C. CEM ÖNENÇ
Senior Vice-President, Private Banking
Making a step into professional life after academic studies was a quite hard period for me. During undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering and obligatory workshop I had decided not to work as en engineer. While studying MBA in New York, I worked as a trainee in Treasury department of a bank, consequently I made my career decision: to be a Treasury expert! I concentrated completely on finance and tried to get prepared academically. When I came to Turkey in 1997 there were many banks, and to be honest, banking seemed to be a profitable and promising sector. During job interviews I only demanded Treasury-related jobs. I finally chose DenizBank mostly because of its young and dynamic structure and banking approach. My career which started on November 1997 with my first job in Dealer position in DenizBank Treasury Department continued with DenizBank’s first MT program on March 1998. In addition to the program and my work experience in the Bonds unit, the following events of serious influence on markets such as crisis in the Far-East, in Russia, earthquakes, elections etc. offered me an ocean of experience.
As DenizBank family, we overcame the major crises of end-2000 and beginning-2001 by increasing our experience and growing. While considering a structure combining my technical information from Treasury Department with marketing, we made the first steps of Treasury Sales organization in Central Anatolia Regional Office in Ankara, where I had the chance of learning importance of customer relations, creating difference and region/branch organizations.
Early 2004 I was offered again by the Bank to establish a new structure: Private Banking department for DenizBank AG in Austria. There I had the occasion of having experience on the way to carry out foreign operations, organizational differences, and ability of using new products and synergies. Within nearly the following year, we established DenizBank Türkiye Private Banking Center, of which I was branch manager. After opening Ankara and İzmir Private Banking Centers, Private Banking Group was established within the Treasury Group of the Bank, and I was nominated as the SVP for Private Banking Group, which brought me managerial responsibility besides technical banking.
As a DenizBank member who has been working for it since the first year of its establishment, having witnessed all the stages of development from 12 branches to 250, I can say that the most important resources of a bank are human resources. There’s no doubt that institutions utilizing these resources efficiently will become successful and grow. Working in an institution that fully supports you from the birth of an idea to its implementation develops you to a great extent. I thank DenizBank, where I completed my second Master’s degree, and now studying for a Ph. D, for always enabling me to widen my horizon.
NEVZAT ÖZGÜLER
Branch Operations Manager, İstanbul Aksaray Branch
I was born in Maden Village of Niğde as one of the 5 children of a farming family. I completed my primary school in my village and wished to attend a boarding school; however I couldn’t do it as I failed the examination. A brand new page in my life opened when I went to İstanbul to live with my elder brother working there as a civil servant in order to continue my education.
After completing my secondary education in Sultan Ahmet Vocational Printing School, I accomplished military service in 1993. Then I entered a period of real life struggle. After two years, I surprisingly found myself in finance sector. I started to work as a courier at Bahçeşehir Branch of Kentbank, a then newly-established bank opening new branches. During my work I always tried to be different and develop myself along the line required by a banker’s profile. I soon started to work as a teller for the same bank that I liked more.
I believed targets of a new banker wishing personal development should also be new and big. It was thus a big chance for me to work for DenizBank, which was as young and dynamic as me, open to innovation and caring for common sense.
I was included in this small family of 15 branches as of March 1998 by starting to work as Retail Operations Clerk at Bakırköy Branch. The passing years were evidence of how lucky I had been. I worked in 2000 in the Head Office Central Operations Group as Retail Operations Associate, and as Operations Manager in 2001 at Bebek Branch. Since 2003 I have been working as Branch Operations Manager at İstanbul / Aksaray Branch.
The fact that DenizBank is a worldwide brand in finance sector with its corporate identity, making continuous progress towards its targets is a great source of pride for us. I am enthusiastically citing the name of my bank everywhere.
Although we are not much aware of how fast time passes during our careers we always feel the privilege of being a member of DenizBank family. I wish best of success and would like to express my thanks for DenizBank, which is in complete unification with all its employees.
May success be with you, DENİZBANK!
KRİSTİYAN MÜCERRETOĞLU
Branch Manager, İstanbul Elmadağ Branch
During my education I had internships at many different companies in various sectors. I was then sure I wanted to work in marketing, but I decided the sector only after my internship at İnterbank. Marketing money seemed the most attractive of all. I can say that during the last year of my undergraduate studies I spent more time and consideration on the Bank than on university. After completing my MBA (in marketing) abroad I decided to build my career on banking.
I started to work for DenizBank as an MT in 1998 and I have been a member of this family for about 9 years.
The most important reasons of my choosing DenizBank were that although newly established it was a bank having set high targets, and that managers I knew during job interviews had resolution and motivation for attainment of targets.
After working for 6 years in Corporate Marketing department of Kartal Branch, I was proposed to work in the Head Office marketing department so that I could share my branch experience I gained especially during crisis periods with other colleagues working in other branches. I accepted the proposal, and started to work as one of the Regional Sales Managers responsible for Corporate Marketing in İstanbul with a view to contribute to shaping of strategies to develop my Bank, orientating branches towards realization of strategies, and supporting them with all issues.
Since August 2007 I have been working as Branch Manager at İstanbul Elmadağ Branch.
When I look back I feel lucky because of having made such a choice. Thanks to the common sense created the number of our branches increased up to 300 from 20, and our staff to thousands from hundreds.
My bank and I continue to learn and grow together.