Robert Yuksel YILDIRIM is the Founder, Chairman & CEO of CoreX Holding. He was born in January 1960 in Sivas, and grew up in Samsun, Türkiye. He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from Istanbul Technical University, Türkiye in June 1983 and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) from Oregon State University, USA, in March 1989, respectively.

Robert Yuksel YILDIRIM has over 35 years of industrial, financial and operational business experience globally. He began his career as a design and project engineer at Paceco Corporation in San Mateo, California, USA in May 1988, working for five years on designing and manufacturing of container handling cranes. During his five years at Paceco, USA, he had one engineering patent for his state-of-the-art structural work for extending the outreach of crane booms and raising the crane legs up on STS gantry cranes.

Robert Yuksel YILDIRIM returned from the USA to Samsun, Türkiye in May 1993, by joining the management of his family’s business, the YILDIRIM Group. Working for more than 30 years in YILDIRIM Group as the President & CEO, he has led the company to become one of the fastest growing and the largest industrial conglomerates in Türkiye and abroad. After 35 years of his leadership in YILDIRIM Group, Robert Yüksel YILDIRIM decided to leave the YILDIRIM family business and continue his success story and growth trajectory apart from his family business. He started establishing CoreX Holding BV and its group of companies beginning in September 2024 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in order to create new success stories with his children and a core team of talented and experienced colleagues.

Robert Yuksel YILDIRIM’s global achievements are well recognized by the industry worldwide: CoreX Metals & Mining and Yilmaden Holding (metals and mining subsidiary) became the 3rd largest chromium company in the world; and CoreX Ports & Terminals and Yilport Holding (port operation and management company) became the 10th largest international container terminal operating company in the world by Drewry’s 2025 report.

He was globally recognized among the top 3 most powerful leaders in the chromium world and among the top 10 most powerful people in the container terminals industry. He was ranked among the top 100 most influential people in the global shipping industry by Lloyd’s List between 2011 and 2022.

Currently, he has been serving as the Chairman of Türkiye-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Councils, the Chairman of Türkiye-Colombia Business Council, and board member of Türkiye-France Business Council at Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) of Türkiye. Previously he was the Chairman of Türkiye-Mexico and Türkiye-Kazakhstan Business Councils of DEİK as well.

In addition to his responsibilities at CoreX Holding, he is also the owner and President of Samsunspor Football Club, a Turkish Super League football team in Türkiye, and the owner of USL Dunkerque Football Club, a Ligue 2 football team in France.