Ceren Tonguç graduated from Boğaziçi University, Department of Civil Engineering in 2000. She started her professional career at Procter and Gamble. She held management positions at both the P&G Turkey office and the Cincinnati (USA) office, where P&G’s headquarters are located, for 22 years. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Commercial Operations for P&G Turkey and Central Asia. As of February 2023, she transitioned to the travel retail sector and joined Unifree Duty Free. Ceren Tonguç continues her role as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
What does this award mean to you personally and professionally?
Receiving this award is both a personal and professional honor. Personally, it is incredibly meaningful to be recognized for building an inclusive culture where people feel empowered, valued, and inspired to grow. Professionally, it reflects the collective success of our teams at Unifree Duty Free and our commitment to driving innovation, collaboration, and equality within the travel retail industry. I see this recognition not only as an achievement, but also as a responsibility to continue creating opportunities for future generations of women leaders.
What has been the most defining moment or achievement in your career so far?
One of the most defining achievements in my career has been leading the transformation of our customer experience journey through innovative projects such as the Unifree x ME Loyalty Program and Click & Collect services. Beyond the business impact, what makes this especially meaningful is building diverse and high-performing teams where female representation has continued to grow over the years. Seeing talented women take on leadership roles and contribute confidently to the industry has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
What advice would you give to women building a career in Travel Retail?
Travel retail is a dynamic and constantly evolving industry that offers incredible opportunities for growth, creativity, and leadership. My advice would be to stay curious, embrace change, and never underestimate the value of collaboration and resilience. Confidence grows through experience, so it is important to take initiative, speak up, and trust your perspective. Most importantly, support other women along the way — strong teams and inclusive cultures create lasting success.
What inspires or motivates you most in your leadership journey today?
What motivates me most is seeing people grow and realizing the impact that inclusive leadership can have on both individuals and business success. I am inspired by creating environments where innovation, diversity, and collaboration can thrive together. The travel retail industry is constantly changing, and being able to shape new experiences while empowering teams to succeed keeps me motivated every day.
Your favourite inspirational quote
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Ceren’s leadership journey is a powerful example of how inclusive leadership and commercial excellence can go hand in hand. From leading large international teams to driving innovation within Travel Retail, she continues to shape not only business success, but also a culture where people feel empowered to grow, contribute, and lead.
Her recognition at the DFNI Awards for Best Inclusive Team Led by a Woman is a testament to the impact she has made — not only as a senior executive, but as a leader committed to collaboration, diversity, and creating opportunities for others to succeed.
At Women in Travel Retail, we are proud to celebrate leaders like Ceren who are redefining leadership through vision, inclusivity, and authenticity. Her story is an inspiration for women across the industry and a reminder that strong leadership is measured not only by results, but by the people and cultures we build along the way.
Congratulations once again, Ceren, on this outstanding achievement. We look forward to seeing your continued impact on the future of Travel Retail and the next generation of women leaders.
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