Rahmi M. Koç, was born in Ankara, Turkey in 1930. is the Honorary Chairman and Member of the Board of Directors of Koç Holding A.Ş.
He received a degree in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University . After completing his military service, in 1958, he started work in the Otokoc company in Ankara and has spent all his business career in the Koç Group.
In 1960 he was transferred to Koç Ticaret, the company representing the Koç Group in Ankara. Koç Holding was founded in 1963, and, when the Holding Headquarters were set up in Istanbul in 1964, he moved to Istanbul and became Koç Holding General Coordinator.
He then became Chairman of the 7 member Executive Committee in 1970, Vice President of the Board in 1975, and Chairman of the Managing Committee, consisting of 4 senior executives, in 1980.
On 30th March 1984, when the late Vehbi Koç stepped down from the Chairmanship, Rahmi M. Koç was elected Chairman. When he retired on 4th April 2003, his eldest son, Mustafa V. Koç was appointed Chairman. Rahmi M. Koç has remained a Board Member and assumed the title of Honorary Chairman.
Rahmi M. Koç is also active in philanthropic and social, and professional organizations:
- Former President of the International Chamber of Commerce (President from 1.1.1995 - 31.12.1996),
- Former Co-Chairman the Business Advisory Council for South East Europe (BAC SEE)
- Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Vehbi Koç Foundation
- Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Koç University
- Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Rahmi M. Koç Museum and Cultural Foundation,
- Chairman of the Board of the Vehbi Koç Foundation American Hospital
- Honorary Chairman and Founding Member of TURMEPA, The Turkish Marine and Environment Protection Association
- Honorary Director of the American Hospital of Paris Foundation
- Honorary President of the Advisory Board of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association,
- Member of the Advisory Board of the Turkish Employers Association,
- Former President of the Turkish Greek Business Council (1992 – 1999)
- Member of the International Advisory Board of the Council on Foreign Relations, New York
- Member of the Allianz Aktiengesellschaft International Advisory Board
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the Eisenhower Fellowships
- Former member of the JP Morgan International Council
He has been awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees by Johns Hopkins University (May 21, 1998); Anadolu University, Eskişehir (September 28, 1998); Ege University, Izmir (May 14, 1999), Bilkent University Ankara (June 14,2000), Ovidius University of Constanza (April 23, 2001) and Adnan Menderes University, Aydın (May 26, 2008).
Rahmi M. Koç was awarded the German Government's Grosses Verdienst Kreuz on November 2nd, 1982 for his contribution to Turkish-German trade and industry. Mr. Rahmi Koç has also been honoured by the Italian Government for increasing economic and commercial cooperation between Italy and Turkey, with the "Order of High Merit of the Italian Republic", on 18th June 2001. His contributions to Turkey were recognized by the President of Turkey with the "Outstanding Service Award" on October 27,1997 for his work in the field of health, education and social services.
On 19th October 2007 the Koç Family received the Hadrian Award granted annually by the World Monuments Fund to persons or institutions that contribute to the cultural legacy of the world every year.
He is a Rotarian, and was President of the Rotary Club in Turkey from 1976-1977. Rahmi Koç is a member of both the Istanbul Ocean Racing Club and the New York Yacht Club.
He has three sons: Mustafa Vehbi Koç (1960), Ömer Mehmet Koç (1962), and Ali Yıldırım Koç (1967) and four grandchildren.