Ömer Incekara is a brand and communications strategist, board director and long-time advocate for a multicultural Australia. On Australia Day 2026, he was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the Turkish community of Australia and more broadly, to multiculturalism in Australia.
As CEO of established advertising agency Xavier, he has decades of experience across Australia and the Asia Pacific region working with corporate, government departments and community organisations.
Born in Istanbul, Turkiye, Ömer grew up in a household where service, contribution and reputation mattered.
His mother was one of Turkiye’s first Conservatorium-trained ballerinas. His father was a senior figure in the automotive industry.
“For me, success wasn’t optional,” he says. “There was a constant expectation to work hard and do something meaningful.”
At the age of ten, his family left Turkey for Italy, before boarding an Italian ship from Genoa bound for Australia at a time when the Suez Canal was closed.
After a 32-day passage through Marseille, Las Palmas, Cape Town and Fremantle, the Incekara family arrived in Sydney and settled in Rose Bay.
Ömer remembers every detail of the journey.
“For a kid it was brilliant – every day was an adventure,” he recalls.
Most weekends in Ömer’s settlement years were spent visiting hostels in Villawood and La Perouse, helping Turkish families fill out job applications, rental forms and government paperwork.
“I’m 66 and people still stop me and say, ‘your parents helped us’,” Ömer says.
“My parents never said no to anyone.”
His mother later founded the Turkish Women’s Association. His father helped create the first Turkish Welfare Association and the Turkish Federation. Ömer himself would go on to become involved in Australia’s ethnic broadcasting movement.
In 1974, when the Whitlam Government sought to explain the new Medibank system to migrant communities, multicultural radio was established as the precursor to SBS.
Ömer’s parents were among the original seven language broadcasters, and for Ömer, it meant SBS dominated their household.
“I competed with SBS for my parents’ attention,” he laughs. “Everything revolved around the Turkish program from five to six each night.”
Growing up in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Ömer moved comfortably between Turkish community life and a broad Australian identity shaped through sport, school and beach culture.
Although he was largely accepted, his Turkish heritage sometimes came into focus, including being attacked by kids one ANZAC Day walking home from primary school.
“My sister and I didn’t understand why it happened,” he recalls.
“And the headmaster had to explain ANZAC Day to my father.”
Sport was his anchor. Ömer was the Athletics Captain at high school, and he loved soccer, playing at representative level across elite clubs like Sydney City Hakoah, Marconi and Yugal.
“Sport proved who I was,” he says.
“I became someone who was known for working hard and I earned respect.”
A defining experience came at 21 when he returned to Turkey for compulsory national service. The experience reconnected him deeply to his Turkish heritage.
When Ömer returned to Sydney, his father urged him to get a job. He interviewed at J. Walter Thompson, then the world’s biggest advertising agency. Ömer secured the job and began an apprenticeship in the industry that would end up defining him.
Starting in the mail room, he rose through the ranks to lead small and large teams across Australia and the Asia Pacific, holding senior leadership roles at some of the region’s most respected agencies, including Doorley Buchanan, Leo Schofield and Associates, Grey Advertising, Icon and Kazoo. He is currently the CEO of Xavier Advertising, an agency he owns.
Ömer became known as the person sent in to fix troubled operations. His mindset was instilled in him by his high school maths teacher, Mr Grunseit, whom he still refers to as the greatest influence in his life.
“He taught me that every problem has a formula,” he says.
“Spend two minutes on the problem and ten minutes on the solution.”
It became his lifelong professional philosophy.
His career later expanded into emerging digital sectors, including an early global internet currency company based in Singapore, where he led Asia Pacific operations.
After the dotcom collapse, he returned to Australia, before moving to Istanbul after his father’s passing to organise and sell the family business.
Ömer returned to Australia and, at age 42, in the prime of his business life, suffered a major heart attack.
“I died for two minutes and four seconds and then I came back,” he says.
“It changed everything.”
In 2010, Ömer’s wife Nukte had a ten-hour operation for the successful treatment of a brain tumour, further deepening his commitment to service, charity and community.
Together they have funded scholarships, supported charities and supported more than twenty students through university.
Today, Ömer sits on several boards, including the Salvation Army and the Gallipoli Scholarship Board. He chairs the Ataturk Scholarship and is a Director of the Australian Turkish Mutual Alliance as well as being an Advisory Board Member of Australia Day Council of NSW.
He is a member of the Multicultural NSW Advisory Board and particularly enjoys visiting regional Australia in his role as Chair of two Regional Community Networks: New England-Northwest NSW and Murray-Lower Darling.
Ömer‘s thoughts on multiculturalism are clear.
“Practice your culture, your faith, and your language, but love and contribute to this great country of ours,” he says.
