The trade mark 20: Ece Sarica
Ece Sarica is a believer in balance
![tm20-.jpg](https://www.citma.org.uk/static/6f05c353-bede-4a35-9f8ab5ac9c8a0856/790x526_highestperformance__4a7c7e45a350/tm20.jpg)
I work as… Legal Counsel, Trademarks for Europe Operating Unit at the Coca-Cola Company.
Before this role… I was Operations Counsel for the Turkey region at the Coca-Cola Company.
My current state of mind is… focused on being a strategic business partner and adding value.
I became interested in IP… when I had my first summer internship at one of the best IP law firms in Turkey.
I am most inspired by… our company culture, which requires us to do the right thing while keeping up with the fast pace of business. It fuels our ambition for excellence.
In my role, I most enjoy… applying a multicultural approach to form tailor-made IP strategies for the relevant region.
In my role, I most dislike… complicated requests that come at the eleventh hour!
In front of me right now is… the healthy, organic menu from the café around the corner.
My favourite mug says… “As lawyers we do not complain, but we do wine.”
My favourite place to visit on business… was Madrid when we had the company’s EMEA counsel meeting there in 2019. The opportunity to meet colleagues in person is something we all appreciate even more since the COVID-19 outbreak.
If I were a brand, I would be… Coca-Cola. It has always been the life and soul of the party, and has been able to stay original and distinctive throughout its long history.
The biggest challenge for IP is… striking a balance between the fast pace of business and laying foundations for building up intangible assets, especially on digital platforms.
The talent I wish I had is… teleporting myself. Copying myself would also be great.
I can’t live without… my friends, whom I discuss everything with.
My ideal work day would include… starting early, getting big-bucket matters done efficiently and quickly and then socialising with colleagues or friends at a nice venue.
In my pocket is… a mask that I wore earlier today.
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is… that life is too short to care too much and too long not to care at all. Having a balance in everything we do is crucial.
When I want to relax I… practise yoga (I am a qualified instructor), meditate, go for a run or have a few drinks with friends.
In the next five years I hope to… achieve further progress in my career at the company and to increase and diversify the work streams that I lead.
The best thing about being a member of CITMA is… the amazing network and resources that it offers.
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