Zeynep Tokman Cesur is a graduate of the Department of Sociology and International Relations at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ).
She completed her MBA at Purdue University.

Her career began in 2000 at Hewlett Packard, where she undertook various roles in the marketing and human resources departments. Cesur has also held high-level marketing positions at companies such as Sabancı Holding, Microsoft, Adobe, PayCore, and Dassault Systems.

She has also engaged in voluntary work for YenidenBiz, a social responsibility platform aimed at increasing women's participation in the workforce.