TELIASONERA

Challenge

TeliaSonera, the Swedish telecommunications company, encountered a conflict of interest between the shareholders during the acquisition of some shares of Turkcell, Turkey’s biggest GSM operator. The conflict became a commercial and political issue due to the size of the transaction, which was supposed to be one of the biggest foreign direct investments in Turkey.

Solution

We developed a strategic positioning to engage public and private stakeholders (including the government, regulatory institutions, media, business organizations, and opinion leaders) based on the good governance practices that TeliaSonera could promote.

The strategy also aimed to transform Turkcell into a regional GSM operator, extending Turkey’s commercial influence beyond its borders.

As StratejiCo. we created and established the international GOOD (Good Corporate Governance) program, consisting of a series of panels and conferences, in collaboration with Boğaziçi University, Corporate Governance Association of Turkey and the Swedish Trade Council, while TeliaSonera designed and implemented this value proposition in all relations. The program has echoed at a rate that would even provide the participation of the King of Sweden.

Result

TeliaSonera has maintained its robust position quite well during this challenging process and established effective relations with public and private sector representatives in Turkey. The company’s reputation among opinion leaders was increased and the risks associated with its operations were reduced.