Resume

Levend Turgay

CONTACT Information

E-mail: hello@levendturgay.com

Location: Austin, TEXAS

SUMMARY

With over 20 years of experience in the computer industry, I have a unique perspective on the evolution of technology and how it has shaped my career. As an early adopter of computers in the early 90s, I have witnessed firsthand the revolutionary advancements in technology and have been able to stay at the forefront of innovation throughout my career. This early exposure to computers has allowed me to develop a strong foundation in various aspects of the industry, from hardware and software development to project management and customer service. I am excited to bring my diverse skill set and passion for technology to any organization that values growth and innovation. I have a strong background in IT infrastructure and network management, as well as experience in product design and manufacturing. In recent years, I have focused on emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality, Augmented reality and the Metaverse. I have built and managed engineering teams, developed over 50 tailored products/projects, and launched several successful products in various industries. Currently, I am the Chief Operating Officer of APTI CO., where I am responsible for relocating the company headquarters to the US, building relationships with legal and local partners and co-leading the company with the CEO.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Chief Operating Officer at APTI CO. (2022 - Present)

Based in Austin, Texas

Led all operational aspects of the company, including management of teams, development and implementation of strategies, budget management, and achievement of business objectives. Responsible for ensuring smooth and efficient day-to-day operations, as well as driving long-term growth and profitability. Collaborated closely with the CEO and other executive team members to align operations with the overall vision and goals of the organization. Involved in high-level customer relations and building the company brand in the US.

Duties included; relocating the company HQ to the US, forming a US entity for the foreign company, building relationships with legal and local partners, and co-leading the company as CEO

Director of Engineering at RoofStacks Inc. (2019 - 2021)

Based in Austin, Texas

Led the engineering team and oversaw all technical aspects of the company, including research and development, product design and development, and quality assurance. Responsible for setting technical strategies and goals, managing budgets and resources, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality products. Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including sales, marketing, and customer service, to align engineering efforts with the overall business objectives. Successfully launched several innovative products, resulting in significant growth and profitability for the company. RoofStacks Inc. is a software company specializing in tourism systems, augmented reality, and e-commerce. Duties included; designing the engineering concept from scratch, building an engineering team, developing patent-pending AR/VR solutions, assisting with technology business planning, and launching a product on the IOS/Android market

Chief Technology Officer at Hypercell Simulation and Entertainment Systems (2016 - 2019)

Based in Istanbul, Turkey

Led all technical aspects of the company, including research and development, product design and development, and technology infrastructure. Responsible for setting technical strategies and goals, managing budgets and resources, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality products. Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including sales, marketing, and customer service, to align technical efforts with the overall business objectives. Successfully launched several innovative products, resulting in significant growth and profitability for the company. Acted as a thought leader within the industry, staying up-to-date on the latest technology trends and developments and communicating them to the organization. Hypercell is a virtual reality immersive gaming experience with large scale positional tracking and wireless streaming. My duties included; designing an optical sensor array system from scratch, fundraising from business angels, being selected for accelerator programs, and securing business contracts with medical and entertainment clients

Chief Technical Officer at MAT Information Technology (2006 - 2016)

Based in Istanbul, Turkey

MAT Bilisim is a software development company that provides custom solutions for clients in various industries

Responsibilities included leading the technical team, developing and implementing technical strategies, managing projects and budgets, and ensuring customer satisfaction. MAT Bilisim is a system integrator company with expertise in Interactive & Multi touch display, Hologram Displays, Immersive Room/Cave, Projection Mapping, AR/VR, SW & HW developing. MAT Bilisim company Researches & Develops technology for STEM in Education, Museum Tech, Events, Digital marketing and entertainment as well as tailor made special effect tech in showrooms.

Achievements;

Worked with many museums clients for interactive museology systems,

Patent: Invented Laser aided Multi Touch optical sensing technology and Patented in 2009,

Grew the company 30-50% every year since 2006, Grew the company %500 in 2015, Closed 5 long term project contracts + annual maintain agreements.

IT Manager at Crystal Hotels Chain (2004 - 2006)

Based in Antalya, Turkey

Led the IT team and oversaw all technical aspects of the company, including infrastructure, systems, and networks. Responsible for setting technical strategies and goals, managing budgets and resources, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality IT services. Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including sales, marketing, and customer service, to align IT efforts with the overall business objectives. Successfully implemented several innovative technologies, resulting in significant cost savings and productivity improvements for the company. Acted as a thought leader within the industry, staying up-to-date on the latest technology trends and developments and communicating them to the organization. Built a complete infrastructure for Hotel Chain including Data Center, Wired and Wireless large scale network, Fiber Optical Network, Hotel Management program integrating. Brought high speed internet by wireless linking to a hub 46,6Miles (75 Km) away to the town which was a record.

IT Coordinator at LSG Sky Chefs- Lufthansa (2002 - 2004)

Based in Istanbul, Turkey

Sancak Catering and LSG SkyChefs of Lufthansa were joint-venture company in the airlines food & beverage space. Beside all IT managerial duties, I have redesigned IT Infrastructure of company and Managed 9 other Airport branches, coordinating IT efforts across the organization and ensuring consistent service levels. Fully recovered a disaster situation in system servers. Become Youngest IT Manager in company history.

Web Designer at Design 2000 Co. (2001-2002)

Based in Istanbul, Turkey

I have founded my first start-up and did design, Graphical Design, Video Production. Developed skills with HTML/ PHP / ASP. Designed and renewed local municipality web site. Streamed live events online which was a thing at the time.

EDUCATION

School: Istanbul University / Associate Degree on Mechanical Manufacturing (2000-2002)

PATENT & CERTIFICATES

Patent: Laser Light Plane Multi Touch Interaction System (2009)

Certificate: SA Entrepreneur Developing Program (2015)

Accelerator Camp: Hacker Unit Accelerator Program (2016)

Events: The Pitcher (2018)

SkILLS

· Strong experience in IT infrastructure and network management

· Expertise in emerging technologies such as Virtual and Augmented reality

· Ability to lead and manage engineering teams, excellent project management and budget management skills

· Strong high level customer relations and service skills and ability to ensure customer satisfaction.

· Conceptual Designing of Hardware + Software Products, Prototyping hardware from Scratch to MVP or Product.

· Experience in Agile methods for developing and management.

· Fast acting & active problem solving.

· Computer Languages: C, C++, C#, Python, AS, PHP, HTML / CSS

· Actively using Unity3D, 2D AutoCAD, Adobe Products, Mo-cap Tools, Office software and tools and Visual Studio.

Personal life & Hobies

Married, Father of 2 boys at elementary school age. I enjoy doing DIY projects at home about electronics and gadgets. Engage with AI and create projects with Artificial Intelligence. I make puzzle books.