Begüm Türer-Stock is a project management and customer success professional with a background in engineering and consulting. She has worked across international teams and industries, bringing experience in leading complex projects and supporting organisational change. As part of our WTP Programme, she shares her perspective on leadership, collaboration, and navigating change in global environments.

Interviewed by Léna Journel

Your career has spanned technical roles, project management, and now team leadership in a multicultural setting. How has your engineering mindset evolved as you’ve taken on more people‑centred leadership responsibilities, and what still anchors you from those early technical years?

My journey began with a year in steel‑toed boots on construction sites, where precision wasn’t a bonus—it was survival. Even in that short but intense period, I learned to plan with care, make decisions under pressure, and approach problems like puzzles waiting to be solved. That experience left me with an engineer’s mindset—structured, analytical, and relentlessly curious—a way of thinking that still shapes how I lead today.

As I moved from the field into office‑based technical roles and eventually into project management, I discovered something important: logic alone wouldn’t get me where I needed to go. At RIB Software, where I’ve spent the past eight years, my focus shifted from delivering projects to leading digital transformation for major construction players across Europe, North America, and Asia. That meant more than introducing new tools. It meant helping people unlearn old habits, embrace change, and see the opportunity in it.

Leading transformation is a lot like building a bridge: you need strong materials—skills, tools, processes—but also the trust of those who will cross it. The anchor from my engineering days is still there: I want to understand the root cause, the bigger system. But now, I apply that same curiosity to people as much as to processes.

Because digital change isn’t just a shift in technology—it’s a shift in mindset. You can’t simply install software; you have to build understanding, foster buy‑in, and sometimes help teams let go of what once felt safe. That’s when leadership stops being about instructions and starts being about empathy.

Working on large‑scale projects across different continents has shown me that cross‑cultural collaboration needs more than technical fluency—it needs emotional intelligence. It’s no longer just about solving the problem; it’s about seeing the human behind it.

What still grounds me is the engineer’s instinct to look deeper, to see the full system, the real cause, the wider context. The difference now is that I bring that mindset to both processes and people. My evolution—from engineer to leader—has been about finding the balance between structure and sensitivity.

Because digital change isn’t just a shift in technology—it’s a shift in mindset. You can’t simply install software; you have to build understanding, foster buy‑in, and sometimes help teams let go of what once felt safe. That’s when leadership stops being about instructions and starts being about empathy.

Leading customer success and digital transformation at RIB Software means navigating innovation, culture, and communication all at once. How do you apply structured, analytical thinking to human dynamics, especially when building trust across diverse teams and clients?

Digital transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. And people don’t transform at the same pace as software updates. At RIB, where we work with national and international clients on complex digital implementations, I’ve seen firsthand how structured thinking can create clarity, but only empathy can create trust.

My technical background naturally pushes me towards analytical frameworks: Where is the friction? What are the repeatable patterns? How can we anticipate resistance? I use those tools daily to understand not only system bottlenecks but also interpersonal dynamics.

Especially in multicultural settings, I find it helpful to zoom out and observe: How is feedback received? Where is there hesitation? Who hasn’t spoken yet?

I’ve learned that trust is built in small moments—when you follow through, when you listen without rushing, when you ask the extra question no one else thought to ask. Those moments matter more than a polished presentation or perfect roadmap.

In cross‑cultural projects, especially those that span Europe, the US, and Asia, I’ve also learned that “clarity” looks different across borders. In one region, it might mean detailed documentation. In another, it might mean face‑to‑face reassurance. Recognising and adapting to these nuances has become part of how I lead.

Ultimately, I think of structure as the scaffolding and empathy as the human material we build with. One provides the framework; the other gives it strength and meaning.

You’ve worked across different countries and industries, from façade systems to construction tech. How has cross‑cultural fluency shaped your leadership style, especially when guiding teams through change or ambiguity?

My career has been a journey across borders—geographically, professionally, and culturally. From working on‑site in Turkey to leading digital transformation projects for clients in Europe, the US, and China, I’ve learned that cultural fluency isn’t just about understanding others, it’s about adjusting yourself with curiosity and humility.

What surprised me most is how universal human needs are—clarity, respect, belonging—but how differently those needs are expressed. In some cultures, silence might mean agreement; in others, hesitation. Early in my leadership journey, I often assumed alignment based on shared goals. But over time, I realised that alignment requires more than agreement, it requires shared understanding. That’s where language, tone, even timing become critical.

These nuances taught me to slow down and communicate more intentionally. I now see communication not just as a tool, but as a core leadership practice. It’s not enough to deliver information; I need to make sure it’s received and felt in the right way.

During moments of uncertainty or change, I don’t just outline a plan—I listen more, check in more, and ask myself: “How is this landing for them?”

Leading across cultures has also strengthened my belief that empathy is a leadership competency, not a personality trait. It’s something we can train ourselves to practice—by asking more questions, reading the room, and honouring the spaces in between words.

Ultimately, cross‑cultural leadership has made me a better listener, a more adaptive communicator, and a more intentional leader. It has taught me that true clarity is not universal, it’s local. And leadership is about bridging that gap.

Digital Twins, data‑driven tools, and platform technologies are reshaping the construction and infrastructure space. As someone who bridges technical understanding and strategic vision, how do you ensure your team not only adopts new tools but grows with them?

In my experience, the toughest part of transformation isn’t the technology, it’s aligning the people behind it. Tools don’t transform businesses on their own; people do. So before diving into adoption strategies, I always start with one question: Why does this matter to us, right now? If the “why” is clear, the “how” becomes easier.

At RIB, we operate in highly complex and multicultural project environments, where digital transformation is not a buzzword, it’s a lived reality. My role is to create a bridge between innovation and people. That means translating technical potential into tangible value for teams and clients: What pain are we solving? What friction are we removing?

But growth doesn’t come from deployment alone. It comes from creating a culture where experimentation is safe, where it’s okay to not get it right the first time. I encourage peer learning, candid feedback sessions, and shared ownership. We don’t just train people to use tools; we create space for them to evolve with the tools.

Sometimes that means slowing down to have honest conversations, acknowledging fear or fatigue, and holding space for reflection. Sometimes it’s about showing how the smallest improvement today lays the foundation for bigger change tomorrow.

Ultimately, successful transformation is not about pushing adoption—it’s about fostering belief. And that requires both clarity and care. My job is to make sure both exist.

Since joining the Women Talent Pool programme, what have you learned about yourself as a leader? Have any moments sparked new ideas or directions you’re excited to pursue?

Joining WIL Europe has been a rare and valuable pause—a chance to step back from the constant pace of delivery, performance, and planning, and truly reflect. That space has been transformative. Through the programme’s workshops, mentoring, and sponsorships, I’ve reconnected with values that have guided me all along—loyalty, empathy, and collegiality—but I now see them not only as personality traits, but as deliberate, strategic leadership tools.

In a world that often celebrates boldness and certainty, it’s easy to overlook the quiet strengths that build lasting trust. WIL has reminded me that sustainable leadership grows from creating safety—for ideas, for difference, for growth. It’s about helping people feel seen, not just managed.

One particular session on strategic influence shifted something in me. It made me realise that leadership doesn’t have to fit into predefined molds. I don’t need to walk someone else’s path; I can lead in my own way—with warmth, clarity, and conviction—while still delivering results. I’ve become more intentional about how I show up, more conscious of the tone I set, and the space I hold for others.

Perhaps most importantly, I’ve begun to own my narrative. Instead of waiting to be understood, I speak more openly about what matters to me as a leader and the kind of environment I want to build: one that is human‑centered, inclusive, and rooted in trust.

To me, leadership isn’t a title—it’s a responsibility. It’s the quiet, consistent work of creating spaces where people feel safe enough to grow into who they truly are. That is the kind of leadership I choose to pursue—intentional, values‑driven, and built to last.

Leadership doesn’t have to fit into predefined molds. I don’t need to walk someone else’s path; I can lead in my own way—with warmth, clarity, and conviction—while still delivering results.