“IFS’14 was a great success. The organization was very professional. The participants were high level and they were people completely cognizant with the subject. Leaving aside efficiency of the programme and the sufficient experience and knowledge of the participants, the most important specialty in my opinion was to be greeted by proficient and good-humoured organizers creating a relaxed environment. Thanks to IFS team.”
Zeynep Aslan
President, Luxembourg-Turkey Business Club & Manager of Turkish Desk at Fuchs et Associés Finance
Luxembourg
“With its different opinions and approaches and with a growing attendance every year, each IFS summit has become an important event, scrutinizing problems and searching for solutions for world, for the region and for Turkey.
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone and to Mr. Murat Yülek in particular and to those who contributed to the organization of this event.”
Ali Babacan
Deputy Prime Minister
Turkey
“Istanbul Finance Summit is a very important event for our sector, bringing together all the parties concerned with finance sector, jointly determining the problems & solutions and specifying common strategies. As an important platform for international expansion and creating opportunities for regional investment and cooperation, IFS is also closely followed-up by the state.
As a meeting point, Istanbul Finance Summit is on its way to becoming more important each year in the field of international finance sector. I believe that IFS is an important platform and organization carrying Turkey to the center of finance sector in the international arena and creating important cooperation opportunities. Since IFS has become a traditional event, we do give importance and try our best to attend this important event.”
Mehmet Bostan
General Director, Vakıf Emeklilik & Independent Member of the Board of Director
Turkey
“The Istanbul Finance Summit brought together some of the most influential speakers in Turkey as well as from across the globe and was highly valuable for investors like myself that came from the United States and look for global investment opportunities. It is clear that Turkey has embarked on an irreversible path of deregulation and wealth accretion which will continue for the foreseeable future. Istanbul’s strategic location can also make it a super regional financial center which can serve the rapidly growing markets in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. Turkish companies are highly dynamic in their external expansion and further deregulation by the government and tax incentives can boost an already high growth trajectory for the economy. It was a pleasure to speak at the conference and I look forward to coming to Istanbul in future years.”
Rehan N. Chaudri
Principal, Altrinsic Global Advisors
UK
“Due to my job and its contribution to my profession, I closely follow up the conferences and summits relating to economy and finance.
I have participated IFS since its inception and i think IFS is a unique platform for financial decision makers with its main theme determined each year as necessary, with the content of each panel and with its valuable global speakers around the world sharing their views. Furthermore, the bar is raised each year. Another important feature of the summit is the active participation from ministerial level and from top level executives of financial bureaucracy. Thus, foreign and Turkish financial decision makers do not only hear the vision of the top level of political and regulatory authorities from first hand, but also can relay their perspective as to financial matters to the government officials. With the main theme as “Innovative Finance” this year, I am looking forward to IFS’14 that will also bring forward the status of Capital Markets .”
Berra Doğaner, PhD
General Manager, Turkish Yatirim A.Ş.
Turkey
“By following the content of the agenda and with its guests, IFS’14 has been an important event this year, as well.
Efforts to make Istanbul the finance center, with its panel topics such as venture fund, islamic finance in which innovative finance instruments were discussed, were all greeted positively by the participants and were very informative.
Within this scope, i would like express my gratitude to IFS team for their successful efforts.”
Pınar Eczacıbaşı
Managing Partner, GP-Trust Financial Management and Advisory Services Ltd.
Turkey
“Istanbul Finance Summit was uniquely successful in terms of the quality of the knowledge shared with such diverse audience.”
Didem Gordon,
Vice Chairman, Turkish Institutional Investment Managers’ Association
Turkey
“It was a great pleasure for me to attend the Istanbul Finance Summit (IFS’10). The seminars and discussions focused on current problems and the future direction of the world finance were very interesting and inspiring. The Summit has been prepared perfectly! We hope to cooperate with you in the future…”
Zbigniev Hockuba, PhD
Member of Board
National Bank of Poland
“Hosting the leading global policy makers, bankers, financiers and regulators, Istanbul Finance Summit has proved to be a platform where the current and future direction of the world finance is discussed. It was a great opportunity for me to share Citigroup’s expertise and know-how and give a global
perspective of the world markets at the Islamic Finance panel.”
Hulusi Horozoğlu
Director, Citigroup Global Islamic Banking
Dubai, UAE
“I want to indicate my deepest appreciation to the organizers for efficiently managing such a big event. I think the sessions were very relevant, well attended and the materials presented were of highly professional quality.”
Majid Sabbagh Kermani
Acting Director, ICD (Islamic Corporation for Development of the Private Sector)
Saudi Arabia
“The IFS’14 was a very useful conference for anyone who wanted to see the opportunities that the Istanbul Financial Market and the Turkish economy offers. The lectures were very interesting and the panel discussions very instructive. I would be very happy to join the IFS’15 again.”
Klaus Rainer Kirchhoff
Chairman, Kirchhoff Consult AG
Germany
“Istanbul Finance Summit is an event which i follow closely and in which i try to participate. This year’s main theme “Innovative Finance” was very impressive. Today, the world agrees that research-development, innovation is the key to the success in development of corporations and countries. As a matter of fact, it also believes “only countries producing their own technology can be completely independent”. In a situation like this, we can’t confine research-development, innovation to the production of classical financing method. Here, Istanbul Finance Summit is trying to generate a solution to this dilemma. I am already thrilled to consider the theme and the benefits to be achieved from the 6th Summit. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone and to Mr. Murat Yülek in particular.”
İbrahim Mirmahmutoğulları
Chairman, Mir Holding – Ekin Fund Management
Turkey
“Bringing selected international figures of the world of finance together, the İstanbul Finance Summit was a crucial meeting for the prestige of Turkey, an emerging value in the world. We were very glad to realize in our bilateral talks we had at the Summit that our country was admired from outside. Even many foreign experts being in our country and meeting their Turkish colleagues on the occasion of this Summit clearly show how important the İstanbul Finance Summit is for our country. I think the continuation of this summit is a must not only for İstanbul, but also for whole Turkey”
Yunus Nacar
Former CEO, Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası
Turkey
“The Istanbul Finance Summit is a welcome forum reflecting the growing importance of the region for financiers, bankers and trade credit insurers.”
Robert Nijhout
ICISA, Executive Director, ICISA
Netherlands
“I feel extremely privileged by having the opportunity to address that distinguished audience. When it comes to the conference itself, I found it very interesting, with the presentation of your Minister of Finance being something of second to none quality.“
Gyula Pleschinger
Member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Central Bank of Hungary
“The Istanbul Finance Summit 2010 was a great success. It was an honour and a pleasure for me to take part in this outstanding event which was hopefully the starting point of many more conferences of this kind.”
Jochen Sanio
Former Chairman, Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
Germany
“The organization was very good I must say and the venue was very nice too.
The speakers were of high standard and having a large number of officials was very interesting and pleasant.
I enjoyed the Forum and am happy to come back in the future.”
Sinan Sar
Manager, United International Management S.A
Luxembourg
“Participating to the Istanbul Finance Summit was a pleasure for me. I congratulate IFS Team for the very good level of the event. Moreover, i found the organization efficient and helpful in every moment and hope to co-operate again in future.”
Fiorenzo Senese
Chief Representative for Turkey, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena Gruppomontepaschi
Italy
“The Istanbul Finance Summit was able to bring a diversity of perspectives to a major hub of economic and investment activity in the MENA region, and an important emerging market in the 21st century.
Sustainable investment issues of environmental, social and corporate governance [ESG] were raised in the realities of investment practice today”
Graham Sinclair
Sustainable Investment Strategist, SINCO
South Africa
“The Istanbul Summit was very effective in bringing together key stakeholders in the international financial community, who were able to share knowledge and network in excellent surroundings.”
Seth Thomas
Director, UK Public Sector Group, Citigroup
UK
“For the international financial center of Istanbul, it is very important to have an international conference like the Istanbul Finance Summit. The speeches and panel discussions were very insightful and it was my pleasure to take part for the second time. The Istanbul Finance Summit is also an excellent opportunity for networking and exchanging ideas with delegates from Turkey and elsewhere. I would be delighted to participate again next year.”
Hubertus Vath
Managing Director, Franfurt Main Finance e.V.
Germany
