Süleyman Sönmez was born in Adana in 1964 and completed his primary and secondary education in this city. After his secondary education, he graduated from Anadolu University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration. Sönmez began his professional career in the family business, Sönmez Tekstil, and continued in the international arena with the establishment of Sönmez Textil GMBH in Germany in 1992. He also founded Süleyman Sönmez STS Group Construction Systems Ltd. Co.
During the 1999-2002 period, Sönmez served as the Chairman of the Board of the Adana Young Businessmen Association (AGİAD) and as Vice President of the Turkish Young Businessmen Confederation between 2000-2002. In 2011, he was elected Chairman of the Board of the Adana Industrialists and Businessmen Association (ADSİAD). In 2013, he founded the Adana Golf Club and served as its Chairman of the Board, as well as the Chairman of the Board of the Çukurova Industry and Business World Federation (ÇUKUROVASİFED).
In the 2013 elections, Sönmez entered the Assembly of the Adana Chamber of Industry (ADASO) as a representative of the construction group. He is also actively involved in various non-governmental organizations such as the Southern Education Foundation, Adana Power Union Foundation, Real Estate and Real Estate Investment Trust Association (GYODER), and Adana City Council (Founding Member).
Sönmez served as Vice President of the Board of Directors at TÜRKONFED between 2015-2022. He was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in the General Assembly held in 2022 and has continued to serve by renewing his mandate in the Extraordinary General Assembly held in 2024.