M. Behçet Vargönen, General Manager & Chairman of the Management Board
Born in 1966 Bergama/Turkey, Mr. M. Behçet Vargönen has graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences in Business Administra-tion. Mr. Vargönen, who started his career in 1991 as a Trainee Credit Specialist Assistant at Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş. was appointed as a Credit Specialist in 1997 to the Credit and Risk Management Directorate of İşbank AG, the German subsidiary of Türkiye İş Bankası A.Ş., in Frankfurt am Main. Between 1998 and 2013, he served in various periods as Dep-uty Director of the Credit and Risk Management Department at the İşbank AG, as well as Branch Manager in İşbank AG Nuremberg, Munich and Dusseldorf branches. In October 2013, Mr. Vargönen was appointed as Deputy General Manager at İşbank AG. After serving as the Executive Board Member responsible for After Market from January 2016, he returned to İşbank AG Düsseldorf Branch as Branch Manager between July 2017 and October 2021.
Mr. Vargönen joined Ziraat Bank International AG on October 15, 2021 as General Manager / Member of the Management Board. By resolution of the Supervisory Board of Ziraat Bank International AG he has been appointed as Chairman of the Management Board (CEO) with effect from December 7, 2022.
He is married and has two children.
İlhan YENİAYDIN, General Manager & Member of the Managing Board
İlhan Yeniaydın was born in 1978 in Karabük. He graduated in 2001 from Gazi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, with a degree in Economics – Banking.
In 2004, he began his banking career at T.C. Ziraat Bankası A.Ş as an Assistant Inspector in the Board of Inspectors. After serving as an Inspector for eight years, he successively held the positions of Department Manager within the Corporate Loan Allocation and Management Group Directorate, Deputy Head of the Inspection Board, Head of the Internal Control and Compliance Department, Head of the Inspection Board, Head of the Corporate Communications Department, Head of the Retail Loans Allocation and Management Department (Area-3), and Regional Manager of the Yenimahalle- Ankara Region.
Between 2021 and 2024, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Ziraat Bank International AG. As of May 2024, he was appointed as Deputy General Manager at Ziraat Bank International AG and effective July 25, 2025, he has been appointed as General Manager and Member of the Executive Board of the bank.
He is married and has two children.
Murat Gündoğdu, General Manager & Member of the Managing Board
Born in 1974 Elâzığ, Turkey, Murat Gündoğdu received bachelor’s degree from Department of International Relations of the Faculty of Political Sciences of İstanbul University in 1995. Mr. Gündoğdu began his banking career at Akbank T.A.Ş Internal Audit Board in 1998 as Internal Auditor. Fulfilling in various positions and projects at Akbank Internal Audit Board till 2004, Mr. Gündoğdu served as Team Leader in the Commercial Banking Business Unit and was responsible for sales and marketing activities towards mid- and large sizes enterprises, trade finance and product development activities. In September 2007, he was appointed as Vice President and responsible for Corporate Banking Department in Akbank AG, the German subsidiary of Akbank T.A.Ş. During his tenure at Akbank AG, in addition to Corporate Banking he also served as Senior Vice President responsible for Financial Institutions and Private & Retail Banking, leaded project teams for the establishment of Private Banking and Factoring units, implementation of the online banking and factoring software.
Mr. Gündoğdu has been appointed as General Manager / Member of the Managing Board at Ziraat Bank International AG as of 1 February 2022.
Mr. Gündoğdu holds certificates from Goethe Business School in Bank Management and Factors Chain International (FCI) in factoring, speaks English and German. He is married and has three children.