March 8 International Women's Day is a celebration of women's social, economic, cultural and political achievements, as well as a powerful symbol of the struggle for gender equality. On the occasion of this special day, in our annual interview series, we focus on the inspiring stories of women leaders who make a difference in the business world and especially in the financial technology ecosystem. 

The signature of women leaders in the rapidly growing financial technology sector in our country is becoming more evident every year. With their ethical values, strategic visions, managerial skills and deep experience, women leaders in senior management positions shape not only their companies but the entire sector. These leaders support sustainable growth with their innovative perspectives and inspire young women professionals. 

This year, as part of our series of interviews with 25 valuable women leaders, we will take a closer look at their success stories, their leadership journeys and the unique values they bring to the sector. Ranging from sectoral developments to personal inspirations, these conversations will once again reveal the transformative power of women's leadership in the business world. 

How was the year 2024 for you? How much of the goals you set have you achieved? What were the achievements that made you most proud? 

2024 was a very dynamic and productive year for me. Throughout the year, we worked intensively on transformation projects and made significant progress in our bank's business processes and digital infrastructure. Thanks to these projects, we have made great strides in both increasing internal efficiency and offering more innovative services to our customers. 

In addition, we successfully completed the critical work we carried out in the process of compliance with banking regulations and ensured timely and complete compliance with legal regulations. These efforts both strengthened the reputation of our organization and contributed significantly to our sustainable growth targets. 

In particular, fulfilling the strategic expectations of our bank in a complete and timely manner has been one of the achievements that makes me most proud. Thanks to our team's dedicated work, disciplined approach and strong communication with business units, we were able to achieve most of the targets we set. 

Overall, 2024 will remain in my memory as a memorable year, full of challenges, but also full of opportunities and successes in transformation and adaptation. I believe that these achievements will motivate and inspire us to reach even greater goals in the coming years. 

How do you assess the current state of the sector? What are your views on cooperation opportunities, competitive environment and market dynamics? 

The financial technology sector has been undergoing a major transformation in recent years, and 2024 was a year in which this change accelerated. While technologies such as digitalization, artificial intelligence and data analytics radically change the way of doing business, solutions that make the customer experience more personalized and seamless come to the fore. While new cooperation models are emerging between banks and fintech companies, traditional financial institutions are also working closely with fintechs to produce innovative solutions and provide more agile services to customers.  
 
The competitive environment is more dynamic than ever. While organizations that adapt quickly to technology, use data effectively and develop customer-oriented strategies gain a strong foothold in the market, this can create challenges for companies that cannot keep up with innovations. I believe that developments in financial technologies will continue to shape the sector in the coming years. 

How do you think the global fintech ecosystem will evolve? Which technologies and trends will shape our lives in the coming period? 

The global fintech ecosystem is evolving at an extraordinary pace, driven by technological innovation and digital transformation. In the coming period, one of the trends that will play the most important role in this transformation will be artificial intelligence. Thanks to AI-assisted solutions, customer assistants, automated consulting systems, personalized risk management applications and fraud prevention systems will become a fundamental building block of financial services. These systems will make users' transactions faster, safer and more efficient, while enriching the customer experience by identifying their needs in advance and offering the most appropriate solutions. 

In addition, the widespread adoption of open banking, increased API integrations and developments in data analytics will open the door to more collaboration and innovation between financial institutions and their business partners. Mobile payment systems, digital authentication, biometric security solutions and IoT integrations are among the other important trends that will shape our lives in the coming period. 

In summary, the global fintech ecosystem will continue to provide more personalized, secure and efficient services through the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence, open banking and advanced data analytics. These trends will accelerate the digital transformation of the financial sector, creating new opportunities and experiences for users and organizations 

We started with your assessment of 2024 and the fintech sector. Let's take a more personal journey and trace your leadership story and inspiring perspectives. We would like to know more about the impact of women's leadership in the sector and your career journey. 

What vision do women leaders bring to the fintech sector? How do you think different perspectives create change in the sector? 

Women leaders bring a strong vision and well-rounded perspectives to the fintech sector. Their ability to manage many responsibilities at the same time, their solution-oriented nature and the strong bonds they have established in human relations give them a great advantage in this rapidly changing and highly competitive sector. 

Thanks to their dedicated and detail-oriented approach, they are able to analyze the customer experience in more depth and develop innovative solutions. Their empathy and collaboration in team management helps them build strong work environments based on sustainable success. Moreover, their commitment to their work and sense of responsibility play a critical role in achieving long-term strategic goals. 

I think I have positively transformed not only business processes, but also corporate culture and customer relations in the fintech world, as women leaders are more present in the sector. Different perspectives encourage more inclusive, user-oriented and innovative solutions and contribute to accelerating the transformation process in the sector. As Architecht, the ratio of female employees in both our general organization and management staff is well above the sector. This is a great source of happiness for us. 

Do you have an experience that has influenced you a lot in your leadership journey? What was the most important lesson you learned from this process? 

The experience that has influenced me the most in my leadership journey has been the challenges we face in long-term projects. In these projects, we set out with big and ambitious visions at the beginning, but in the process, failures in planning, communication or technological adaptation can sometimes demotivate the team. In such projects, I have experienced how important it is to set milestones and deliver deliverables piece by piece to keep teams motivated. Large and complex tasks can cause the team to get lost or disoriented, and this is where guiding them in the right direction, enabling them to achieve small but meaningful successes, and driving the process forward with the right feedback makes all the difference. 

In such situations, I have experienced that constantly supporting the team, seeing them being guided in the right direction and small successes achieved step by step increase morale and motivation. The long-term success of projects depends on team members feeling valued and being able to create a clear roadmap with appropriate feedback at every stage.  

It also showed me the importance of being flexible and adapting quickly to unexpected situations. Listening to different perspectives and incorporating a variety of solutions into the problem-solving process increased the overall efficiency of the project. Seeing that even small successes within the team can have a big impact has been the driving force that has pushed us to greater goals. 

In conclusion, the challenges of long-term projects have taught me that the most fundamental elements of leadership are a combination of empathy, guidance, clear communication and continuous support. In the future, I will continue to listen to and motivate my team in every obstacle and together we will continue to achieve great successes with small steps. 

What can be done to make women more visible in fintech? What advice would you give to young women? 

In order for women to become more visible in Fintech, it is crucial for them to continuously improve their knowledge, skills and experience. In order to be successful in this sector, sectoral trainings, certificate programs and closely following the constantly developing technologies and learning innovations are critical steps. However, in addition to individual development; mentoring programs, networking events and strong communication networks with women leaders in the sector are also important elements that increase the visibility of women professionals. Taking part in such platforms, sharing experiences and receiving support, contributes not only to women's own careers, but also to increasing confidence and interest in the sector. 
 
My advice to young women is to be passionate about their work, to believe in their skills and talents and not to hesitate to take the initiative. Making it a habit to take risks on the road to success, to learn from making mistakes and to constantly produce innovative solutions will enable them to make a difference in the sector. Not holding back from taking responsibility in projects, contributing to each project and paying attention to the quality of its outputs will not only reflect positively on their personal development, but also on their organizations and the overall dynamics of the sector. In addition, through mentoring and networking relationships, they will be in contact with leading women in the sector, benefit from their experiences and receive guidance in the face of potential challenges. 

As a result, women will become more visible in the Fintech world, both by integrating their own talents and leadership skills into economic and digital transformation and by empowering them with comprehensive support networks. Young women's continuous self-development, not hesitating to take bold steps and taking responsibility at every opportunity will help them gain a permanent and pioneering place in the sector. 

How do you define success as a leader? What is your big goal for the future? 

As a leader, I do not see success as limited to achieving certain goals. For me, true success is about delivering innovative, sustainable and impactful transformation. Being the first in the sector is of course important, but what is essential is to create an exemplary ecosystem that shapes financial services by building trust, inspiration and loyalty among employees, customers and business partners. Success is about continuously supporting our teams in realizing technological innovations, unlocking their potential and turning challenges into opportunities at every stage to achieve long-term strategic goals. 
 
The grand vision I aim to achieve in the future is not only to consolidate our leadership in digital financial services, but also to become an organization that sets new norms in the sector and develops customer-oriented and innovative solutions. By integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and similar advanced technologies, I aim to provide our customers with unique and reliable solutions that will make their lives easier. This approach is critical both to create competitive advantage and to play a leading role in the digital transformation of financial services. 
 
Furthermore, in my leadership journey, I believe that success is measured not only by numerical data or short-term gains, but also by the values we have created in the corporate culture: empathy, open communication, team spirit and setting an example with the desire to continuously learn. By investing in the individual development of our employees and making them feel supported, we both increase productivity within the company and enrich the experience we offer to our customers. 
 
To summarize, I define success as a leader as an integration of innovative solutions, sustainable growth, strong team dynamics and strategic steps that create lasting impact in our sector. In the future, I aim to create a leading model that makes a difference in the sector by taking advantage of all the opportunities offered by digital transformation.