozgur Yilmaz is an Entrepreneur, Investor and Business Coach.
He was born in Kütahya,Turkey. From a very early age, Ozgur elicited the desire to become an independent individual and the aspiration to build a better world, in his dream country, America. However, due to a variety of factors, which made his journey to the States difficult, he decided it was best to move to the UK first. Thus, after graduating high school, he arrived in the UK, intending to enrol at a university to study the art of business.
With a mere £270 in his pocket, Ozgur had to embark on menial, labour intensive jobs, in hopes to afford life, and an education. From a labourer in a textile factory, to a doorman, to a waiter, to a manager in a restaurant, he engaged in several tedious jobs. It was during this plightful journey, that he recognised that life was one’s greatest teacher. Therefore, instead of pursuing a higher education, Ozgur decided to pursue the path of an entrepreneur. During his career endeavours, he met his wife, married, and started a family. It seemed as though building a better world in the UK was his destiny.
In pursuit of his goal and in hopes to gain further knowledge on the food sector, Ozgur worked in a wholesale company, working his way up the hierarchy within the business. From a warehouse operative, to a delivery driver and to operating in the sales field, eventually becoming a sales manager, he displayed an aptitude for leadership, but more importantly the diligence and discipline necessary to lead.
After several years of experience, in 2003 he decided the time was ripe to set up a business with a group of friends. After 6 months of starting this food distribution company, they engaged in a joint venture with one of Turkey’s biggest holding companies – Sabanci Holding. The three and a half years of partnership with Sabanci taught Ozgur so much, including the fundamentals of a corporate business. With the end of the joint venture, Ozgur operated as the managing director and shareholder of his business. Due to his knowledge, hard work and years of experience, the company grew exponentially. Between 2016-2018, he joined an MBA program, in hopes to master the theoretical realm of business.
Today Ozgur runs two wholesale food businesses in the UK – Expo Foods Midlands and Dragon London. The former is an ethnic wholesale company, providing distribution services to independent shops with a wide range of branded products. The latter is also an ethnic food distribution company and a holding company for other businesses. He also owns other overseas companies. In 2021 Ozgur launched his business coaching platform – Journey Begins Coaching to offer mentorship to other businesses.
