The Board of Directors of Alternatifbank (ABank) has announced the appointment of Cenk Kaan Gür to the role of chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approval in Turkey. ABank is the Turkish subsidiary of Qatar-based leading regional banking group Commercial Bank.
Gür has some 28 years of experience in the banking industry, beginning his career with Garanti Bank. Prior to serving as director in charge of SME marketing coordination, he assumed the roles of branch and regional manager in corporate, commercial and SME banking at Garanti Bank.
Gür joined Akbank as executive vice-president in charge of SME Banking in 2011. He served as executive vice-president of Commercial Banking in Akbank and held the positions of chairman of AKlease and vice-chairman of AK Investment, which are both Akbank subsidiaries.
ABank chairman and Commercial Bank managing director Omar Hussain Alfardan said: “Under the management of Cenk Kaan Gür, a talented and experienced leader, ABank will pursue its growth by offering the best service for its customers and will increase its contribution to the Turkish economy. We believe that with the support of increased commercial relations between Turkey and Qatar, we will create significant value to our customers. Cenk Kaan Gür and our new non-executive directors Zafer Kurtul and Turgay Gönensin, all bring strong experience and skills that will propel ABank.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would also like to thank our outgoing CEO, Müge Öner, and wish her the best for the future,” Alfardan added.
ABank vice-chairman and Commercial Bank Group CEO Joseph Abraham said, “Turkey has a bright future ahead, with huge potential for economic growth in the mid to long term. Turkey and Qatar enjoy a close strategic relationship with economic ties growing ever stronger and deeper. The Commercial Bank and ABank together are at the forefront of this strategic and economic relationship and I’m looking forward to working closely with Kaan and ABank’s new non-executive directors as we integrate our two banks further in order to offer our clients a seamless banking experience across both countries, and capture a larger share of the investment and trade flows between Qatar and Turkey that are rapidly accelerating.”
Gür said, “I am very excited to be working alongside a strong and talented team at ABank and our shareholder The Commercial Bank. As ABank, we will work with the ambition of contributing more to our customers and the economy of our country with our perspective of profitable growth and innovative banking.
“We will further strengthen ABank’s position in the sector. With the increasing collaboration and integration between ABank and The Commercial Bank, we aim to increase our service quality, and by this means, creating more value for our customers. I believe that ABank’s strong performance in the coming years will contribute significantly to our country’s economy and our shareholders.”
The Commercial Bank Plaza at West Bay. ABank is the Turkish subsidiary of Qatar-based leading regional banking group Commercial Bank.
