Summary
Özgür Asar is a Head of R&D and co-founder of Senzai AI who applies causal machine learning to improve digital marketing outcomes, bringing nine years of industry experience and a strong research pedigree. As a former staff research scientist at Afiniti, he has hired and led teams of data and research scientists, translating experimental insights into product-focused solutions. Concurrently an Associate Professor of Statistics at Sabancı University, he has taught over 30 courses to 2,000+ students across undergraduate and master’s programs in data science, time series, and causal inference. He has published 20+ papers in top journals and holds a PhD from Lancaster University, combining rigorous academic methods with startup execution. Based in Istanbul, he pairs hands-on statistical modeling and ML expertise with leadership in R&D strategy, and—perhaps unexpectedly—maintains discipline and resilience through regular martial arts and running.
9 years of coding experience
Master of Science (M.Sc.), Master of Science (M.Sc.) at Middle East Technical University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at Lancaster University