Şamil Ekinci, originally from Kırşehir, was born on 2 June 1941. During his five seasons at Trabzonspor, he achieved great success.

At the age of seven, he moved to Istanbul with his family and attended Istanbul High School for Boys. In 1961, at the age of 19, he settled in Trabzon with his uncle Muarrem Ekinci to establish a flour mill. He spent many years building his business career in Trabzon, opening flour, animal feed, and sack factories, as well as a newspaper and numerous commercial enterprises.

Ekinci first joined the board of directors in 1970 under the presidency of Rıfat Dedeoğlu. Until the June 1975 congress when he was elected president, he served in various roles including board member, general captain, and vice president. In the 1975–76 season, he was elected president of Trabzonspor.

During his first season as president, 1975–76, Trabzonspor ended Istanbul’s dominance and became the first club from Anatolia to win the league title. During the five seasons Ekinci served as president, Trabzonspor won five Presidential Cups (now known as the Turkish Super Cup), four league championships, and two Turkish Cups. Ekinci also served as chairman of the Divan Council between 1983 and 1985. In 1995, he served as vice president under Faruk Özak. In total, during his periods of leadership and presidency, Trabzonspor won 17 trophies.

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Achievements during his five-year presidency of Trabzonspor:

• Süper Lig Championships: 1975–1976, 1976–1977, 1978–1979, 1979–1980
• Türkiye Kupası: 1976–1977, 1978–1979
• Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası (Turkish Super Cup): 1975–1976, 1976–1977, 1977–1978, 1978–1979, 1979–1980
• Başbakanlık Kupası: 1975–1976, 1977–1978

In 2008, Şamil Ekinci faced health issues related to his lungs and underwent a successful operation in February of that year. Ekinci passed away on 16 September 2024 at the age of 83.