Board of Directors

The Bank’s Board of Directors is made up of eleven members. Two of eight members who have no executive duties serve as Independent Members of the Board.

• The duties of Chairman of the Board of Directors and the CEO of the Bank are assumed by separate persons.
• ‘Statements of independence’ were issued by the Independent Members of the Board.
• The independence criteria of the Board Members are explained in Management Report on Corporate Governance
• Issues regarding activities of the Board of Directors and its committees and general principles are defined in a special Regulation for the Board.

Please click here for information about the financial rights granted to the Board of Directors.

Board of Directors

Dirk BRUNEEL Chairman

Born in Diksmuide/Belgium in 1950, Mr.Bruneel has a degree in general economics from the University of Ghent. He started his career in 1973 the Caisse Générale d’Epargne et de Retraite (CGER). After having served in both administrative and commercial functions, he was appointed a member of the Management Board, in charge of the commercial network. In 1993, he joined the Management Board of Bacob Banque, where he became Chairman in 1995, a position he continued to hold after the creation of Artesia. When Dexia acquired Artesia in 2001, he became a member of the Management Board of the Dexia Group, responsible for the Treasury and Financial Markets business. He has also been Chairman of the Management Board of Dexia Bank Nederland since 2002 and the Chairman of Board of Directors of DenizBank since October 2006. Mr. Bruneel is also Board Chairman at DenizKültür.

Graduate of Limburg University (Belgium), Marketing Department, Mr. VAN ROSTE continues his MBA. Starting his banking career in Bacob Bank Belgium in 1989, he held several positions in Paribas Bank Belgium and Artesia BC respectively as Head of Corporate Sales, Structured Products, FX Derivatives Departments before joining Dexia in 2002, where he worked in Financial Engineering and Derivative Products Departments of Treasury and Financial Markets Group, and in Structured Finance and Export Finance Departments of Public and Project Finance Group. He joined DenizBank in November 2006 as Executive Vice President of Public and Project Finance Group. In April 2007, he became the EVP in charge of the Public Project Finance and Corporate Banking Group at DenizBank. Mr. VAN ROSTE was appointed as an Executive Member of the Board of Directors at DenizBank A.Ş. in June 2009.

Eric Hermann Board Member

He was born in Belgium in 1958. Following his B.A. degree in Commercial and Financial Sciences from the Université de Hautes Etudes Commerciales, he obtained an MBA degree in Management Engineering from Boston University and Financial Analyst Diploma from Inter-University Centre of Financial Analysis. Mr. Hermann started his career in Eural SA, and worked as Marketing Risk Manager in Paribas Belgium in 1994. Acting as Marketing Risk Manager in Artesia SA in 1998 and has been the Head of Risk and Strategy in Dexia SA since 2001

Hakan ATEŞ   Board Member, President

Born in 1959 in Ankara, Mr. Ateş graduated from Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Business Administration. He started his banking career in 1981 as Internal Auditor at İşbank. Following various positions at different Interbank departments from 1985 to 1994 he worked as Branch Manager at Elmadağ, Şişli, Bakırköy, İzmir and Main Branches. He established Interbank’s cash management system and was promoted in 1993 to Executive Vice President responsible for Central Operations. Mr. Ateş worked as Executive Vice President for Financial Affairs and Operations at Bank Ekspres between December 1994 and July 1996. He led the bank’s restructuring project with Bank of America. He established Garanti Bank Moscow in Russia and worked as CEO for one year starting from June 1996. He continues his duties as President & CEO at DenizBank, where he started in June 1997 as the Founder President. Mr. Ateş is also Chairman at DenizLeasing, DenizInvest Securities, EkspresInvest Securities, Deniz Portfolio Management, DenizTürev Securities, Deniz Investment Trust, DenizBank Moscow, DenizBank AG, and Board Member at DenizFactoring, which are subsidiaries of DenizBank.

Fikret ARABACI Executive Board Member, Responsible for Credits

Mr. Arabacı graduated from Istanbul University, Institute of Journalism in 1973, and Marmara University, Faculty of Commercial Sciences in 1979. He started his banking career at Ziraat Bank in 1975. He was transferred to İş Bank in 1977. He worked as Internal Auditor at İşbank from 1980 to 1985. He obtained certificate of financial analyst meanwhile. He was transferred to Interbank in 1985 and worked as Manager in Head Office, Credit Control and Credit Marketing departments and several branches until 1992. He joined Dışbank in 1992 and worked as Manager of Istanbul Branch. Mr. Arabacı joined DenizBank in July 1997 as Executive Vice President for Corporate Credits. He currently holds the position of Board Member responsible for Corporate Credits. He is also Board Member at DenizLeasing and DenizFactoring, and Director at EuroDeniz Off-Shore Bank Limited, which are DenizBank subsidiaries.

Cem BODUR Non-Executive Board Member

Born in Istanbul in 1961, Mr. Bodur graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics in 1982. He started his career in Internal Audit Department at Interbank and worked in Credit Marketing Department. He worked as Marketing Manager at Körfezbank in 1991 and as Branch Manager at Main Branch of Marmara Bank from 1992 to 1994. Working as CFO at Ekinciler Holding between 1994 and 1995, Mr. Bodur has since been Member of Executive Committee of Zorlu Holding/Vestel Group Companies and Board Member at DenizBank. He also continues his duties as Board Member at DenizBank Moscow and DenizBank AG, both of which are DenizBank subsidiaries.

Mustafa Tınas TİTİZ Independent Member

Born in Istanbul in 1942, Mr. Titiz graduated from Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Electrical Engineering Department in 1963. He worked as the Chief Engineer and the Manager at management, planning and operational research departments in Ereğli Coal Plants, Zonguldak until the end of 1980. He worked as General Manager of Elektro-Akustik A.Ş. between 1981 and 1983. He was elected to the Turkish Parliament in 1983 and served as State Minister and Minister of Culture and Tourism between 1985 and 1989. He lectured at Middle East Technical University from 1991 to 1995 and left the Parliament in 1995. He is a Member of Turkish Informatics Foundation, Association of Entrepreneurs, Istanbul Science and Technology Centers Foundation, World Productivity Academy, Chairman of Beyaz Nokta Development Foundation, Executive Member of Private İzmir College and holds Melvin Jones Award. Mr. Titiz has several books published since 1990 and has been Board Member at DenizBank since 1997.

Ayfer YILMAZ Board Member

Born in Ankara in 1956, Ms. Yılmaz graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Economics and Finance Department in 1978. In 1979, she worked as Junior Associate, Chief and Assistant Unit Manager of Public Finance Department in the Turkish Ministry of Finance, General Directorate of Treasury and General Secretariat of International Economic Cooperation Organization. Following her duties as Assistant Advisor of Economy and Commerce in the Republic of Turkey’s Embassy in Bonn between 1986 and 1989, she worked as Department Head, Assistant General Manager and General Manager between 1989 and 1993 at the Turkish Undersecretariat of Treasury and Foreign Trade, General Directorate of Public Finance responsible for State-Owned Enterprises, Internal and External Debts and Funds. Between 1993 and 1994 she worked as Assistant Undersecretary responsible for General Directorates of Public Finance, Foreign Economic Relations and Banking, and then as Undersecretary of Treasury until 1995. In addition, she held several Governorship Missions on behalf of Turkey at the World Bank, European Council Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and several Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agencies. She became Board Member at TEAŞ and Eximbank on behalf of the Undersecretariat of Treasury. She was elected to the Turkish Parliament during 20th and 21st legislative periods, and took part in the Government as State Minister. She joined Başkent University in 2002 as Secretary-General of Strategic Research Center, and holds the position of Board Member at Başkent University, Strategic Research Center since 2006.

Philippe Rucheton Board Member

Philippe Rucheton was born in 1948. He graduated from Pantheon Sorbonne University Business Administrations Department and L’Institut Supérieur des Affaires respectively. He received a graduate degree in Business Law. After being employed in Banque Populaire between years 1972 and 1980; Rucheton worked in Banque Louis-Dreyfus Paris until 1988. Undertaking the position of Financial Manager and Deputy of the CEO in Europe Computer Systems between 1989 and 1995 and Financial Manager in Société Générale between 1995 and 2002; he worked as the Financial Manager and Member of the Management Board in Praque-Komercni Banka until 2005. Continuing his career in Praque-Komercni Banka as the Vice President of the Management Board until 2008, the year when he became the Financial Manager of Paris-Newedge. Working in Dexia S.A. as the Financial Manager since 2008, Rucheton has been appointed as a Board Member of DenizBank A.Ş. in 2009.

Claude PIRET Board Member

Claude Piret was born in Belgium in 1951. After graduating from the University Catholique de Louvain, Department of Engineering in 1975; Mr. Piret received his Master’s degree in Business Administrations in Ecole de Commerce Solvay in 1981. Starting his professional career in 1975 and being in charge of various positions, Mr. Piret was employed by BACOB/ARTESIA in 1995. After serving as Director respectively in Credit & Market Risk, Accounting and Corporate Banking Departments, he joined Dexia Group in 2001. Employed in Dexia Group as the Manager responsible for Public Sector, Financial Markets and Corporate Banking fields; Claude Piret worked in Dexia Group respectively as the Executive Commitee Member responsible for Operations between 2004 and 2005, and as the Board Member responsible for Risk Management. Since 2007, he has been serving as Executive Commitee Member responsible for Risk Management. Mr. Piret was appointed to the DenizBank A.Ş. Board of Directors in 14.08.2008.

Stefaan Decraene Board Member

Born in 1964, Decraene graduated from Catholic University Brussels, the Department of Political, Social and Economical Sciences and from Catholic University of Leuven, the Department of Economics. . He worked at several positions at BACOB between 1988 and 1998. Later he was appointed as Manager of Investment Banking at Artesia Bank and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Artesia Securities. Joining Dexia Bank in 2001, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Artesia Bank Netherlands. He continued serving the affiliates of Dexia Bank as Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Executive Board at Dexia Bank Netherlands and Dexia Bank Belgium. He has been Member of the Executive Board at Dexia SA since November 2008 and was appointed as a Member of the Board of Directors at DenizBank A.Ş. in December 2008.