Ömer Aras
Mehmet Ömer Arif Aras | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 8, 1954 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Chairman of the board at QNB Finansbank |
Mehmet Ömer Arif Aras (born November 8, 1954) is a prominent Turkish banker currently serving as the chairman of the board at QNB Finansbank.
Early life
Originating from Istanbul, Aras completed his secondary education at Şişli Terakki High School in 1971. He earned his degree from the Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences, College of Economy and Finance in 1975. Subsequently, he pursued higher education at Syracuse University in New York, where he obtained an MBA in 1978 followed by a PhD in 1981. Between 1982 and 1984, he held the position of assistant professor within the Business Administration Department at Ohio State University before returning to Turkey. Aras married Feyza Aras in 1980 and they have two children.
Career
Aras commenced his professional journey in 1984 as a junior credit marketing manager at Citibank's Istanbul branch. In 1987, he transitioned to Yapi Kredi to lead the Securities division. That same year marked his role as co-founder of Finansbank alongside Hüsnü Özyeğin, where he initially served as assistant general manager responsible for credit marketing, treasury, and foreign affairs until 1989. He was then appointed general manager, a role he fulfilled until 1995 before joining the executive board of QNB Finansbank.
From 1995 through 2006, Aras held the vice chairman position at Fiba Holding and participated on the boards of various Finansbank subsidiaries throughout Europe. Additionally, he chaired Marks & Spencer Turkey and was a board member of Gima, both retail ventures under Fiba Holding.
Following Finansbank’s acquisition by the National Bank of Greece in 2006, Aras assumed the role of vice chairman and advanced to chairman in 2010. Concurrently, he acted as group CEO overseeing QNB Finansbank and its affiliates. He also led Cigna Finans Retirement (previously Finans Emeklilik), which was partially acquired by American Cigna in 2012.
In 2008, Aras joined the executive committee of the National Bank of Greece with oversight responsibilities for Southeastern European subsidiaries, managing banking operations in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania.
Between 2003 and 2006, he was a board member of the Turkish Industry & Business Association (TÜSİAD) and was elected vice president of its High Advisory Council in 2015.
He played a foundational role in establishing Özyeğin University in 2007 and continues to serve on its board of trustees. In June 2016, after Qatar National Bank acquired Finansbank A.Ş., it was rebranded as QNB Finansbank with Aras maintaining his position as chairman.
Affiliations
- TÜSİAD – Vice President, High Advisory Council
- Darüşşafaka Society – Member of High Advisory Board
- Özyeğin University – Trustee on Board
- Hüsnü Özyeğin Foundation – Board Trustee
- Mother Child Education Foundation – Board Trustee
- Galata Business Angels – Participant in Turkey’s pioneering angel investment network
- Tennis, Fencing and Mountain Climbing Sports Club – Active member
- Galatasaray Sports Club – Member
Publications
- Turkish Policy Quarterly, September 2014
- International Journal of Policy and Information, December 1985
- IIE Transactions, Vol. 17, No. 3, September 1985
- TIMS XXVI Copenhagen Conference, June 1984
- American Institute of Decision Sciences conferences (1980–1982)
- Journal of Operations Management, May 1982