Born in 1975 in Istanbul, Sadem Pehlivan completed his education at Anakent College before earning his undergraduate degree from Istanbul University’s Faculty of Business Administration. He began his professional career at Mustafa Nevzat Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a Sales Representative and later joined Yıldız Holding in 2003, where he held positions such as Sales Representative, Sales Manager, Category Sales Manager, and Sales Group Manager. Between 2015 and 2019, Pehlivan served as the Sales Director of pladis Turkey, and subsequently, he took on the role of Global Trade Director at Yıldız Holding’s E-Star Global. As of January 2021, he continues his role as the General Manager of E-Star Global.
From 1989 to 2002, Pehlivan had a professional basketball career with teams including Paşabahçe, Darüşşafaka, Taç Spor, İstanbul Spor, Emlak Bankası, and Beykoz Spor. He remains active in basketball, playing in the Corporate Basketball League (CBL). He is married and has two children.