Efe Karakman

Geophysical Engineer and technical B2B sales professional with hands-on geosynthetics experience in mine-waste containment, soil stabilisation, drainage and environmental applications. Completed a seven-month field assignment on a 57,000 m² HDPE geomembrane lining project at Acacia Mining Operations in Kastamonu/Hanönü, supporting drawing review, material selection, supplier coordination, technical proposals, site execution and HSE compliance. Experienced in specification sales to consultants, contractors and project stakeholders, with subsequent international sales leadership across the UK, Europe and APAC and seven years of work and life experience in Australia.

Regional Export Manager at Teknokol Operator Arm and Panel Systems (2025-01 – 2026-07)

• Technical training: Delivered product and installation training to a UK distributor's technical department for industrial enclosure cooling systems.
• Distributor development: Re-established distributor relationships in Australia and conducted business-development field visits across the UK, Poland, France, Japan and Australia.
• Market development: Strengthened global brand visibility through LinkedIn and digital channels while expanding the international distributor network.
• Commercial & cross-functional impact: Delivered approximately 22–27% sales growth across the UK and Poland within six months, adding around EUR 200,000 in orders while coordinating quotations, approvals, production and export logistics.

Head of Sales & Marketing at Benmaker | Ermetal Group (2022-03 – 2025-08)

• International sales leadership: Led a four-person sales team and international operations across 11 countries; secured distributors in the UK, Italy, Vietnam and Australia and contributed to approximately 70% USD-denominated sales growth.
• International trade shows: Organised and represented the company at BETT, GESS and Didacta, managing logistics, customs documentation and post-event distributor negotiations.
• Large-scale tender delivery: Executed a TÜBİTAK tender for 2,000 units delivered to 36 provinces, coordinating production, purchasing, delivery and instructor training across cross-functional teams.
• Sales strategy & product development: Developed annual sales strategies, competitive pricing models and market analyses and channelled end-user feedback to R&D for product improvements.

Sales & Field Engineer at Engeotek Geosynthetic Solutions and Environmental Technologies (2020-01 – 2021-06)

• Geosynthetics project management: Served as Site Engineer for seven months on a 57,000 m² mine-waste storage facility isolation project at Acacia Mining, overseeing the supply and installation of geomembranes, geotextiles and drainage composites for environmental containment and soil stabilisation.
• Technical specification & material selection: Reviewed engineering drawings and geotechnical reports; selected suitable geosynthetic materials for site, soil, hydraulic and containment requirements; prepared comparative technical proposals.
• International supplier & procurement management: Obtained pricing, lead times and technical specifications from domestic and international manufacturers and evaluated product performance and compliance for ground-engineering applications.
• Field application & site supervision: Coordinated crews, work schedules, material storage and movement; supervised installation quality, project timelines, PPE and occupational health-and-safety compliance.
• Technical client engagement & specification sales: Conducted client visits and technical presentations on material performance, application methods and industry developments for engineering consultants and project stakeholders.
• Market research & product development: Researched emerging geosynthetic technologies, soil-stabilisation systems and erosion-control solutions and identified opportunities in mining, civil engineering and environmental remediation.

Sales Engineer at Emsamak Machinery (2021-07 – 2021-10)

• Technical sales: Sold rock-drilling machines and consumables for construction and mining, supporting geotechnical and ground-engineering projects.
• International supplier coordination: Managed pricing, technical specifications and logistics with Padley & Venables (UK) and Mincon (Ireland).
• Customer needs analysis: Prepared technical quotations for drilling equipment used in geotechnical investigation and mining applications.

Purchasing Manager at Vasile Holding Pty Ltd (2017-01 – 2018-08)

• Procurement & negotiation: Managed transmission and engine-part procurement from local and international suppliers and negotiated pricing and delivery terms.
• Inventory & operations: Oversaw inventory control, invoice verification, quality checks and process optimisation for a 19-year market-leading automotive repair business.

Junior Geophysical Engineer at Arz Engineering Ltd (2010-10 – 2011-12)

• Geophysical modelling: Conducted geophysical surveys and built 2D/3D velocity models in collaboration with geologists and reservoir engineers.
• Drilling-location assessment: Determined optimal drilling locations using resistivity and seismic interpretation and diagnosed and corrected anomalies in seismic data.

BSc in Geophysical Engineering – Süleyman Demirel University (2010)

General English Programme in English – Holmes Institute (2012 – 2012)