Kudret Önen completed his higher education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Ankara Gazi University; he joined the Koç Group in 1975 at the Ford Otosan Istanbul Factory. After working as a Mechanical Engineer in the Production Planning and Product Development Department, he served as the Automotive Department Manager in Koç Holding R&D between 1979 and 1984. In 1984, he joined Otokar, a Koç Group company, as Deputy General Manager. He continued to serve as the General Manager of Otokar between 1994 and 2006. In 2006, Kudret Önen was appointed as the President of Koç Holding Defense Industry, Other Automotive, and Information Group, a position he held until 2016. Throughout his career, Kudret Önen served on the board of directors of various Koç Group automotive companies and held positions in numerous civil society organizations. He served as the Chairman of the Automotive Industry Association (OSD) between 2010 and 2016 and as the Chairman of the Turkish Metal Industrialists' Union (MESS) and the Turkish Employers' Union Confederation (TİSK) between 2016 and 2019. Kudret Önen retired from Koç Holding in 2016.