DS Automobiles Türkiye General Manager Selim Eskinazi’s passion for automobiles dates back to his childhood years. We talked to Selim Eskinazi, who built his career in the automobile world, which he loves passionately, about his day and his career journey.
Photos by Selim Eskinazi
24 Hours
How does he start the day?
I start the day very early; I get up around 06.30 – 07.00. Waking up early in the morning is a habit I inherited from high school. When I was studying at The Koç School, our house was on Bağdat Street and my high school was in Kurtköy. I’m used to waking up early in the morning because I have to go a long way. I usually drink a coffee and then start the day by taking our dog for a walk.
How is your daily routine?
I start working around 07.30. The most valuable time of the day for me is between 07.30 and 08.30. At these times, I plan the day and look at reports. At these hours, there are no calls to interrupt me, such as phone traffic. I’m trying to use this hour very productively.
12.00 – 18.00
After 08.30 in the morning, it gets very busy with meetings coming one after the other. I try not to skip lunch because I don’t have breakfast in the morning. After lunch, I try to make my dealer visits and meetings outside. The afternoon is usually spent with these meetings and visits until the day ends.
Evening routine
I usually end the day by spending time with my family in the routine of a quiet day. I have a little daughter, these days my main occupation in the evenings is usually spending time with her. I live on Bağdat Street, and sometimes I spend time with my wife or friends in the places here.
What time does he sleep?
I try to go to bed around 23.00 at the latest. I like to listen to something before sleeping. If the weather is nice, I love sitting on the balcony. I prefer to spend the last half hour before sleeping by listening to something on the balcony.
What is your time management method, how do you use time efficiently?
I am a very planned person. Since I love writing, I still use a pen and notebook to take notes and prepare my to-do list. I take an hour or two every Sunday to plan the week. This is very important for me. I am reviewing the past week and planning for the next week. It is also good to have it on a quiet day when the phones are not ringing. When I plan the day well in the mornings, I can establish time balance very well.
What’s your favorite time of the day?
Again between 07.30 – 08.30. A time when the phones don’t ring and I can focus, alone in my room. In that one hour, I can plan both my work and my private life. I also love sunsets.
What do you do to relieve your stress?
There are predictable risks and also unpredictable risks. We sit down with my teammates and prepare for foreseeable risks in advance. Our plans B and C are always ready. Being prepared also reduces stressful situations. Forward planning is very effective in stress management in business life.
What is your method of escaping the traffic and chaos of Istanbul?
I’m lucky in this regard, since I work from home, I’m not on the road during rush hour. It is very rare that I get into traffic chaos. The neighborhood I live in is also away from business traffic. I probably come across the chaos of Istanbul two or three days a month at most.
What is your most important advice to young people about being a manager?
I can talk about issues that I care about rather than giving advice. I think I am successful in human relations, which has always been a plus for me in business life. If I were to hit the road again, I would focus on human relations again. Improving myself in human relations is something I strive for every day because at the end of the day, everything comes down to human relations. Another piece of advice I have is to get out of your comfort zone. Comfort zone can make people clumsy over time. I can advise young managers to step out of their comfort zones from time to time while pursuing the attainable goals they set for themselves.
What makes you strong in business life?
Human relations have always taken me to good places. The communication we establish with people is very important both in our business and private lives. If you can communicate correctly, leadership becomes easier. A manager manages both his superior and his own team. That’s why a properly established relationship is always a part of success.
Can you talk about a risk you’ve taken so far?
As soon as I graduated from university, I started working at Doğuş Otomotiv in 2006. I was at Doğuş Otomotiv until last year. In July, a new position opportunity arose at DS Automobiles and, in a way, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I switched from a brand whose culture and way of working I knew to another culture. Stepping out of my comfort zone was kind of a risk for me. It was a step that required courage.
Who is the name you have always admired and why?
Like all boys, my first hero was my father. My father’s profession is a doctor, so he has always had good human relations. I observed his human relations and adapted them to my own life.
What is your favorite activity for the weekend?
I definitely meet my friends, we usually spend time on Bağdat Street. There are some places we are regulars of, and I often like to sit there and have long and enjoyable conversations. And of course, I make sure to make time for my family. Spending time with my daughter is also very valuable to me.
Can you tell us about an unforgettable memory about your work?
I can talk about an experience I had last week. As part of our brand’s program called “Only You, DS Experience”, we took a trip to Paris with five couples of our customers. We stayed in a hotel right next to the Louvre Museum. Part of the trip was visiting the museum, and we visited the museum in a way that was closed specifically for us. Visiting this magnificent museum with a group of 14 people and accompanied by a guide was one of the most enjoyable memories of my business life that I will never forget.
What is your method of achieving work-life balance?
My request from my team is to turn off their computers on time and not work late. I think that working until very late hours is not a skill and that time planning is done incorrectly. The balance of work and private life is very important. When there is no balance, it is not possible to get nutrition from other sources. Ultimately, it comes down to planning here too.
What are the restaurants and places you frequent in Turkey?
We often go to The Townhouse in Suadiye with my friends. For business meetings, I prefer Parle, Da Mario and Papermoon.
Do you have a collection? If you did, what would you collect?
I collect model vehicles. It is a tradition that model vehicles are given as gifts at meetings you attend in the automotive industry. The number of model vehicles accumulated over the years began to increase and a curiosity arose. A corner of my study is filled with my model vehicle collection. My passion for automobiles also motivated me to create such a collection.
How did your path intersect with the automobile world?
I studied Production Systems Engineering at Sabancı University, I graduated in 2006. Automobiles have always been a great love for me. While I was still studying at university, I came across an advertisement from Doğuş Otomotiv. That day, I applied for my dream job. I’m glad I stepped into this sector, doing your dream job increases the margin of success.
What makes you strong in business life?
Human relations have always taken me to good places. The communication we establish with people is very important both in our business and private lives. If you can communicate correctly, leadership becomes easier. A manager manages both his superior and his own team. That’s why a properly established relationship is always a part of success.
Who is the name you have always admired and why?
Like all boys, my first hero was my father. My father’s profession is a doctor, so he has always had good human relations. I observed his human relations and adapted them to my own life.
Do you have escape points where you get away from everything?
We love going to Barcelona with my wife. There are hotels, restaurants and places we are regulars. Since we go there often now, we feel like we went somewhere in Istanbul. We have a calmer and more relaxing journey, rather than a fast-paced one.
Can you tell us about an unforgettable memory about your work?
I can talk about an experience I had last week. As part of our brand’s program called “Only You, DS Experience”, we took a trip to Paris with five couples of our customers. We stayed in a hotel right next to the Louvre Museum. Part of the trip was visiting the museum, and we visited the museum in a way that was closed specifically for us. Visiting this magnificent museum with a group of 14 people and accompanied by a guide was one of the most enjoyable memories of my business life that I will never forget.
What is your method of achieving work-life balance?
My request from my team is to turn off their computers on time and not work late. I think that working until very late hours is not a skill and that time planning is done incorrectly. The balance of work and private life is very important. When there is no balance, it is not possible to get nutrition from other sources. Ultimately, it comes down to planning here too.
What are the restaurants and places you frequent in Turkey?
We often go to The Townhouse in Suadiye with my friends. For business meetings, I prefer Parle, Da Mario and Papermoon.
Do you like wearing watches?
I like to wear watches. I can say that I have a small collection consisting mainly of Rolex models.
