Cenk Akerson - Senior Advisor, CMO, & Board Member

Q: Where is Cenk based?

Cenk is based in Paris, France .

Q: What languages does Cenk speak?

Cenk speaks the following languages: English (Native), Turkish (Native), French (Advanced), Italian (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Cenk have?

Cenk has at least 21 years of experience. During this time, Cenk has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 9 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 9 months . Note that Cenk may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Cenk's latest experience?

Cenk's most recent position is Senior Advisor, CMO, & Board Member at Gamer Arena .

Q: What companies has Cenk worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Cenk has worked for Gamer Arena , Per-Scent , and Sunpop Care .

Q: Which industries is Cenk most experienced in?

Cenk is most experienced in industries like Beauty and Cosmetics , Information Technology (IT) , and Retail . Cenk also has some experience in Tourism and Hospitality , Professional Services , and Fashion and Apparel .

Q: Which business areas is Cenk most experienced in?

Cenk is most experienced in business areas like Marketing , Product Development , and Sales . Cenk also has some experience in Strategy and Planning , Finance , and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which industries has Cenk worked in recently?

Cenk has recently worked in industries like Beauty and Cosmetics and Information Technology (IT) .

Q: Which business areas has Cenk worked in recently?

Cenk has recently worked in business areas like Product Development , Marketing , and Strategy and Planning .

Recommended expert

Paris, France

Experience

Feb 2023 - Oct 2025

2 years 9 months

İstanbul, Turkey

Senior Advisor, CMO, & Board Member

Gamer Arena

Advised on strategic repositioning and innovation roadmap for a leading gaming & Web3 platform
Led the strategic shift from B2C to B2B services, defining a new business model and partnership ecosystem
Drove user growth by 50% through data-informed product innovation and technical partnerships
Achieved 80% lower CPI via optimized marketing strategies and influencer-led campaigns

Feb 2022 - Nov 2022

10 months

Manchester, United Kingdom

Interim Brand Director

Per-Scent

Served as de-facto internal consultant to the CEO, leading the turnaround of the Brands Division through data-driven portfolio strategy and operational restructuring, delivering £8.5M in cumulative savings and growth
Directed and crafted the data-informed creation of luxury fragrance new brand and product for British Celebrity Bugzy Malone, achieving #2 market position through granular market analysis and predictive modeling

Feb 2020 - Jun 2022

2 years 5 months

Paris, France

Co-Founder

Sunpop Care

Identified and validated a $300M market niche, leading to the development and launch of a patented, FDA-compliant suncare product; managed the entire product lifecycle from R&D to retail distribution
Secured 35 retail partnerships and 55,000 unit sales within two years by crafting the channel strategy and partnership terms
Created new AI-based holistic beauty app and established app engineering team with road map

Oct 2016 - Dec 2018

2 years 3 months

Nicosia, Cyprus

Management Consultant

Universal Brands Group

Advised luxury retail partners; optimized contracts with LVMH, Chanel, and L’Oréal
Drove financial performance via strategic planning of product orders and budgets

Feb 2016 - Dec 2018

2 years 11 months

Paris, France

Co-Founder

Dutybuddy Saas

Pioneered first global social commerce marketplace for the $20B travel retail market
Co-founded an omni-channel social commerce marketplace targeting a $20B blue ocean opportunity
Successfully presented and on-boarded the concept to C-suite leaders from L’Oréal Luxe, Puig, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and leading luxury global retailers, including Printemps, La Rinascente, Dufry, Lagardère TR, and Dubai Duty Free

Oct 2012 - Feb 2016

3 years 5 months

Paris, France

Travel Retail EMEA Business Unit Manager

L’Oréal Luxe

Boosted profitability by 1 point in a highly competitive market
Achieved a 1.5-point market share gain while maintaining brand integrity
Renegotiated commercial terms across multiple countries to secure dynamic investment plans
Led the first EMEA launch of the newly acquired brand, Clarisonic

Aug 2011 - Oct 2012

1 year 3 months

Paris, France

Group Product Manager, Lancôme Skin-Care Global Animations

L’Oréal Luxe

Created and executed global campaign Super Serums, generating over $100M in revenue under a single campaign for the first time
Aligned global management and marketing team strategies with local operations and budgets
Implemented global institutional communication creatives and guidelines

Sep 2009 - Aug 2011

2 years

İstanbul, Turkey

Marketing Manager, Lancôme – Armani – Designer Fragrances – Biotherm

L’Oréal Luxe

Introduced innovative marketing and sales strategies, including the group’s first e-commerce operation
Consistently gained market share through innovative strategic and tactical moves
Fully managed marketing budget, led team of 5, and coordinated cross-functional teams

Jun 2006 - Sep 2009

3 years 4 months

Product Manager

L’Oréal Luxe

Managed 360° operational marketing for Lancôme skincare, Biotherm, Giorgio Armani, and launched Diesel

Nov 2005 - Jun 2006

8 months

C-Suit Communications Consultant

Bersay

Advised senior executives of major corporations on strategic messaging and stakeholder communication, building a foundation for executive-level influence and partnership

Nov 2002 - Dec 2004

2 years 2 months

United States

QA Specialist

Siemens

Established quality assurance frameworks and operational processes for a new technical service division, building scalable systems from the ground up

Jan 2002 - May 2002

5 months

Waltham, United States

Official Tutor for Economics, Finance & Statistics

Bentley University

Mentored students in advanced analytical concepts as the university's official tutor

Industries Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.

Experienced in Cosmetics (12.5 years), Information Technology (5.5 years), Retail (3 years), Tourism (3 years), Professional Services (2.5 years), and Fashion (2 years).

Cosmetics

Information Technology

Retail

Tourism

Professional Services

Fashion

Business Areas Experience

The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.

Experienced in Marketing (16.5 years), Product Development (12.5 years), Sales (10.5 years), Strategy (9 years), Information Technology (2.5 years), and Finance (2.5 years).

Marketing

Product Development

Sales

Strategy

Information Technology

Finance

Summary

Senior strategy advisor with 20+ years of experience in driving innovation, digital transformation, and organizational change for global luxury, consumer goods, and tech sectors. Proven expertise in diagnosing complex business challenges, designing future-ready strategies, and implementing scalable innovation systems. Combines deep corporate leadership (L’Oréal Luxe) with entrepreneurial venture-building to deliver measurable business impact. Bilingual in English and French, with extensive C-suite advisory experience.

Skills

Innovation Strategy & Foresight: Trend Analysis, Scenario Planning, Innovation Portfolios, Roadmapping
Digital Transformation: Saas Platforms, Data-driven Business Models, Ecosystem Development
C-suite Advisory & Stakeholder Influence: Workshop Facilitation, Strategic Alignment, Change Management
End-to-end Project Leadership: From Diagnosis To Execution, Cross-functional Collaboration, P&l Ownership
Sector Expertise: Luxury, Beauty, Cpg, Retail, Web3, Emerging Technologies

Languages

English

Native

Turkish

Native

French

Advanced

Italian

Elementary

Education

Sep 1998 - May 2002

Bentley University

Bachelor of Science, Economics · Economics · Waltham, United States

Profile

Created

October 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Cenk based?

Cenk is based in Paris, France.

What languages does Cenk speak?

Cenk speaks the following languages: English (Native), Turkish (Native), French (Advanced), Italian (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Cenk have?

Cenk has at least 21 years of experience. During this time, Cenk has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 9 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 9 months. Note that Cenk may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Cenk be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Cenk would be well-suited for roles such as: Senior Advisor, CMO, & Board Member, Interim Brand Director, Co-Founder.

What is Cenk's latest experience?

Cenk's most recent position is Senior Advisor, CMO, & Board Member at Gamer Arena.

What companies has Cenk worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Cenk has worked for Gamer Arena, Per-Scent, and Sunpop Care.

Which industries is Cenk most experienced in?

Cenk is most experienced in industries like Beauty and Cosmetics, Information Technology (IT), and Retail. Cenk also has some experience in Tourism and Hospitality, Professional Services, and Fashion and Apparel.

Which business areas is Cenk most experienced in?

Cenk is most experienced in business areas like Marketing, Product Development, and Sales. Cenk also has some experience in Strategy and Planning, Finance, and Information Technology (IT).

Which industries has Cenk worked in recently?

Cenk has recently worked in industries like Beauty and Cosmetics and Information Technology (IT).

Which business areas has Cenk worked in recently?

Cenk has recently worked in business areas like Product Development, Marketing, and Strategy and Planning.

What is Cenk's education?

Cenk holds a Bachelor in Economics from Bentley University.

What is the availability of Cenk?

Cenk is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Cenk?

Cenk's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.