Board of Directors


He received education in engineering, economics and law, completed a master's degree and earned a Ph.D. in economics. His professional career began in 1973 as an engineer at Türkiye Şeker Fabrikaları A.Ş. He held positions as a supervisor, specialist and director at the sugar factories in Amasya, Ilgın, Konya and Ankara. Between 1983-1993, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Beet Cooperatives Union (Pankobirlik). In 1988, he resigned from Türkiye Şeker Fabrikaları A.Ş. and was apponited as the General Manager of Pankobirlik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. During this period, he successfully oversaw the first privatization of the sugar sector in Türkiye, leading the privatization of the sugar factories in Konya, Kayseri and Amasya, and he was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Konya Şeker Fabrikası A.Ş. In 1993, he resigned from his position as General Manager of Pankobirlik and was appointed as General Manager of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. While serving as the General Manager of Şekerbank T.A.Ş., he was also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Yüksel İnşaat A.Ş and Şeker Sigorta A.Ş. in addition to Chairman of the Board of Directors of Konya Şeker Fabrikası A.Ş. He represented the Undersecretariat of Treasury as a member of Board of Chairman at Türkiye Şeker Fabrikaları A.Ş. Hasan Basri Göktan has also lectured in undergraduate and graduate programs at Istanbul and Okan Universities. After stepping down from his position as General Manager of Şekerbank in 2007, he continued serving as a Chairman of the Board of Directors at Şekerbank. Since 2008, has been working as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Şekerbank T.A.Ş and its financial subsidiaries, in addition to managing member. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Okan University and member of the Istanbul Bar Association.

Mirat Utepov graduated from KIMEP University, Department of Economics. He holds a master's degree in Business Economics from City University London. He is currently pursuing an MBA at Warwick Business School. Started his career with KMG Kashagan B.V. and continued as Treasury and Planning Deputy Director at KazMunayGas Refining and Marketing JSC before moving to JSC SWF Samruk-Kazyna in 2017. Mr. Utepov held various senior positions at Samruk-Kazyna and has been appointed as a Co-Managing director for Economy and Finance since July 2023. He is also a Board Member of KazPost JSC, Tau-Ken Samruk JSC, Kazzinc Holdings LLP and Samruk-Kazyna Trust. Mr. Utepov has been serving as a Board Member at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. since October 2023.

Aybala Şimşek Galpin holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Istanbul Bilgi University and a Masters level diploma in Financial Strategy from the University of Oxford’s Said Business School while also having obtained undergraduate degrees in both communications and business administration. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program. Having worked for Şekerbank for over 20 years and through the many roles that Şimşek has adopted, she has played a pioneering role in shaping the bank’s strategy into social and environmental banking and also led the Transformation Programme leading to significant improvement in the Bank’s financial performance. After her role as the Group Head of Strategy, in 2016, Şimşek was appointed as an Executive Vice President, with her areas of responsibility varying over the years to include Strategy, Microfinance, Digital Banking, Financial Institutions, Treasury, Corporate Communications, Sustainable Development Banking, Marketing and Risk Analytics and Human Resources. Between 2019-2023 she led the Transformation Programme in which the Bank’s end-to-end technological infrastructure, digital channels, and processes were renewed. Şimşek was appointed as CEO at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. as of September 2023.

Board Members

Mehmet Ayhan Altıntaş graduated from Hacettepe University, Department of Business Administration. He received his master’s degree from the University of Westminster and his doctorate in Accounting and Finance from Başkent University. He started his career at the Treasury’s Banks Sworn Auditors Board. He worked for 10 years as Assistant Auditor and Auditor at the Board. Then, he served as Head of Undersecretariat of Treasury’s Banking Department, Economic Counselor at the London Embassy, Head of SDIF Finance Department, Head of BRSA Monitoring Department, Head of BRSA Research Department, Head of T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş. Risk Management Group, and Director of Istanbul Takas ve Saklama Bankası A.Ş. Central Risk and Collateral Management Group. He started serving as a Member of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. in March 2018. He is in charge of the Risk Management and Internal Control Systems as part of his role as a Board Member. Mehmet Ayhan Altıntaş is also an Independent Board Member of Şeker International Banking Unit Ltd.

Çetin Aydın graduated from Uludağ University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics. He joined Şekerbank in 1988 as Assistant Inspector. He took part in various positions at Şekerbank. He served as Executive Vice President between 2005-2016. He has been serving as a Member of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. since March 2018. Çetin Aydın is also a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Şeker Finansal Kiralama A.Ş., Board Member of Desmer Güvenlik Hiz. Tic. A.Ş. and Şişli Otelcilik İşletmeleri A.Ş. and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tintech Bilgi İşlem ve Pazarlama Tic. A.Ş.

He graduated from Marmara University, Department of Public Administration. He started his career at Şekerbank in 1983 and served at various levels. Karakaş, who served as the Executive Vice President of Şekerbank between 2006-2017, served as the General Manager of Şeker Faktoring A.Ş. between 2017-June 2020. He was elected as a member of Şekerbank’s Board of Directors in June 2020. Orhan Karakaş is also Board Member of Şeker Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş. and Metis Yatırım Holding A.Ş. Orhan Karakaş was appointed as Acting General Manager of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. on July 01, 2022 and served as Acting General Manager until September 8, 2023.

Nariman Zharkinbayev graduated from T. Ryskulov Kazakhstan University of Economics, Department of International Economics and International Relations. Between 2002-2008, he worked in various institutions and banks, including BTA Bank JSC, Alliance Bank JSC, GarantiBank International N.V. in Kazakhstan and abroad. In May 2008, he joined BTA Bank JSC as Head of the Financial Institutions Department. Nariman Zharkinbayev was appointed as a Member of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. in November 2012 and as Acting General Manager of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. on April 27, 2020. Nariman Zharkinbayev served as Acting General Manager until June 30, 2022. Nariman Zharkinbayev is also a Board Member of Şeker Finansal Kiralama A.Ş. and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Şeker Kentsel Dönüşüm ve Danışmanlık A.Ş. 

He graduated from Al Farabi Kazakhstan National University, Department of Law in 2001 with honors. He received his master’s degree in law from the same university. After working at ATF Bank JSC between 2003-2004 and Transtelecom JSC between 2004-2005, he served as a Credit Committee Member and Legal Counsel at Kazkommertsbank JSC between 2005-2008. He has been working as the Head of the Legal Department and a Member of the Investment and Strategic Committee at the Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk Kazyna JSC since 2008. Mr. Zhamiyev has been serving as a Board Member at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. since March 2017.

Levend Torusdağ graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Engineering Faculty in Erciyes University. He worked at Türkiye Halk Bankası A.Ş, as an Engineer, Chief Engineer, Department Manager, Branch Manager, Head of Department, Regional Coordinator, and Executive Vice President responsible for SME and Tradesmen Banking. He retired on October 19, 2018. Having served duties as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Halk Faktoring A.Ş., Chairman of the Board of Directors at Halkbank AD Skopje between 2016-2018, Torusdağ has been serving as the Member of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. since June 2020.

He graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Business Administration in 1987. Starting his career as an Assistant Inspector at Yaşarbank A.Ş., Simit served as an Inspector, Assistant Manager, and Branch Manager. Between 1999 and 2007, he worked as Credits Manager and Branch Manager at Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası A.Ş. Between 2007 and 2013, he served as a Member of the Board of Directors of T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş., Türkiye Halk Bankası A.Ş., Kredi Garanti Fonu A.Ş., Arap Türk Bankası A.Ş. and affiliates of Ziraat and Halkbank at home and abroad. Simit who served as a Member of the Board of Directors at Türkiye Emlak Katılım Bankası A.Ş., Merkezi Kayıt Kuruluşu A.Ş., Sermaye Piyasası Lisanslama Sicil Eğitim Kuruluşu A.Ş., Şeker Finansal Kiralama A.Ş., Şeker Faktoring A.Ş. and Şeker Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş. between 2013-2021, was elected as a Member of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. on March 31, 2021. He is also an Independent Board Member at Şeker Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş.

Prof. Dr. Turgay Berksoy, a graduate of IITIA, now known as Marmara University, completed his master's degree at Boğaziçi University and his doctorate at Marmara University. He was a visiting professor at the University of East Anglia School of Development Studies in the England, as well as a lecturer at various universities in Türkiye. 

Prof. Dr. Berksoy served as the Head of the Department of Finance, Faculty of Economics, Chairman of the Center of Public Finance Research at Marmara University, and outside the University, as consultant to some banks, auditor member of the Board of Directors of Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş., member of the Tax Reform Commission of the Turkish Ministry of Finance, member of the TOBB Special Expertise Commission, Board member of Güneş Hayat Sigorta A.Ş., Petkim A.Ş., Ataköy Otelcilik A.Ş., Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri A.Ş., and member of the Tax Council of the Turkish Ministry of Finance. He served as an Independent Board Member of Anadolu Anonim Türk Sigorta Şirketi, Trakya Cam Sanayii A.Ş. and Türkiye Şişe ve Cam Fabrikaları A.Ş. in Türkiye İş Bankası group and as a Board Member of Paşabahçe Cam Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.. Prof. Dr. Berksoy served as an Independent Board Member at Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş. between 2014-2020. Prof. Dr. Berksoy, who also serves as a Board Member at Şeker Sigorta A.Ş., is a Certified Public Accountant and serves as a Board Member at Şekerbank T.A.Ş.

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Executive Vice Presidents

He graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Business Administration in 1995. He started his career as an Assistant Inspector at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. Internal Audit Department in 1996. After working as Assistant Inspector, Authorized Assistant Inspector, and Inspector between 1996-2000, he worked as Operations Director at Üsküdar and Kozyatağı branches and then as Commercial Marketing Director at Üsküdar Branch. In 2005, he assumed the position of Branch Manager at Üsküdar Branch, followed by Altunizade Corporate and Güneşli Corporate branches. Having served as the Regional Manager of the Istanbul Anatolian Region in 2016, he was appointed as Marmara Regional Manager following an organizational change in the regions. Özcan, who became the Chairman of the Board of Inspectors in April 2020, was appointed as Deputy General Manager in September 2023 and continues to serve as Executive Vice President responsible for Credit Management as of January 2024. Özcan is also the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. Personnel Social Insurance Fund Foundation.

Hüseyin Üst graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Finance. He began his professional career as Assistant Specialist at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. in 1995. After serving as Assistant Inspector and Authorized Assistant Inspector at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. between 1996 and 1999, he served as Marketing Director, Corporate Branch Manager, and Regional Manager. Üst was appointed as Executive Vice President at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. in November 2017, and as of January, 2024, he has assumed the role of Executive Vice President responsible for SME Banking. Hüseyin Üst continues to serve as Executive Vice President responsible for SME and Enterprise Banking. Üst also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. Personnel Social Security Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors at Şeker Faktoring A.Ş. and Kredi Kayıt Bürosu.

Burak Latif Latifoğlu graduated from Hacettepe University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Economics (English), started his professional career as an Administrative Judge. In 2006, he joined to the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) as an Assistant Certified Bank Auditor and he resigned from his position in 2017, October, with the title of Chief Sworn Bank Auditor. Meanwhile, he has conducted numerous audits of in numerous banks and non-bank financial institutions in Türkiye and abroad. Between 2014 and 2017 he held positions as the Audit Group President and Head of Department (V.). Latifoğlu served as the General Manager of Şeker Finansal Kiralama A.Ş. between 2017-2019 years, was appointed as the Executive Vice President of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. in October 2019. Latifoğlu is also a Board Member of Şekerbank T.A.Ş. Personnel Social Security Foundation and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Şeker Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı A.Ş.

After graduating from Hacettepe University Computer Sciences Engineering Department, he started his career as a Software Analyst at Şeker Bilişim San. Tic. A.Ş. in 1999. After continuing his career as a Software Analyst at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. between 2002-2004, he worked as a Project Manager at Şeker Bilişim San. Tic. A.Ş. between 2004-2007. After serving as Software and Project Management, Department Manager, and Head of Information Technologies Group at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. since 2007, Mehmet Ak was appointed as Executive Vice President in November 2019. Mr. Ak served as a Board Member at Şeker Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.Ş. between 2021-2023 and currently serves as a Board Member at Şeker Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklığı A.Ş. and Tintech Bilgi İşlem ve Pazarlama Ticaret A.Ş.

After graduating from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Ender Dilekçi received his master’s degree from Istanbul Bilgi University, Institute of Social Studies in Accounting and Auditing. He started his career at Şekerbank as a Clerk in 1999 and after working as an Auditor between 2000 and 2003, he served as Financial Analysis Department Head, Branch Manager, Regional Credits Manager, Corporate Commercial Monitoring and Follow-up Department Head and Credit Management Group Head, respectively. Appointed as Executive Vice President of Credits in March 2022, Dilekçi has been he has been serving as Executive Vice President responsible for Credit Monitoring and NPL Management as of January 2024. Ender Dilekçi is also a Member of the Board of Directors of Şekerbank Cyprus Ltd. and Şekerbank T.A.Ş. Personeli Munzam Sosyal Güvenlik ve Yardımlaşma Vakfı. 

Fatma Nur Çetinel graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of Economics in 2000 and received her master's degree in International Money, Finance and Investment from Brunel University London. She started her banking career in 2000 as an Assistant Specialist at Ziraat Bank Banking School and worked in international capital markets, financial markets, and investor relations in the following years. Fatma Nur Çetinel, who served as the Head of Financial Markets Department and Investor Relations Department at Ziraat Bank and as a Board Member at Ziraat Yatırım, joined Şekerbank T.A.Ş. in October 2023 as Executive Vice President in charge of Treasury and Financial Institutions.

Tuba Kara Albek, who graduated from Marmara University, Department of English Language and Education in 1998, attended the master's program on Human Resources Management at the same university. She started her career as a human resources specialist in 1998; in the following years, she took on mid- and senior-level leadership roles in different sectors and implemented change programs for business, organization and culture. She started at ING as Human Resources Business Partnership Director and later worked as Talent and Development Director. Tuba Kara Albek, who has a coaching certificate, also takes part in voluntary activities for civil society and acts as a founder/manager in studies aimed at gender equality, increasing the number of female leaders at senior levels and training future female leader candidates. As of May 2024, she joined Şekerbank T.A.Ş. and serves as Deputy General Manager responsible for Human Resources.

Mustafa Aşık, who started his career as a Financial Analyst at Citibank in New York in 1998, after the Branch Manager position at JP Morgan Chase Bank in New York in 2002, he assumed the positions of Branch Manager and Regional Manager at HSBC Bank in New York in 2006 and and continued his career at HSBC Türkiye as of 2012. He took on key roles in the establishment of various projects in the field of private banking, serving as Head of Retail Banking & Wealth Management, Senior Manager of Sales and Capital Markets Intermediary Services, and Head of Private Banking. Mustafa Aşık, who has been serving as the Director responsible for Retail and Private Banking departments at ING Türkiye since 2020, continues to serve as Executive Vice President responsible for Retail and Digital Banking at Şekerbank T.A.Ş. as of June 2024.

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