Ari Kesisoglu is the Regional Director of Facebook in Middle East, Turkey and Africa. He manages Facebook’s business across the region, helping to build an internet ecosystem that that is changing societies and economies for the better.

Before joining Facebook, Ari held senior positions at Google. He was the first employee of Google’s emerging markets team in London and held senior roles in all areas of the regional organisation including Sales, Operations, and Finance.

He is originally an entrepreneur and had his own start-up, one of the first in Turkey, which he grew from garage to profitability.

Ari is passionate about technology and the role it plays in empowering people, especially in emerging markets. He believes technology companies focused on their missions can be both profitable and a source of good for the world.

A native of Turkey, Ari holds an MBA from INSEAD and a bachelor's degree in business from Bogazici University in Turkey.