Osman Semerci, senior vice president and head of EMEA Global Markets, has been promoted to run fixed income and equities worldwide.

He is responsible for all debt and equity businesses in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Most recently, Mr. Semerci served as head of Pacific Rim Global Markets from September 2003 to January 2005, where he was responsible for the Debt and Equity businesses in Japan, Asia and Australia.

Previously, Mr. Semerci was head of Pacific Rim Debt Markets and prior to that head of EMEA Investor Client Group.

Mr. Semerci joined Merrill Lynch’s International Private Client Group in Geneva in June 1992 as a financial consultant. In March 1993, he moved to London as a fixed income salesperson in Global Debt Markets. Between 1996 and 1998, Mr. Semerci formed and led Merrill Lynch’s institutional fixed income cash and derivatives client businesses in European Emerging Markets. From 1999 to 2001, he built and was responsible for the new Strategic Solutions Group in EMEA, a group focusing on providing tailor-made solutions for investor and issuer clients in Europe.

Before joining Merrill Lynch, Mr. Semerci began his career in 1990 with Turkinvest, first as a trader of Turkish equities in Istanbul and subsequently as a commodity trader in Switzerland.

Born and raised in Turkey, Mr. Semerci holds a postgraduate degree in management from Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey, and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Bosphorus University, also of Istanbul.

Finance and Business Executive with 30+ years hands-on executive experience in financial and general management in businesses serving for Multinational Fortune 100 companies that include ITT, Alcatel, Warner-Lambert, Hoechst and Volkswagen.

* Comprehensive experience and successful record in financial & management accounting systems, business plans, accounting policies/procedures, strategic planning/implementation, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), international finance, consolidations, restructuring, forecasting, cash flow, asset & risk management, profit/productivity improvement, financial & operational audits and ERP integration.

* Strong analytical ability, effective communication & negotiating skills. Excellent people management and team building skills.

*Excellent ability to solve complex problems, strategize long-term efforts for maximum results and create win-win relationships.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Financial Consultant
3-D Business Tools, LLC
Enterprise Management System 2002-Present
Full service Software Company, for accounting, financing, budgeting, planning, manufacturing and operations.
3D BUSINESS Tool’s Enterprise Management System (EMS) is based on a powerful patent pending business modeling architecture that is customized by the entry of a company’s organizational structure, financial data and non-financial metrics.
• Managed beta testing program for market launch that meets all International Accounting Standards (IAS), FASB and US General Accounting Accepted Principles (GAAP).
• Coordinated all the processes to implement of Turkish Project (Kardemir Steel Manufacturing Co. which has US $ 23 Millions monthly revenues and 3,500 employees) by controlling and analyzing all the jobs which are done by key users and keep on doing test scenarios until the customization is done.

Chief Financial Officer and Planner
Turbostar Communications Corp. 2000-2001
Privately held high speed wireless start-up Internet service
Reported directly to CEO. Managed all financial policies and corrective actions, business development and international marketing efforts. Financial result to budget was within a 5-6% variance.Created comprehensive business plan that was directly responsible for $8.0 million of new business development.
• Directed international marketing efforts that raised $2.0 million in investments.
• Researched, analyzed and prepared company investments. Identified and targeted all major metropolitan areas in San Jose, Orange County and Portland area and managed a $2.1 million budget.

(more…)

Firm: Raymond James & Associates

City: Bethesda, Md.

Age: 43

Years as Rep: 19

Years with Current Firm: 13

Production: $1.244 million

AUM: $145 million

Product Mix: 25% funds, 5% insurance, 30% managed accounts, 40% stocks

Specialty: Foreign nationals living in the U.S.

Designations: Raymond James’ Chairman’s Council Member, Financial Advisors Council, Investment Management Consultant, Trust Specialist

Licenses: Series 6, 7, 31, 63, 65

It’s not surprising that Ozgur Karaosmanoglu built his practice around helping foreigners understand American financial customs. Karaosmanoglu — pronounced Karas-mah-no-loo (the “g” is silent), but you can call him “Oz” — moved to the U.S. from Turkey at the age of four with his father, who worked for the World Bank. “I grew up in Washington, D.C., with a very international community,” he says. That experience has helped him accommodate the needs of his clients that are without U.S. citizenship and others with citizenship based outside of the U.S. for the State Department — such individuals account for nearly half of his clients.

“I realized that internationals have different tax issues, different investment issues and [need] different levels of assistance. There was hardly anyone who catered to those needs,” he says.

Karaosmanoglu describes some minor, yet telling, instances of culture clash, like when he had to explain to a Turkish woman why cash was not necessary for financial transactions in the U.S after she came to his office and pulled out thousands of dollars. On another occasion, Karaosmanoglu spent an entire day traveling to different car dealerships with a Japanese client who was not familiar with the concept of negotiating the price of a car. “I can understand different cultural [practices] people are accustomed to,” he says.

His desire for intercultural understanding inspired him to work as the treasurer of HasNa, a nonprofit group in Washington that promotes peace and conflict resolution among different ethnic groups. The group has organized conflict-resolution training for working-class communities in Cyprus and Southeastern Turkey, where different ethnic groups often collide. Karaosmanoglu is also the vice chairman of Tulane University’s Associated Board, treasurer of the Assembly of Turkish American Association and member of the Hellenic American Women’s Council. — Halah Touryalai

Source:registeredrep.com 

Garanti Bank’s CEO, Akin Ongor’s achievement in business and extraordinary leadership style was shown as success story among other well-known business leaders and examples from the sports world in Harvard University Professor, Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s recent book, “Confidence”.