Turkish banker turns into developer
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gül Demir and Niki Gamm
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 10, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Not too tall but looking quite fit, 58-year-old Bülent Şenver has taken up a new position in Turkey’s business world. No, not in banking, the sector in which he made his mark in the 1980s and 1990s.
This time Şenver is in the business development sector. He has just joined Total Systems Service, or TSYS, as its director for project development. On consideration perhaps that is not so different from his positions as a general manager in the banking sector.
A graduate of the Accounting and Finance Division of the Bosphorus University Administrative Sciences Faculty, he started to work in the audit division of Arthur Andersen & Co. London office and then, took a position in the same company's Istanbul office. During the 11 years Şenver was with Arthur Andersen, he attended educational training courses in a variety of places such as London, Birmingham, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C., Paris, Brussels and Geneva. While at Arthur Andersen he worked as an auditor for Turkish and foreign banks.
Şenver describes this as follows: "During my 30 years in business life I worked for only four companies. My first job was with Arthur Andersen London, second as a vice president of a bank, third as a CEO of a bank and fourth as the chairman of a bank. In Arthur Andersen I audited some 27 banks and as a CEO and Chairman I was in the Board of Directors of many companies. So working at Arthur Andersen and in three banks, I had the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities in many companies."
One of the most prolific and creative businessmen
The square-chinned former banker is one of the most prolific and creative businessmen around. Just look at his record during his years in banking in Turkey. His first step into the banking world was at "Uluslararasi Endüstri ve Ticaret Bankasi A.Ş." (Interbank) in 1985 after he left Arthur Andersen but at the same time he began lecturing in the Business Administration Faculty at Bosphorus University. He still does give lectures but now in Yeditepe University’s MBA program.
He also gave lectures, seminars and conferences as part of the training programs offered by the Turkish Bankers Association for 17 years between 1983 and 2000. And at the same time he wrote a book, "How to Analyze Bank Financial Statements." He is currently working on a fourth book called "Little Things" as well as shooting his TV program "Bülent Şenver’s Room."
How does Şenver find the time to do everything he’s involved in? He denies that there’s anything special in what he does and how he achieves success: "There is no special secret. During my 30 years in business life, I was lucky to do the things that I liked most. I think this is the key to success. To do the things that you love doing. In my business career I had a few things that I had to manage which appeared to be a burden for me. I saw those jobs as a challenge to reach to my targets. If most of what you do is what you love to do, you create the time and energy to do them."
Bülent Şenver was appointed "President and Chief Executive Officer" of Pamukbank in June 1987, Turkey's third largest private bank in which there was no government participation. From June 1987 to July 1993, in six years, he improved the bank’s balance sheet 36-fold. With a new bank strategy and mission statement, his bank became one of the best three banks in Turkey in the fields of retail banking and electronic banking services. He improved the image of the bank with new products and services, giving importance to innovation, customer care and quality of service.
Member on nine boards
During Şenver’s time as CEO at Pamukbank, he held board memberships in nine banks and companies. He was also appointed the statutory auditor of the "Turkish Bankers Association" and served for six years on the organization’s board. He was received awards as well for his accomplishments and was named man of the year twice by Kapital magazine, a prominent economic and financial monthly. Cosmopolitan Turkey also named him Man of the Year for his "creativeness, innovations and his ability to develop new banking products and services."
But just ask him what moments have given him the most happiness and he says, "The best moment of my life, the first was 30 years ago, when a doctor told me ’You have a son;’ the second was when another doctor told me 20 years ago, ’You have a daughter.’"
Does Şenver become angry? Yes, "I get angry if people do not tell me the truth. I get angry if people do not do their job properly. I get angry when people give promises that they cannot keep. What pleases me? Hearing the word ’Thank you.’ Sharing my experiences with young people. Creating a new idea and implementing it. Spending time with my family."
Şenver introduced the general public to a variety of innovative products such as encouraging credit card use by using the name of Turkey’s top football teams on the cards. Banking in Turkey has never been the same. He was considered to be among the late President Turgut Özal’s princes, a term used mostly to describe a number of young men who had been working abroad and returned to Turkey at Özal’s behest to catalyze the country’s economy with him.
Those years, the 1980s, were heady years for Turkey’s private sector. Finally there was a politician who understood the need to encourage private business and prepare the country for exports and competition, a politician who held the reins of power in his hands. Meetings, dinners public and private, receptions... It was as though the oft mentioned old boys’ network had suddenly been transported to Turkey. Foreigners and foreign companies were coming to Turkey for the first time. You could easily lose count. A younger generation was beginning to enter university for the first time, looking to be a part of the world outside of Turkey.
Şenver left Pamukbank in 1993 to establish his own bank in northern Cyprus called Denizbank Ltd. He acted as the chairman of the Board of Directors and managing director of Denizbank Ltd. until he sold his shares in1998. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish American Business Association and as a board member of the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce, as a member of its Executive Committee and as the treasurer for five years (1994-2000).
Şenver on the future
Turkey is now facing the rapid meltdown of the world’s economy, something which has caught everyone by surprise. As a person of vast experience in Turkey’s financial sector, it seemed logical to ask Şenver how he saw what might happen in Turkey. His reply was, "Turkey will be indirectly affected from the economic meltdown. GDP growth will fall. Unemployment will increase. Investments will slow down. The increase in consumption will stop and 2009 will be a hard time for everybody in Turkey."
Şenver has now joined TSYS as its business development director and few people have as much experience to bring to this position as he does. Şenver told the Daily News, "I will be assisting TSYS to develop their business in Turkey. Turkish banks are preparing themselves for an increase in non-performing loans portfolios and a slowdown in business growth. Many banks are delaying their investment decisions. I believe it is the right time for banks to seek for operational efficiency and cost reduction. Outsourcing credit cards issuing and acquiring businesses are the right strategy to use for Turkish banks in the near future."
A final question. "If you had it to do all over again, would you follow the same path?" Şenver answers, "Yes. I was happy to do what I did up to now. During the rest of my life I want to follow the same path. I hope God will allow me to do itÉ"
TSYS Ğ An American company with astounding success in finance sphere
TSYS is a company of considerable means. It is based in Columbus, Georgiga, U.S.A. and has an annual volume of $2.5 trillion worth of transactions. Not many global companies can boast of such a figure at the end of the day and it shouldn’t escape notice that Şenver is taking up this new position even while the economic crisis claims more and more companies and banks and causes others to draw in their horns and delay or cancel projects. When Dubai and Abu Dhabi start postponing billion dollar projects, you know the world’s in trouble.
One of the world's largest companies for outsourced payment services, TSYS offers a broad range of issuer- and acquirer-processing technologies that support consumer-finance, credit, debit, debt management, healthcare, loyalty and prepaid services for financial institutions and retail companies in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. In other words, the American company specializes in financial transactions and credit cards.
It has confirmed its intent to participate in the Turkish marketplace with its unique value proposition, TS Prime, an efficient server-based issuing and acquiring card management platform adopted by more than 100 financial institutions worldwide.
TSYS supports more than 300 clients in 75 countries and has been a leader in the global payments industry for more than 25 years. Its market presence extends to 18 offices supported by more than 8,000 personnel.
A graduate of the Accounting and Finance Division of the Bosphorus University Administrative Sciences Faculty, he started to work in the audit division of Arthur Andersen & Co. London office and then, took a position in the same company's Istanbul office. During the 11 years Şenver was with Arthur Andersen, he attended educational training courses in a variety of places such as London, Birmingham, Chicago, Houston, Washington D.C., Paris, Brussels and Geneva. While at Arthur Andersen he worked as an auditor for Turkish and foreign banks.
Şenver describes this as follows: "During my 30 years in business life I worked for only four companies. My first job was with Arthur Andersen London, second as a vice president of a bank, third as a CEO of a bank and fourth as the chairman of a bank. In Arthur Andersen I audited some 27 banks and as a CEO and Chairman I was in the Board of Directors of many companies. So working at Arthur Andersen and in three banks, I had the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities in many companies."
One of the most prolific and creative businessmen
The square-chinned former banker is one of the most prolific and creative businessmen around. Just look at his record during his years in banking in Turkey. His first step into the banking world was at "Uluslararasi Endüstri ve Ticaret Bankasi A.Ş." (Interbank) in 1985 after he left Arthur Andersen but at the same time he began lecturing in the Business Administration Faculty at Bosphorus University. He still does give lectures but now in Yeditepe University’s MBA program.
He also gave lectures, seminars and conferences as part of the training programs offered by the Turkish Bankers Association for 17 years between 1983 and 2000. And at the same time he wrote a book, "How to Analyze Bank Financial Statements." He is currently working on a fourth book called "Little Things" as well as shooting his TV program "Bülent Şenver’s Room."
How does Şenver find the time to do everything he’s involved in? He denies that there’s anything special in what he does and how he achieves success: "There is no special secret. During my 30 years in business life, I was lucky to do the things that I liked most. I think this is the key to success. To do the things that you love doing. In my business career I had a few things that I had to manage which appeared to be a burden for me. I saw those jobs as a challenge to reach to my targets. If most of what you do is what you love to do, you create the time and energy to do them."
Bülent Şenver was appointed "President and Chief Executive Officer" of Pamukbank in June 1987, Turkey's third largest private bank in which there was no government participation. From June 1987 to July 1993, in six years, he improved the bank’s balance sheet 36-fold. With a new bank strategy and mission statement, his bank became one of the best three banks in Turkey in the fields of retail banking and electronic banking services. He improved the image of the bank with new products and services, giving importance to innovation, customer care and quality of service.
Member on nine boards
During Şenver’s time as CEO at Pamukbank, he held board memberships in nine banks and companies. He was also appointed the statutory auditor of the "Turkish Bankers Association" and served for six years on the organization’s board. He was received awards as well for his accomplishments and was named man of the year twice by Kapital magazine, a prominent economic and financial monthly. Cosmopolitan Turkey also named him Man of the Year for his "creativeness, innovations and his ability to develop new banking products and services."
But just ask him what moments have given him the most happiness and he says, "The best moment of my life, the first was 30 years ago, when a doctor told me ’You have a son;’ the second was when another doctor told me 20 years ago, ’You have a daughter.’"
Does Şenver become angry? Yes, "I get angry if people do not tell me the truth. I get angry if people do not do their job properly. I get angry when people give promises that they cannot keep. What pleases me? Hearing the word ’Thank you.’ Sharing my experiences with young people. Creating a new idea and implementing it. Spending time with my family."
Şenver introduced the general public to a variety of innovative products such as encouraging credit card use by using the name of Turkey’s top football teams on the cards. Banking in Turkey has never been the same. He was considered to be among the late President Turgut Özal’s princes, a term used mostly to describe a number of young men who had been working abroad and returned to Turkey at Özal’s behest to catalyze the country’s economy with him.
Those years, the 1980s, were heady years for Turkey’s private sector. Finally there was a politician who understood the need to encourage private business and prepare the country for exports and competition, a politician who held the reins of power in his hands. Meetings, dinners public and private, receptions... It was as though the oft mentioned old boys’ network had suddenly been transported to Turkey. Foreigners and foreign companies were coming to Turkey for the first time. You could easily lose count. A younger generation was beginning to enter university for the first time, looking to be a part of the world outside of Turkey.
Şenver left Pamukbank in 1993 to establish his own bank in northern Cyprus called Denizbank Ltd. He acted as the chairman of the Board of Directors and managing director of Denizbank Ltd. until he sold his shares in1998. He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish American Business Association and as a board member of the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce, as a member of its Executive Committee and as the treasurer for five years (1994-2000).
Şenver on the future
Turkey is now facing the rapid meltdown of the world’s economy, something which has caught everyone by surprise. As a person of vast experience in Turkey’s financial sector, it seemed logical to ask Şenver how he saw what might happen in Turkey. His reply was, "Turkey will be indirectly affected from the economic meltdown. GDP growth will fall. Unemployment will increase. Investments will slow down. The increase in consumption will stop and 2009 will be a hard time for everybody in Turkey."
Şenver has now joined TSYS as its business development director and few people have as much experience to bring to this position as he does. Şenver told the Daily News, "I will be assisting TSYS to develop their business in Turkey. Turkish banks are preparing themselves for an increase in non-performing loans portfolios and a slowdown in business growth. Many banks are delaying their investment decisions. I believe it is the right time for banks to seek for operational efficiency and cost reduction. Outsourcing credit cards issuing and acquiring businesses are the right strategy to use for Turkish banks in the near future."
A final question. "If you had it to do all over again, would you follow the same path?" Şenver answers, "Yes. I was happy to do what I did up to now. During the rest of my life I want to follow the same path. I hope God will allow me to do itÉ"
TSYS Ğ An American company with astounding success in finance sphere
TSYS is a company of considerable means. It is based in Columbus, Georgiga, U.S.A. and has an annual volume of $2.5 trillion worth of transactions. Not many global companies can boast of such a figure at the end of the day and it shouldn’t escape notice that Şenver is taking up this new position even while the economic crisis claims more and more companies and banks and causes others to draw in their horns and delay or cancel projects. When Dubai and Abu Dhabi start postponing billion dollar projects, you know the world’s in trouble.
One of the world's largest companies for outsourced payment services, TSYS offers a broad range of issuer- and acquirer-processing technologies that support consumer-finance, credit, debit, debt management, healthcare, loyalty and prepaid services for financial institutions and retail companies in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. In other words, the American company specializes in financial transactions and credit cards.
It has confirmed its intent to participate in the Turkish marketplace with its unique value proposition, TS Prime, an efficient server-based issuing and acquiring card management platform adopted by more than 100 financial institutions worldwide.
TSYS supports more than 300 clients in 75 countries and has been a leader in the global payments industry for more than 25 years. Its market presence extends to 18 offices supported by more than 8,000 personnel.