Tamer Oender
Supply Chain & Textile Industry | “Master of Masters” – Value Masters Merchant Capital & A Level Alliances LLC
Tamer Önder is a globally recognized supply chain, textile, and apparel industry strategist with more than three decades of hands-on leadership across manufacturing, sourcing, mergers and acquisitions, and international expansion. His career spans Europe, Asia, and Turkey, where he has played a pivotal role in building, restructuring, and scaling complex multinational operations.
Widely respected for his depth of knowledge and execution capability, Önder is known in industry circles as a trusted advisor, principal investor, and mentor to senior executives navigating operational complexity and cross-border growth.
Investment, Advisory & M&A Leadership
Today, Tamer Önder serves as a strategic investor and senior advisor to companies across Europe, Asia, and Turkey, supporting growth-stage and mature businesses through transformation, consolidation, and international expansion.
He is a Principal Partner and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Grand Source Investment, where he leads complex transactions, corporate restructurings, and cross-border deal execution. His work focuses on aligning operational excellence with long-term capital strategy to drive sustainable value creation.
Early Career & Foundation
-
Önder began his professional journey in textile and clothing technology during the rise of Steilmann, one of Europe’s most influential apparel groups. While advancing through the organization, he pursued a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration, sharpening his analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and leadership acumen.
-
His exceptional drive and operational insight quickly distinguished him, earning the trust of Steilmann’s legendary founder, Mr. Steilmann. Önder became a core member of the leadership team overseeing an organization of approximately 8,000 employees at its peak.
-
At the time, Steilmann held exclusive supplier authorization for Europe’s top department stores, including Otto, C&A, Neckermann, and Kaufhof, positioning the company as a market leader in apparel sourcing and distribution.
Global Operations & Industry Leadership
Following the cessation of Steilmann’s operations due to post-succession family conflicts, Önder leveraged his deep institutional knowledge to replicate and evolve similar high-performance business models at Lavi and Koala.
Across these platforms, he led clothing manufacturing, sourcing, and purchasing operations in 48 countries, managing complex supplier ecosystems, optimizing cost structures, and ensuring quality and compliance across diverse markets.
His unparalleled command of the textile and apparel value chain earned him the industry nickname “the walking encyclopedia,” a testament to both his technical mastery and strategic foresight.
Role at Value Masters Merchant Capital
At Value Masters Merchant Capital, Tamer Önder serves as the firm’s senior authority on global supply chain and textile industry value creation, recognized as “Supply Chain & Textile Industry – Master of Masters.” His role is to ensure that investment strategies are firmly grounded in operational reality and industrial execution.
He supports deal evaluation, operational due diligence, and post-investment value creation, with a particular focus on manufacturing efficiency, global sourcing optimization, supplier network resilience, and margin sustainability. Tamer works closely with portfolio company leadership teams to translate strategic intent into executable operating models, especially in complex, multi-country supply chain environments.
By combining decades of hands-on industry leadership with an investor’s discipline, he helps Value Masters Merchant Capital mitigate operational risk, unlock hidden efficiencies, and build durable competitive advantage across its portfolio. His involvement strengthens the firm’s ability to invest with conviction in industrial, textile, and supply chain–driven businesses, ensuring long-term, execution-backed returns rather than purely financial engineering.
Strategic Value to Value Masters Merchant Capital & A Level Alliances
At Value Masters Merchant Capital, Tamer Önder serves as the firm’s senior authority on global supply chain and textile industry value creation, recognized as “Supply Chain & Textile Industry – Master of Masters.” His role is to ensure that investment strategies are firmly grounded in operational reality and industrial execution.
He supports deal evaluation, operational due diligence, and post-investment value creation, with a particular focus on manufacturing efficiency, global sourcing optimization, supplier network resilience, and margin sustainability. Tamer works closely with portfolio company leadership teams to translate strategic intent into executable operating models, especially in complex, multi-country supply chain environments.
By combining decades of hands-on industry leadership with an investor’s discipline, he helps Value Masters Merchant Capital mitigate operational risk, unlock hidden efficiencies, and build durable competitive advantage across its portfolio. His involvement strengthens the firm’s ability to invest with conviction in industrial, textile, and supply chain–driven businesses, ensuring long-term, execution-backed returns rather than purely financial engineering.