Tolga Bektas

Professor Tolga Bektas is a faculty member at the University of Liverpool Management School, holding the rank of Professor. Previously, he served as Professor of Logistics Management and Head of the Decision Analytics & Risk Department at Southampton Business School for 11 years. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University (2005) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at CIRRELT, University of Montreal.

His research focuses on applying mathematical modeling and optimization to freight transportation, distribution planning, and supply chain networks, emphasizing environmental sustainability. Key projects include railway timetable optimization, maintenance planning for sea vessels, and last-mile urban logistics. He has secured funding from InnovateUK, EPSRC, and others for initiatives like SCALE, Freight Traffic Control 2050, and FTC2050.

Professor Bektas actively contributes to academic leadership, serving as Editor for Computers & Operations Research, Transportation Science, and Networks. He has organized conferences such as ICCL 2017 and presented keynote addresses on topics like green vehicle routing and urban last-mile logistics. His professional roles include Associate Dean International at Liverpool and past Treasurer of the Southern OR Group.

His teaching responsibilities include coordinating modules on Business Analytics (EBUS205/EBUS305) and teaching Operations Modelling and Simulation (EBUS504). His work bridges academia and industry, collaborating with SMEs to enhance operational efficiency through analytical approaches.