Position:
Global Leader, DEI & Wellbeing
Company:
NielsenIQ
Bio:
Funda is the Global Leader of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Wellbeing at NielsenIQ (NIQ). She leads the company’s global DEI and wellbeing strategy, shaping inclusive cultures while creating impact that scales across more than 90 countries. Her work spans inclusive leadership, equitable people processes, global wellbeing, employee engagement, and corporate citizenship—including NIQ’s renewed global volunteering platform, People & Planet Day.
With a “think global, act local” approach, Funda spearheaded the globalization of NIQ’s Employee Resource Groups, building a consistent framework that still allows each region to tailor its work for local relevance. She oversees a network of more than 500 volunteer leaders who activate ERGs, wellbeing efforts, culture programming, and community impact initiatives in every market NIQ operates in. Funda also established the company’s first global wellbeing program, including an employee assistance program now available to all associates worldwide.
Since joining Nielsen in 2011 and later NIQ, Funda has shaped culture from the ground up. She improved processes within operations, expanded inclusion across Europe, and built early structures for employee communities and volunteering long before moving into the global DEI team. Her work expanded opportunities for employees to connect, lead, and contribute to meaningful social impact—laying important foundations for NIQ’s global DEI, wellbeing, and corporate citizenship programs today.
Before joining NIQ, she worked across several industries in roles that strengthened her adaptability and people-centered approach. Having lived and worked in multiple countries, she brings a global mindset and a deep appreciation for cultural diversity—elements that continue to influence her leadership and program design.
Funda serves on the Advisory Board of the African Diversity & Inclusion Center and is NIQ’s Partner Ambassador to the LEAD Network. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature with a minor in American Culture, a professional certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, a Mini-MBA from Koç University, and is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. She is married with two sons and enjoys a modern, globally connected family life that spans two countries and four cities.