The choco or vino magic at AYZA does not happen without a great staff working behind the scenes. One unheralded and unique contributor to AYZA’s success is Irem Eren, AYZA’s extraordinary marketing director.

Her story is a reminder what makes AYZA great and what makes this city and country great. She has traveled thousands and thousands of miles but now does what she loves.

She recently was interviewed for the popular podcast Purpose Rockstar about people with professions that really drive them to better themselves and the world they live in.

Listen to the podcast to meet Irem and hear her story on the Purpose Rockstar site (one download). Or listen to it below.

Interview with Irem – #1

Interview with Irem – #2

Interview with Irem – #3

Interview with Irem – #4

Irem’s Story

Irem is from Turkey and lived there until 19 years old. She studied chemistry and was on her way to becoming a chemist. The only problem was she didn’t like chemistry. At 19, while doing an internship in chemistry in Germany, she decided to make an about face and pursue marketing.

She moved to Spain, earned a degree in marketing and was on the verge of getting her dream job in marketing. It was 2009 and she was hired by a company after a long interview process. Then, she found out that they were unable to give her the job because she was Turkish.

Irem never looks back. She visited New York soon after the disappointment in Spain and found another dream job at AYZA. A student and lover of wine, she fit in at AYZA perfectly. She also happens to love chocolate.

She is a talented marketer who has helped the AYZA brand grow rapidly.

The Contributions She Left Out

Always humble, Irem left out some big contributions in the podcast she has brought to AYZA.

Irem has been the force behind bringing many charities to AYZA for fundraisers and events. Her causes are AYZA’s causes and she has opened our eyes to many charitable efforts that have featured at AYZA.

Irem also has been critical to the launch of AyzArt at AYZA West Village. Taking advantage of how AYZA West Village is situated on the street, AyzArt displays art from contemporary artists. The art challenges passer-bys to think of every corner of the city as a place for the potential for challenging, beautiful and thoughtful art.

Irem leads a lot of the events at AYZA. She is behind organizing Jacques Torres tastings, where she lends her wine know-how.

We are very proud of Irem and her contribution to AYZA. Listen to the podcast and you will find out what a smart and interesting person she is.