OKTA’s founder and director, Oguzhan Karadurmus, tells us about himself, why he set up the company and what inspires him on a day-to-day basis.
1. First of all, tell us about your background: what did you study?
I studied for a BSC in Civil Engineering at Turkey’s Istanbul Technical University.
2. Did you work for other companies before setting up OKTA?
Absolutely; for me it was critical to get experience with world-class companies and work on amazing projects before setting up on my own. I worked at Enka-Bechtel JV, Ant Yapi and Bechtel Corporation in the decade leading up to starting OKTA. I was involved in stellar projects in the Middle East, Russia, The UK & The USA such as Muscat International Airport, Kazakhstan History Museum, OKO Towers, Missoni Baia-Miami & London City Airport.
3. What inspired you to set up your own construction company?
I saw a gap in the market. I wanted to take the best practice, cutting-edge technology and professionalism from the world’s leading construction companies yet offer it in a way that feels more personal, more boutique. Smaller firms usually lack the professionalism of big construction companies, which can create long delays and lead to lower quality work overall. They are also depend solely on contracted staff, which leads to issues around quality and speed of delivery – two things I wanted to avoid as these are deal-breakers for me. OKTA combines the best of big firms with the unique service-led elements of smaller operations.
4. How many employees does OKTA currently have and where do you operate?
We are growing fast, so this is changing all the time! At the moment we employ 30 people. I am very proud to be heading up a dynamic and super skilled workforce. We are based in London and currently all of our projects are UK based. However, we anticipate more international projects in the very near future.
5. How involved are you in the day-to-day operations?
OKTA’s entire leadership is incredibly hands on; me and my business partners are on personally on-site every day. Being involved in almost every step of our projects is very important to us – that’s what allows us to provide such a high-quality offering on every project we are involved with.
6. What areas of construction does OKTA operate in?
We offer expertise in both high-spec residential and mixed-use projects, including infrastructure and retail – we could deliver even an airport and a skyscraper. We are lucky that our staff have mega projects experience. My dream in the future would be to include ultra luxury hospitality projects into our portfolio.
7. Why did you decide to focus on these areas?
It made sense to base our projects on the experience of both myself and OKTA’s leadership team. I believe in doing things properly – at the highest quality – and this way I know that everything we deliver will be the best.
8. What are you most excited about in terms of growing OKTA?
I’m excited about the diversity and scope of what we are going to be working on in 2022 – ranging from luxury residential to mixed-use buildings all over the capital. It’s also very inspiring to me that we are going to be working alongside some of the best in the industry in terms of architects and interior designers.
9. What are your targets for 2022 and are there any specific new projects you are working on?
Our main target is to double revenue in 2022. We are currently pricing three new projects, with another three in the pipeline; all of which are one-of-a-kind, boutique and in the luxury sphere – it feels like a really exciting time for OKTA. We will also be hiring new professional consultants, in order to build a solid foundation and team structure for the years ahead. Stay tuned!
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