Behind the Screens: How Hasan Koçyiğit Builds Sustainable Growth Across East Europe & MEA

East Europe and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) span vastly different markets. Building sustainable growth across them requires strong teams, trusted partnerships, and the ability to adapt to different business environments.

In this edition of Behind the Screens, we meet Hasan Koçyiğit, VP East Europe and MEA Sales and Marketing at ViewSonic. Over the past 17 years, Hasan has helped grow a small regional operation into a broad ecosystem of teams, distributors, and partners. He shares his approach to building businesses, creating a culture of ownership, and understanding the story behind the numbers.

At a Glance

• Executive Profile: Hasan Koçyiğit is VP East Europe and MEA Sales and Marketing at ViewSonic, helping grow the regional business and partner ecosystem over the past 17 years.
• Core Philosophy: Sees sustainable business results as the outcome of strong teams, effective systems, and trusted partner relationships built over time.
• Leadership Style: Responsible, direct, structured, and people-oriented, empowering teams through transparency, trust, and ownership.
• Regional Approach: Balances a consistent regional direction with local flexibility to navigate different levels of market maturity, channel structures, and business cultures.
• Growth Journey: Helped transform a small regional operation into a broad ecosystem of teams, distributors, and hundreds of partners across East Europe and MEA.

1. What brought you to ViewSonic, and what has kept you motivated over the past 17 years?

I joined ViewSonic because I saw an opportunity to build something meaningful in markets with a lot of untapped potential. Seventeen years later, that same motivation still inspires me.

For me, the most rewarding part is building strong teams, creating sustainable business structures, and helping our partners and customers grow with us. Sales results matter, of course, but I see them as an outcome. The real work is building the right systems, team culture, and partner ecosystem to deliver those results consistently over time.

2. What does leadership mean to you, and how do you create an environment where people can take ownership?

I would describe my leadership style as responsible, direct, structured, and people-oriented. I see myself as a builder. If something important is missing, whether it is a process, a tool, or a clearer way of working, I do not wait for perfect conditions. I take responsibility and build what the team needs.

Leadership is also about helping people perform at their best. I share information openly and involve the team in decisions whenever possible. I want people to understand not only the numbers, but also the story behind them. When they understand the bigger picture and know they are trusted, they can make better decisions and take real ownership of their work.

3. What opportunities or challenges stand out most in the East Europe and MEA market, and how does your team approach them?

The diversity of our region is both our biggest opportunity and our biggest challenge. Every country has a different level of market maturity, channel structure, customer expectations, and business culture. That means one model cannot work everywhere. We need to understand each country, segment, and partner ecosystem on its own terms.

The key is balancing a consistent regional direction with the flexibility to respond locally. Strong local teams, open communication, and a deep understanding of each market help us find that balance.

4. How does your team collaborate across different countries and cultures, and what strengths come from that diversity?

Our diversity is one of our strongest assets because every market brings a different perspective and experience. Something that works in one country may not translate directly to another, but the thinking behind it can inspire a new solution elsewhere.

Collaboration is about understanding why people and markets operate differently, not just exchanging reports or updates. Trust is also important. When people feel comfortable sharing challenges openly, we can solve problems earlier, learn from one another, and make better decisions as a region.

5. Looking back on the journey so far, what are you most proud of building with the East Europe and MEA team?

It is difficult for me to choose one moment because what makes me most proud is the journey itself.

When I started 17 years ago, we had a very small regional operation. Today, we have team members across different countries, operations in many markets, strong distributor relationships, and hundreds of partners working with us.

What matters to me is that we did not just grow the business. We built a team culture, strong relationships, and a partner ecosystem that can continue growing beyond any one person or achievement.

Seeing something that started small become a growing ecosystem built by so many people over the years is what makes me most proud.

6. What defines the East Europe and MEA team, and what kind of people thrive in it?

Adaptability, ownership, resilience, honesty, and the ability to understand context are some of the qualities that define our team.

Our region includes markets with very different dynamics. In some, process discipline, channel maturity, planning, and stakeholder management are especially important. In others, the environment can be more volatile and complex, requiring people to be flexible, entrepreneurial, patient, and able to build trust as conditions change.

That mix gives us a wide range of strengths. The people who thrive here do not wait for perfect conditions. They are curious, willing to take responsibility, and able to understand both the numbers and the context behind them. What makes us strong is that we bring different experiences and perspectives together around a common direction.

7. What would you say to someone who is thinking about joining your team?

I would tell them this is a region where you can make a real impact. Things are not always perfectly structured or predictable, so you need energy, curiosity, ownership, and the ability to work through complexity. But that is also what makes the experience rewarding.

We value people who are honest, collaborative, and resilient. If you want to learn, contribute, see the impact of your work, and help build something sustainable together, there are many opportunities here.