Board of Directors

Ali Y. Koç received his bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Business at Rice University (USA), followed by an MBA from Harvard University (USA). He began his professional career in 1990 at American Express Bank through a Management Trainee Program and worked as an Analyst at Morgan Stanley Investment Bank between 1992 and 1994. In 1997, he joined Koç Holding’s Strategic Planning Group as New Business Development Coordinator. Until 2010, he held several senior positions including President of the Information Group and Corporate Communications. From 2010 to 2016, Ali Y. Koç served as a Member of the Board of Directors at Koç Holding and has been Vice Chairman of the Board since February 2016. As of 1 April 2016, he also assumed the role of Chairman of the Board at Koç Financial Services and Yapı Kredi Bank. Ali Y. Koç is also Chairman of the Board at Ark İnşaat, Bilkom, Ford Otosan, Koçtaş, Otokar, and Setur. In addition to these roles, he contributes to the economic and social development of our country as a Board Member at URAK (International Competition Research Institute) and Endeavor Association. Furthermore, Ali Y. Koç serves as a Global Advisory Board Member at Harvard University, Bank of America, and CFR, acts as an Advisor at Chatham House, and represents Turkey at CBI – the Confederation of British Industry.

Levent Çakıroğlu graduated from Ankara University - Faculty of Political Sciences, Business Administration Department and received his master’s degree from University of Illinois. He started his professional career at the Ministry of Finance in 1988. Between 1997-1998, he taught as part time instructor at Bilkent University and served as Vice President of Financial Crimes Investigation Board at the Ministry of Finance. Çakıroğlu joined Koç Group in 1998 as Koç Holding Financial Group Coordinator. He was the General Manager of Koçtaş between 2002-2007, CEO of Migros between 2007-2008, CEO of Arçelik between 2008-2015 and the President of the Durable Goods Group of Koç Holding A.Ş. between 2010-2015. Çakıroğlu was appointed as the Deputy CEO of Koç Holding in February 2015 and he took over the CEO position in April 2015. As of April 2016, Çakıroğlu is also a Board Member at Koç Holding. Çakıroğlu became a Board Member at Yapı Kredi and Koç Financial Services in April 2015. In February 2020, he was appointed as Vice Chairman of Yapı Kredi Board. Çakıroğlu is also a Board Member in various Koç Group Companies.

After graduating from İstanbul High school (İstanbul Erkek Lisesi), Gökhan Erün earned his undergraduate degree from İstanbul Technical University - Department of Electronics and Communications and graduate degree from Yeditepe University - Business Administration. Erün began his career at Garanti Bank Treasury Department in 1994. Between 1999-2004, Erün served as the Senior Vice President of Commercial Marketing and Sales Department. After becoming the CEO of Garanti Pension and Life in 2004, he was appointed as Executive Vice President of Garanti Bank in September 2005. Erün began to serve as the Deputy CEO of Garanti Bank in September 2015, also in charge of Corporate Banking, Treasury, Treasury Marketing and Financial Solutions, Derivatives, Cash Management and Transaction Banking, and Financial Institutions. At the same time, he was Board Chairman and Board Member in various local and international subsidiaries of Garanti Bank. As of January 2018, Erün has continued his career in Yapı Kredi as Executive Director in Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In addition, Erün is the CEO of Koç Financial Services and holds positions in the Boards of various Yapı Kredi Group subsidiaries, Koç Finansman A.Ş. and Allianz Yaşam ve Emeklilik A.Ş. Also as of April 2021, Erün became the President of Koç Holding’s Banking Group.

Ahmet F. Ashaboğlu holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Tufts University and a Master of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Mechanical Engineering. In 1994, he began his career as a Research Assistant at MIT. Between 1996-1999, Ashaboğlu held various positions in capital markets within UBS Warburg, New York. Between 1999-2003, he worked as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company, New York. In 2003, Ashaboğlu joined Koç Holding as Finance Group Coordinator. He served as the CFO of Koç Holding from 2006 to April 2022. In addition to being a Board Member at Yapı Kredi and Koç Financial Services since September 2005, Ashaboğlu is also a Board Member at various other public and non-public companies.

A. Ümit Taftalı earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Ball State University (Indiana) and his MBA degree from University of South Carolina. He also participated in senior executive programs at Harvard University. Taftalı is an investment banker and wealth manager with nearly 40 years of international experience. He has worked in executive positions in Atlanta, New York and London for Merrill Lynch & Company, Bankers Trust Company and Goldman Sachs International. Taftalı represented and advised Mrs. Suna (Koç) Kıraç between 2001-2020 was a Member of Koç Holding Executive Committee until April 2021. He currently manages the Koç family’s private investment office and is Chairman of Kare Portföy. Taftalı is or has been Board/Founding Member of various philanthropic and professional organizations such as Suna-İnan Kıraç Foundation, Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey (TESEV), Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TÜSİAD), Saint Joseph Educational Foundation, Educational Volunteers Foundation of Turkey (TEGV), Galatasaray Sport Club, American Finance Association (USA), Financial Management Association (USA), Museum of American Financial History (USA), Ball State University Foundation (USA), Turkish Bankers Association (UK), University of South Carolina Foundation (USA). Taftalı has been a Board Member of Yapı Kredi and Koç Financial Services since April 2016.

Ahmet Çimenoğlu graduated from Department of Economics at Boğaziçi University in 1992. After completing his MA in Economics at Boğaziçi University, Çimenoğlu started his professional life as an economist at Yapı Kredi in 1995. He received his PhD degree in economics at Istanbul Technical University in 2002. He worked as the Chief Economist, and Head of Strategic Planning and Research at Yapı Kredi, respectively, between July 2004 and February 2009. In March 2009, he joined Koç Holding as the Head of Economic Research. He worked as the Chief Economist of Koç Holding until his retirement in January 2025. Çimenoğlu has been serving as a Board member at Koç Financial Services and Yapı Kredi since March 2019.

Virma Sökmen has a Bachelor degree in Finance from LaSalle University. Sökmen began her professional career at research and investment banking departments of Körfezbank and Çarşı Menkul Degerler. Between 1993-2001, Sökmen worked at Midland Bank A.S. as a Credit Analyst. Between 2001-2010, she served as Corporate Banking Group President and an Executive Vice President of Corporate and Commercial Banking at HSBC. Sökmen managed corporate banking, commercial banking foreign trade and provision management, factoring, corporate and commercial insurance, corporate marketing and cash management units since 2010. Sökmen also served as the Assistant General Manager, responsible from Corporate and Commercial Banking, at HSBC. Sökmen is an Independent Board Member at Sarkuysan Elektrolikit Bakır Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., Ecogreen Enerji Holding AŞ and Mogan Enerji Yatırım Holding AŞ. In addition, she is a Board Advisor for Hedef Araç Kiralama ve Servis AŞ. Virma Sökmen has been a Board Member of Yapı Kredi and Koç Financial Services since March 2019.

Nevin İpek graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Business Administration in 1993. She received an MBA degree from the same university in 1997. İpek also earned a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Michigan in 2001. İpek began her career at the Capital Markets Board (CMB) of Turkey. At the CMB, she worked as Assistant to Expert between 1994-1997, Expert between 1997-2005, Deputy Head of Corporate Finance Department between 2005-2006 and Head of Institutional Investors Department between 2006-2007. She joined Koç Group in 2007 and worked as Finance Coordinator responsible from Compliance to Securities Regulation until April 2025 and she is still working for Koç Holding as Advisor. She is also heading the Capital Markets Working Group in TÜSİAD from 2013. Nevin İpek has been a Board Member of Yapı Kredi, Yapı Kredi Yatırım and Koç Financial Services since February 2020.

Polat Şen received his bachelor’s degree from Marmara University, Department of Economics (in English) in 1998 and his master’s degree in international accounting and finance from the University of Bradford, School of Management in 1999. He completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in 2016. Having started his career in the Internal Audit Department of Koç Holding in 2000, he was appointed as Internal Audit Manager at Arçelik A.Ş. in 2005, and Group Director of Finance and Accounting at Grundig Electronics / Grundig Multimedia B.V. in 2008. He worked as Finance and Accounting Director at Arçelik A.Ş. / Grundig Multimedia B.V. in 2009 and 2010, and as Purchasing Director from 2010 until 2015. Polat Şen served as the CFO of Arçelik A.Ş. between 2015 and 2022, in tandem with which he held the position of Assistant General Manager responsible for Sub-Saharan Operations of Arçelik Group. Şen was appointed the CFO of Koç Holding at 2022. Polat Şen has been a Board Member of Yapı Kredi and Koç Financial Services since April 2022. Şen is also a board member in various Koç Group Companies.