Careers rarely move in straight lines, and the most interesting ones seldom stay within a single discipline. They are shaped by the willingness to change direction, to carry what has been learned into an unfamiliar room, and to keep going once certainty runs out. That pattern runs through the professional journey of Dr Gonca Aslan, Board Member for Business Development and Corporate Relations at Asmira Group, who moved from an academic career researching innovation and entrepreneurship into one of Europe’s most male-dominated industries. In this interview for Women on Boards Adria (WOBA), she reflects on what research gets right about innovation, on being heard in rooms that were not built for her, and on why she believes leadership has no gender.
You moved from an academic career researching innovation and entrepreneurship into a board role in marine fuel supply. What did the research get right about how companies actually innovate, and what did it miss?
Academia taught me curiosity, intellectual discipline, and perhaps most importantly, the habit of questioning assumptions. My research in innovation and entrepreneurship reinforced my belief that successful companies are those that continuously learn, adapt, and remain open to collaboration.
When I moved into the business world and joined Asmira Group, I had the opportunity to put those theories to the test in a very real environment. I brought with me the analytical mindset of an academic, but I quickly discovered that business, particularly in the maritime industry, moves at a very different pace.
What the research got right is that innovation rarely happens in isolation. It emerges from people, collaboration, curiosity, and the ability to see change as an opportunity rather than a threat.
What academia cannot fully replicate, however, is the speed and complexity of real-world decision-making. In business, you rarely have perfect information or unlimited time. You have to make decisions, accept calculated risks, take responsibility for the outcome, and keep moving forward.
That experience taught me that innovation is not simply about generating good ideas. Innovation begins with ideas, but leadership is what turns those ideas into reality. It requires courage, execution, trust, and the ability to bring people with you.
Bunkering and marine logistics remain heavily male-dominated at the senior level. What did it take to be heard in that room early on, and what would you do differently if you were starting again?
When I entered the maritime industry, I was very aware that I was stepping into a traditionally male-dominated environment. There were moments when I had to work harder to establish credibility, but I made a conscious decision very early on not to allow gender to define the way I approached my career.
I focused instead on knowledge, preparation, consistency, and results. I learned the business, understood the industry, listened carefully, and made sure that when I contributed to a discussion, I brought substance to the table.
Over time, I also realised that being different in the room can actually become a strength. Different experiences create different perspectives, and diversity at the leadership level ultimately leads to better questions and better decisions.
There is something in this that reminds me of Athena. In Greek mythology, her power was not based on physical strength but on wisdom, strategy, and judgement. I find that a particularly meaningful metaphor for leadership. You do not always need to be the loudest voice in the room to influence its direction. Knowledge, preparation, timing, and clarity can be far more powerful.
If I were starting again today, there is one thing I would do differently: I would question my own assumptions earlier.
Women sometimes enter traditionally male environments believing that they first need to prove that they deserve to be there. I no longer believe that. You should enter the room knowing that you are there because of the value, competence, perspective, and experience you bring.
Leadership has no gender. It is defined by competence, vision, integrity, and the ability to create impact.
Today, one of the things I care deeply about is making sure that the next generation of women enters those rooms with greater confidence, and eventually reaches a point where being the only woman in the room is no longer remarkable.
Was there a particular piece of advice, or a specific moment, that got you moving early in your career? What was it, and why did it stay with you?
There was not necessarily one sentence or one defining moment. For me, it was more a philosophy that developed throughout my academic and professional life: never stop learning, and never allow yourself to become too comfortable.
My career has not followed a conventional straight line. Moving from academia into business, and then into an industry as traditional and operationally demanding as maritime, required me to step outside environments where I already knew the rules.
That experience taught me something I still carry with me today: growth usually begins at the point where certainty ends.
Perhaps this is why I have always been fascinated by the idea of the Odyssey. A meaningful journey is rarely a straight passage from one point to another. It is shaped by unexpected encounters, difficult waters, detours, and discoveries. A career can be very similar. Sometimes the route you did not originally plan becomes the one that teaches you the most.
You do not have to know everything before taking the next step. You need to prepare yourself, remain curious, surround yourself with people you can learn from, and have enough confidence to move forward even when you cannot predict every outcome.
I have also learned not to be afraid of changing direction. Reinvention is not a rejection of what came before. My academic career did not disappear when I entered business; it became part of the way I think, analyse, question, and lead today.
Perhaps that is the advice I would pass on: never be afraid to evolve. Every chapter of your career should add something to the next one.
“Leadership has no gender. It is defined by competence, vision, integrity, and the ability to create impact.”
You are a member of TOBB’s Women Entrepreneurs Board. From that vantage point, what is the single structural change that would move more women into decision-making roles?
If I had to choose one structural change, it would be to make the path to leadership genuinely transparent and accessible.
We often talk about encouraging women to become leaders, but encouragement alone is not enough. Organisations need systems that allow talented women to enter the leadership pipeline, remain there, and progress based on clearly defined criteria.
That means transparent promotion processes, access to meaningful leadership responsibilities, mentorship and sponsorship, support for working parents, and organisational cultures where performance and potential are evaluated independently of gender.
Through my membership in WOBA and other business associations, I have seen how powerful women become when access to opportunity is combined with the right networks, knowledge, and confidence.
But I also believe we need to move the conversation beyond simply “supporting women”. Women do not need to be treated as a special category of talent. They need equal access to opportunity, capital, networks, visibility, and decision-making power.
For businesses, this is not only a question of equality. It is a question of competitiveness.
Organisations with diverse perspectives around the table are better equipped to understand change, challenge conventional thinking, manage risk, and innovate. Diversity is therefore not simply about representation; it is an important component of long-term business resilience.
If a woman in the early stages of her career asked you what one investment in herself matters most right now, what would you tell her?
I would tell her to invest in her own intellectual independence and personal growth.
Build knowledge. Stay curious. Learn continuously. Develop expertise in something that gives you confidence when you walk into a room. But at the same time, never limit yourself to the boundaries of your own profession or industry.
I believe very strongly in drawing inspiration from different worlds. Business can teach us a great deal, but so can art, literature, philosophy, science, technology, travel, and the people we meet along the way. Some of the most valuable perspectives come from connecting ideas that, at first, may seem completely unrelated.
This is also why I consider networking an essential investment in oneself. A meaningful network is not about collecting contacts; it is about building genuine relationships with people from different generations, cultures, industries, and disciplines. The right network expands not only your opportunities, but also your way of thinking.
Confidence is important, but sustainable confidence comes from competence, and competence should never be static.
I often think there is something almost artistic about building a career. A sculptor does not create a finished work with a single movement. The form emerges gradually, through patience, correction, perspective, and sometimes by removing what no longer belongs. A career develops in much the same way.
For me, personal development and professional development should never exist as two separate journeys. What you learn about yourself, what you read, the cultures you experience, the people you meet, and the interests you develop outside your professional life all eventually influence the way you think, communicate, make decisions, and lead.
Some of the most important lessons in my own professional life have come from situations that did not develop exactly as planned. A long career inevitably includes successes, disappointments, changes of direction, and moments of uncertainty.
The objective is not to create a perfect career. The objective is to build the capacity to keep evolving.
So invest in your knowledge, your network, your reputation, your curiosity, and your ability to adapt. Allow yourself to be inspired by disciplines far beyond your own. These are assets that belong entirely to you and travel with you throughout every stage of your career.
And perhaps most importantly, do not wait until you feel completely ready. Very few meaningful opportunities arrive at the perfect moment. Prepare yourself well, remain open to the world around you, trust what you have built, and have the courage to step forward.
