She graduated from the Department of Economics (English program) at Marmara University and the Executive MBA program at Sabancı University. Throughout her career in the banking and insurance sectors, she held various roles—including positions in Commercial Banking, Product Development, Strategic Planning, Regional Management, Human Resources, and Procurement—at companies such as Pamukbank, Garanti Emeklilik, and Aksigorta. Gürkale joined Enerjisa Üretim in 2022 as the Executive Vice President of People and Culture; she is married and a mother of two.