Meet the Team
At Admittance Education, our team is the heart of what we do. Comprised of experienced college counselors, admissions experts, and educational consultants, we bring a global perspective and personalized approach to guide students through the university preparation and application process. With a deep understanding of admissions systems in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe, as well as expertise in securing financial aid and scholarships for international students, our team is committed to helping each student achieve their academic goals. By combining years of experience with innovative tools and a passion for education, we work closely with students and their families to unlock opportunities at top universities around the world. Meet the dedicated professionals who will support you every step of the way.
Yesim Erez
Founder & Managing Director, Certified Educational Planner
Yesim is among fewer than 300 Certified Educational Planners in the world. She is an IECA Professional Member, ex-officio for the Global Committee, NACAC and IACAC Member, organizations that distinguish and admit only counselors working ethically, without commissinons. She has completed her UCLA College Counseling Certification with distinction
With 20+ years of experience managing teams to success as a marketing executive with background managing global brands, Yesim has extensive experience in communication strategy and product development as well as scaling startups. Yesim holds an MBA from Michigan State University, and has earned certifications and programs from Columbia University, Harvard Business School and MIT .
Hande Yalaza
Director of Operations
Hande Yalaza hails from Istanbul. Before managing our operations, she has studied Economics and comes with 10 years of corporate experience, working in Treasury at Zorlu Holding and Denizbank. She transitioned her career to teaching English as a second language and has been working with middle and high schoolers for the last ten years. Hande joined Admittance Education in 2021 as a manager.
Yasemin Mutlu
Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
After studying Italian Language and Literature, Yasemin quickly established herself in international business development. She has since excelled in international student recruitment and led business development for UK and German universities, driving strategic expansion across diverse regions. Yasemin also comes with experience in investment migration, strengthening her expertise in client relations and partnerships.
At Admittance Education, she leverages her global experience to drive growth and foster key relationships.
Maria Markus
College Counselor
Maria earned her College Counseling Certificate with distinction from UCLA’s Extension program and is an active member of the IECA Professional community and International ACAC. With over 20 years of experience in the education industry, Maria has developed deep expertise in guiding students through the intricate process of selecting and applying to boarding schools and universities across the US and Europe. Maria is fluent in English and Russian. Her extensive experience includes founding and managing two successful tutoring centers in Connecticut, where she specialized in helping students enhance their academic performance and prepare for standardized tests.
Francis McIvor
College Counselor
Born in London of Irish nationality, Francis read Classics at Magdalene College, Cambridge and then trained as a teacher. He taught Philosophy, Latin and Greek at Norwich School in England. At Norwich, he also served as Oxbridge coordinator, counseling students applying to Oxford, Cambridge and other selective UK universities, as well as to the US. He then moved to be University Counselor at the British School Jakarta, where he developed knowledge of Australian, Canadian, and Asian Universities. As a High School Counselor at the International School of Florence, he became familiar with European universities, particularly those in the Netherlands. Francis holds the MEd in International Counseling from Lehigh University, as well as the UCLA Certificate in College Counseling.
Nazan Akman Pek
College Counselor
Around 30 years of teaching and research experience in academia has given Nazan a wide-ranging opportunity to work with students as advisor, mentor and teacher. She is a skilled academician in student communications. She is retired from her faculty position at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in Istanbul, Turkey, where she also served the Academic Coordinator of Disaster Management Program. Nazan has a BS and a PhD from ITU and an MS degree from MIT.
She has completed her College Counseling Program at UCLA with distinction, is a member of the IECA and IACAC.
Can Baycan
College Counselor
Can Baycan is based in Istanbul, and is a graduate of Robert College. After getting his BS in Civil Engineering at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Can attended Duke University where he earned his MS and PhD degrees. At Duke, while studying towards his degree, he engaged with the undergraduate student body as Teaching Assistant and Resident Advisor.
In the past, Can has worked in Energy Industry holding various management roles. Since joining the Admittance Education team, he is enthusiastically assisting young students in their endeavor to fulfill their educational aspirations.
Brian Bacon
College Counselor
Brian is an accomplished education consultant with over 15 years of admissions and academic advising experience. After obtaining a M.S. degree from Drexel University, Brian began his career in Undergraduate Admissions gaining valuable insights into the college admissions process. He subsequently worked as an academic advisor working both one-on-one, advising students, and institutionally, fostering Collegiate Partnerships to open greater access to 4-year institutions.
Brian’s particular areas of expertise include assisting international and undecided transfer students in understanding the complexities of college credit mobility.
Abdullah Yalaman
Professor of Finance, Eskisehir Osmangazi University
Abdullah Yalaman is a Professor of Finance at Eskisehir Osmangazi University in Turkey. He is also a Research Associate at CAMA, Australian National University, and the Center for Economics and Econometrics, Bogazici University. His own research primarily focuses on financial market microstructure, macro-finance, data science, financial econometrics, and corporate finance. Previously, Dr. Yalaman has held positions at the University of Cambridge (UK), the University of Tasmania (Australia), and the University of York (UK)
Ceyhun Elgin
Professor of Economics , Bogazici University
Ceyhun Elgin is a Professor of Economics at Bogazici University in Turkey. He got his BA in economics from Bogazici University and then subsequently obtained his Ph.D. in economics at the University of Minnesota in 2010. His research interests are in applied macroeconomics, economic growth, and political economics with a particular emphasis on the economics of the informal sector. Previously, Dr. Elgin also had positions at the Columbia University, IMF, WB, University of Minnesota, and Boston University.
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