Atakan joined the WWLA team in February 2026 as an Environmental Engineer. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Geological Engineering from Middle East Technical University in Türkiye.

Prior to relocating to New Zealand in 2025, Atakan gained experience across natural gas and petroleum exploration, geotechnical consulting, and metallic mineral exploration sectors, contributing to regional subsurface studies, ground investigation programmes, and resource exploration projects.

He has strong capabilities in geological interpretation, site characterisation, environmental risk awareness, geological logging, groundwater monitoring, soil and rock sampling, and subsurface data interpretation and modelling. He also has a strong interest in integrating field observations with digital tools and applies programming and geospatial analysis to enhance data workflows and interpretation processes.

Outside of work, Atakan enjoys board games, reading, playing basketball and football, and contributing to literature and creative cinema projects whenever he finds the opportunity.