Corporate Governance at Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA: Expertise, Transparency & Accountability

At Credit Europe Bank, we attach great importance to good corporate governance. We believe that it is essential to respect the principles of transparency and accountability if we are to maintain the trust of our clients and investors, and that we must take a sustainable approach when it comes to our business activities. Here you will find the profiles for the members of our Board of Directors and senior management, who are each experts in their field and fully invested in the values of our bank.

The Board of Directors and Senior Management are fundamental pillars at Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA. Contributing to the bank's governance, each is made up of experienced professionals with varied backgrounds. They offer solid expertise in finance, law and business management. Below, you can learn more about the backgrounds and professional achievements of the key members of our Board of Directors and senior management, giving you a better understanding of the bank’s vision.

Dr. Otto BRUDERER, Chairperson

(Independent)

 Mr. Bruderer, born in 1952, after completing his studies in economics and law in 1978 he earned his doctorate from the HSG in 1980. He then started his career at the UBS in Zurich in the corporate finance department where he worked for three years before becoming assistant of the board’s director. After another two years Dr. Otto Bruderer went to New York where he was responsible for UBS Securities in the corporate finance department again. When he came back to Switzerland in 1987, he stayed loyal to the UBS and acted as Manager of M&A Europe during five years. Since September 1993, he has been Board Member of Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA.

Murat ÖZYEĞİN, Vice Chairperson

Born in 1976, Mr. Özyeğin joined Fiba Group in 2003. He is the Head of Strategic Planning & Business Development of Fiba Group, Executive Board Member of Fina and Fiba Holding and Chairman of all Fiba Group’s non-banking businesses. Additionally he is Chairman of the Board of Endeavor Turkey, Executive Board Member of Hüsnü M. Özyeğin Foundation, Turkish Industry & Business Association (TUSIAD), Member of the Board of Trustees of Özyeğin University and World Wildlife Fund, Member of Global Relations Forum and Member of Global Advisory Council of Harvard University. Since May 2019, he has been Board Member of Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA.

E. Murat BASBAY, Member

Mr. Başbay was born in 1968 and holds a BSc degree in business administration from Bosphorus University in Istanbul. He began his career in 1992 at Arthur Andersen Worldwide and worked in Istanbul and Dubai offices. In 1997 he joined the founding team of Credit Europe Bank in Russia. In 1999 he joined the management team of Credit Europe Bank NV in the Netherlands and he took an active role in the expansion of the Bank as CFO and member of the Managing Board. Mr. Başbay returned to Russia in 2005 as CEO. Under his leadership, the Russian subsidiary of Credit Europe Bank N.V. grew substantially. As of June 2010 he became CEO of Credit Europe Group till end of 2021 and currently, he works as advisor to CEB NV’s credit committee. Since May 2011, he has been Board Member of Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA.

Senol ALOĞLU, Member 

A graduate in business administration from Bogazici University, Istanbul, and having an MBA from UvA Business School, Amsterdam, Senol Aloglu started his banking career in Turkey in 1987 and joined the Fiba Group in 1991. He worked in banking and leasing operations of Fiba Group until his appointment in 2000 to CEB as Country Manager for the Dutch Operations. In 2005, he was appointed as a Managing Board member and with effect from 1 January 2022 he took over the CEO role in Amsterdam’s office. Mr. Aloglu, who is a Dutch national, is responsible for corporate governance, corporate banking, bank relations, treasury, retail banking, human resources, and internal audit in the Netherlands.

Françoise DESHUSSES, Member

Mrs Deshusses was born in 1965 and obtained her Master’s in Economics from the Geneva University in 1988. She has over 25 years of experience in commodity trading services, working with large multinational companies in London, Zurich and Geneva, including Cargill, UBS, RWE and TOTSA. Her extensive experience includes leading market risk management and compliance departments within trading businesses. Since 2015, she has been offering risk and compliance advisory services to a large range of clients in the commodity trading sector through her company FDR Sàrl. Mrs Deshusses is the Chief Operating Officer and an executive board member of Garda Capital Partners (Switzerland) Sàrl since 2017. Since 2020, she has served as a board member of Suisse Atlantique Group S.A., a shipping company. Mrs Deshusses joined the board of directors of Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA in May 2024. In June 2024 she joined the committee of the EPA (École Protestante d’Altitude), a school dedicated to helping children who have seen their educational progress compromised.

David SARASIN, Member

Dr. David Sarasin, born in 1967, studied business administration at the University of St. Gallen HSG. After graduating, he earned his doctorate at the Institute of Banking at the University of St. Gallen in 1986. Mr. Sarasin is also a graduate of the Advanced Executive Program of the Swiss Banking School, the Stanford Executive Program (SEP) at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Swiss Board School. After three years in the corporate banking business at UBS, Mr. Sarasin worked for a further four years in management consulting, specializing in financial institutions. In 2002, he joined the Executive Board of Bank Linth as Head of Private and Corporate Clients. He was CEO of Bank Linth from 2012 to the end of 2023. Today Mr. Sarasin has board membership roles for various entities active in commercial, educational, and family foundation. He also regularly holds lectures on banking.

Levent KARACA, Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Karaca was born in 1970 in Turkey. He has an MBA degree in Finance and Economics from Marmara University in Istanbul. He began his career in Istanbul with Finansbank AS, worked for Banque de Bosphore in Paris, France and in 2000 he joined Credit Europe Bank NV. From 2000 till 2006 he worked with the Belgian branch of the bank, responsible for the set-up of the corporate- as well as retail division of such branch. In 2006 he moved to Russia to work as Head of the Corporate Banking division and member of the management team. He returned to Amsterdam in 2010 to become Division Director Corporate Banking responsible for the corporate banking activities of the bank on consolidated level. Mr. Karaca was the Managing Board Member of Credit Europe Bank NV responsible from Corporate Banking and Legal (2012 – 2019). Since March 2019, he has been the CEO of the Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA.

Yavuz Aykut CIMIR, Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Yavuz Aykut Cimir was born in 1966 in Turkey. He has a Major in Finance from the Bosphorus University, Business Administration in Istanbul. His career started in auditing with Ernst & Young, Istanbul Office (1988 – 1993), and in New York Office (for 1 year) and became Senior Auditor. Afterwards, he joined Fiba Holding A.S. as Group Head – Internal Audit and Financial Coordination in 1993 and worked till 1996. He has been with the Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA since August 1996.

Mehmet Bulent ILGUN, Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Mehmet Bulent Ilgun was born in 1975 and has a Major in Economics from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. He served as senior dealer in treasury at Finans Invest A.S. in Istanbul followed by 10 years at Credit Europe Bank in Moscow where he served as a Deputy CEO and Head of Treasury. For four years, he was also a member of the Management Board Credit Europe Bank in Russia. He has been Head of Rates and FX trading for Russia operations and Head of Treasury at Deutsche Bank AG since July 2010. He was responsible for Deutsche Bank's industry leading local rates and fx business in Russia and CIS region. In 2015, he appointed as Co-Head of Markets, Russia & CIS responsible for the debt, derivatives, structuring, fixed income as well as debt capital markets, sales trading, local structuring trading and research. In 2016, he re-joined CEB group as the Deputy CEO responsible from Treasury and Financial Institutions of the Credit Europe Bank (Suisse) SA.