From the beaches of Izmir to the boardrooms of European business, Cicek Wrabetz‘s journey is one of determination, curiosity, and of purpose. She grew up in a seashore town in Turkey, where she learned early on the value of relating and of discipline, skills that would serve her later in life across boundaries and sectors. She is a tale of making decisions based on knowledge fueled by the need to create a lasting legacy rather than merely one of financial success.
She welcomed all the changes as a challenge and an opportunity. She was financially trained and acquired his proficiency abroad in Turkey, Chicago, Vienna, and Munich. Due to her dual CPA certification and MBA from the London School of Business and Finance, she earned the reputation of being a change partner and not a simple financial advisor. Now that she is the Director of finance at Ascendis Pharma, she is the very definition of the new finance leader: prudent but compassionate, analytical yet human.
What sets her apart is the belief that leadership is integration, rather than balance, when work and personal lives create but one, significant journey. Her message to young people is clear: courage, determination, and integrity can change not just careers, but lives. Her life is a life of conviction and inspiration.
Roots in Resilience
Wrabetz’s story begins in Izmir, a picturesque coastal city on Turkey’s western shores, where the Mediterranean climate and warm community spirit shaped her foundational years. “The city gave me the opportunity to go to great schools, practice sports outside and drive to beaches in the summer with family and friends.” she reflects. It was here, amidst the friendly neighborhoods and outdoor adventures, that she developed two qualities that would prove instrumental to her future success: discipline and curiosity.
These weren’t merely childhood traits that faded with time. Instead, they became the bedrock upon which she built her entire professional philosophy. The active lifestyle and strong friendships of her youth instilled in her an understanding that both personal and professional life should be approached with energy, openness, and genuine human connection.
The transition from her beloved hometown to Istanbul’s Bosphorus University marked the first of many pivotal moves that would define her career. Studying business administration with a focus on finance, she was already laying the groundwork for what would become a globe-spanning journey in pharmaceutical leadership.
The Auditor’s Eye for Impact
Like many finance professionals, Wrabetz began her career as a junior auditor, a role that might seem mundane to outsiders but proved crucial in shaping her perspective. “It gave me the chance to have a sense of different industries,” she explains. This bird’s-eye view of various business sectors ultimately led to a defining moment of clarity: she wanted to work where business decisions had direct, meaningful impact on human lives.
The pharmaceutical industry called to her not for its financial returns, but for its fundamental purpose. “I have seen different therapeutic areas so far and patients that suffer from many various diseases, and I have seen how life-changing a therapy can be for an individual patient.” she says. This wasn’t abstract corporate mission-speak, it was a deeply personal recognition of the role that business professionals play in the healthcare ecosystem.
What sets Wrabetz apart is her unflinching acknowledgment of the emotional weight this carries. “Especially when the patients are pediatric, I mean kids, you feel good to help them as a company, but also the cases can be heartbreaking.” It’s this raw honesty about the human cost of disease, coupled with an unshakeable commitment to being part of the solution, that has kept her anchored in pharma for over 20 years.
Global Education in Leadership
Ambition drove Wrabetz to continuously seek new experiences, different responsibilities, and broader perspectives. This journey took her from Turkey to Chicago, then to Vienna, and currently to Munich, each move representing not just a career advancement, but a masterclass in adaptability and cultural intelligence.
Her commitment to professional development runs deep. While working full-time, she earned an MBA from the London School of Business and Finance and obtained two Certified Public Accountant certificates. These weren’t simply resume builders; they were strategic investments in her ability to contribute meaningfully to the organizations she served.
“Every move from one country to another was a pivotal moment, as each was a step of professional and personal learning, experiencing, struggling that shaped myself to adapt to new environment, test my resilience, and eventually develop myself.” she reflects. This perspective transforms what could be seen as career disruptions into intentional growth opportunities, a mindset that has become central to her leadership philosophy.
The Integration Philosophy
One of Wrabetz’s most compelling insights challenges the conventional wisdom about work-life balance. Rather than viewing personal and professional demands as competing forces requiring careful balance, she advocates for integration. “Personal and professional life are to me integrated. It is the way I find most appealing and most manageable.” she states.
This isn’t about working around the clock or neglecting personal relationships. Instead, it is about approaching life holistically, where planning, prioritizing, and scheduling apply equally to professional deadlines and family time. She emphasizes that it involves not only professional tasks and meetings but also personal activities, family time, and private appointments.
The genius of this approach lies in its psychological benefits. By treating all life responsibilities as part of a single, integrated whole, she eliminates the mental stress that comes from constantly feeling torn between competing priorities. “Your mind is not busy thinking about what you are not doing anymore.” she notes simple statement that reveals profound wisdom about focus and presence.
Transformational Leadership in Action
As a leader, Wrabetz embodies what management theorists call transformational leadership, but she brings her own authentic spin to it. “The ability to quickly transform and adapt structures, processes, and products to changing conditions is essential for companies and managers today.” she explains. However, she recognizes that transformation isn’t just about systems and processes, it’s fundamentally about people.
“More important is the collaboration, trust, and encouragement of your team members and colleagues that you will need to succeed.” she emphasizes. This people-first approach to transformation reflects her deep understanding that in the pharmaceutical industry, where lives hang in balance, teams must operate with exceptional cohesion and shared purpose.
Her decision-making philosophy balances analytical rigor with intuitive wisdom. For straightforward situations, she relies on data, team input, and structured analysis. But she acknowledges that leadership often requires navigating tremendous uncertainty with limited information. In these moments, “you will continue with your experience and how you’re feeling about the situation to go forward.”
The Strategic Finance Partner
In her current role as Finance Director for Europe at Ascendis Pharma, Wrabetz exemplifies the evolution of the CFO role from number-cruncher to strategic partner. “To be a strong CFO or a finance leader today, you need to be a strong strategic partner to leadership and executive management of the organization,” she asserts.
Her approach goes beyond traditional financial stewardship. She sees finance leaders as the custodians of organizational sustainability who must “follow trends, investigate investments, provide insights, prepare for future challenges, invest in opportunities, anticipate the risks and take calculated risks to grow business.” This strategic mindset, combined with her deep industry knowledge and cultural adaptability, positions her as exactly the kind of leader the pharmaceutical industry needs.
Strength Through Vulnerability
Wrabetz’s self-awareness extends to recognizing her own areas for improvement. She acknowledges a tendency to make “extremely complex issues and tasks look very easy”, a strength that can inadvertently become a weakness when others underestimate the work involved or fail to plan accordingly.
This level of self-reflection speaks to a mature leadership style that values continuous growth over the appearance of perfection. “In the end, your strengths can be your weaknesses or the other way around.” she observes, demonstrating the kind of nuanced thinking that characterizes truly effective leaders.
Life Worth Living Twice
Perhaps the most telling measure of Wrabetz’s success isn’t found in her impressive resume or geographic mobility, but in a simple statement that captures her life philosophy: “I am trying to live a professional and private life that if I was born again, I would be happy to live the same life.”
This isn’t the statement of someone who has merely achieved career success, but of someone who has intentionally crafted a life aligned with her deepest values. Her advice to aspiring leaders reflects this authenticity: “Focus on what you want and have courage to take on challenges. Spend time on finding out what you really want in your career and life. Define it and focus on it.”
Looking Forward
As the pharmaceutical industry faces unprecedented challenges from rapid technological advancement to global health crises to evolving regulatory landscapes leaders like Cicek Wrabetz represent hope for a more human-centered, adaptable, and purposeful approach to business leadership.
Her journey from the beaches of Izmir to the boardrooms of multinational pharmaceutical companies illustrates that transformational leadership isn’t about having all the answers, but about maintaining curiosity, embracing challenges, and never losing sight of the human impact of business decisions.
In a world where pharmaceutical companies are often criticized for prioritizing profits over patients, Wrabetz stands as an example of how purpose-driven leadership can create sustainable success that serves all stakeholders, shareholders, employees, and most importantly, the patients whose lives depend on the innovations these companies bring to market.
Her story continues to unfold, driven by what she calls her “extreme excitement for the future and what it will bring.” For an industry in constant transformation, having leaders who embrace change as an opportunity rather than a threat may well be the prescription for long-term success.
