Sevda Ozsonmez
Istanbul
Summary
Highly accomplished, proactive, senior Executive Search professional with almost 20 years of experience with a finance sector background; including banks, fund management, country investment management, strategy. Highly commercial understanding of business through client initiatives and ambitious network approach. Known for building company trust, achieving results, loyally supporting company goals and objectives, dynamic, organized. Executive Coach, Assessment Facilitator.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
6071
6071
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Managing Partner, Turkey & Eurasia
N2Growth
8 2023 - Current
- Company Overview: N2Growth is a top executive search and professional services firm with more than 50 locations across the Americas, Europe, MENA, and APAC. N2Growth is known for its 'next practices' approach in helping clients unlock value within their talent acquisition, strategy, and optimization ecosystem. Forbes consistently ranks N2Growth as one of the best executive search firms globally
- Responsible from Turkey and Eurasia Operations in Executive Search and Leadership Development and Executive Assessments
- Spearheaded successful client engagements resulting in repeat business and positive referrals from satisfied clients.
- Built strong networks with key stakeholders both internally and externally to support business growth objectives.
- Drove innovation initiatives that resulted in unique service offerings for clients while differentiating our firm from competitors in the industry.
- Negotiated high-value contracts with clients, securing profitable partnerships for the company.
- Led recruitment efforts to attract top talent, contributing to a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting client demands effectively.
- Strengthened client relationships through personalized service and attention to detail, resulting in high retention rates and positive referrals.
- Developed and executed strategic business plans, aligning company goals with actionable steps for growth and sustainability.
Team Leader, Member Communication & Networking
EMCC Türkiye
06.2024 - Current
- Company Overview: EMCC Turkey is a unifying organization that brings together professionals providing coaching and mentoring services, individuals and institutions receiving these services, vocational training and development institutions, and academics researching these fields
- EMCC aims to promote successful practices in mentoring and coaching across Europe and enhance expectations for successful implementation
Board Member
FODER (Financial Literacy & Inclusion Society)
09.2021 - Current
- Company Overview: FODER cooperates with government and private sector institutions and other civil society organizations in order to create financial literacy, to raise awareness on financial inclusion and access and to ensure opportunities for individuals across the country; and have bunch of activities on awareness-raising, education, research, supporting the practices, creating policies.
Consultant – Executive Search
MY Executive
01.2022 - 05.2023
- Building up new client portfolio
- Completed executive hiring in various sectors and companies
- Identifying and evaluating suitable candidates for each assignment, hence providing a proper talent mapping of the market
- Making the research, initial assessment, and evaluations of the candidates for mid to senior-level recruitment, and attending face‐to‐face interviews
- Creating longlist & shortlist update reports and presenting them to clients
- Reference checks of the candidates
- Mentoring and leadership coaching
Head of Equity Research and Fund Management
Azimut Portfoy
07.2019 - 11.2021
- Covering Turkish Economy and Stock Market & Strategy
- Meeting with C-level listed company managements
- Initiated Group Sales Project for the Institutional Clients for ex. Russia, Gulf Region
- Giving tv & newspaper interviews
- Participating in conferences and Company management meetings
- Making fundamental analysis and valuation of a specific industry to identify the best positioned companies in which to invest
- Conducting fundamental, bottom-up stock research and company valuations that contributed to portfolio outperformance
- Investment decisions that coincide with the fund's investment strategy
- Built new valuation and stock monitoring systems
- Preparing reports and analysis including attribution, risk, style and performance
Country Representative and Research Head
Erste Asset Management
06.2013 - 06.2019
- Covering Turkey in all asset classes and at country level & Greece on the equity side
- Achieved continuous outperformance of the funds compared to benchmarks and peers
- Advising and managing a Turkey dedicated fund of EUR 100mn
- Giving advisory services for Erste Group’s investments which include Turkey (EUR 400mn)
- Giving interviews with the journalists/ local media sources and was live on Austrian and German tv channels several times
- Blog author for Erste Asset Management Blog
- Conducted fundamental, bottom-up stock research and company valuations that contributed to portfolio outperformance
- Recommendations for company positioning in all asset classes
- Participating in client roadshows and presenting to big ticket institutional clients
- Built new valuation and stock monitoring systems
Research – Senior Banking Sector Equity Analyst
Erste Securities Istanbul
05.2011 - 06.2013
- Elected as the #4 analyst in Erste Group in 2012
- Meeting with C-level company managements
- Giving advisory services for Erste Group’s Portfolio Management Company (including industrial companies)
- Analyzing and valuation of the financial stocks listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (covering a total of 13 companies including the large banks)
- Model establishment and company valuation and company & sector reports on a regular basis
- Setting equity strategies and presenting to international investors
- Participating in company roadshows, attending client meetings in various countries
- Attending to Conferences for one-on-one meetings
Research – Senior Banking Sector Equity Analyst
UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking
12.2010 - 04.2011
- Analyzing and valuation of the banking stocks listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (covering a total of 6 companies)
- Arranging meetings with the company managements
- Model establishment and company valuation and company & sector reports on a regular basis
- Recommendations for stock positioning
- Setting equity strategies and presenting to international investors
- Participating in company roadshows, attending client meetings in various countries
- Attending to Conferences for one-on-one meetings
Senior Banking Sector Equity Analyst
Ata Invest – Research
08.2007 - 12.2010
- Analyzing and valuation of the banking stocks listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (covering a total of 11 companies including the large banks)
- Arranging meetings with the company managements
- Model establishment and company valuation and company & sector reports on a regular basis
- Recommendations for stock positioning
- Setting equity strategies and presenting to international investors
- Participating in company roadshows, attending client meetings in various countries
- Attending to Conferences for one-on-one meetings
Finance- Controlling Analyst
Deutsche Bank A.S.
11.2006 - 08.2007
- Joined the team for establishing retail banking in Turkey
- Established the background of various regulatory reports
- Had to move due to the cancellation of the retail banking project together with the team of 80
Financial Reporting & Consolidation Assistant Supervisor
Finansbank A.S.
03.2005 - 11.2006
- Worked in the Financial Controlling Department during the NBG Acquisition in 2006
- Preparing daily income statement and balance sheet for the C level management
- Preparing regulatory reports for the BRSA and CBT
- Consolidation of all the Finansbank subsidiaries and participations
- Joining and presentation of the weekly ALCO meetings
- Preparing Investor Presentations for Investor Relations Department
Education
Organizational Analysis -
Stanford University
Five Lens People Development - undefined
FIVE LENS Practitioner
Reflector Drives - Connector Ability Assessment - undefined
BIG FIVE Personality
ICF Executive Coaching -
ICF Executive Coaching
ICF Accredited Coach Training Program -
ICF Team Coaching
Developing Yourself as a Leader - undefined
Harvard Business School
Graduate - International Finance
Istanbul Bilgi University
Undergraduate - International Finance and Commerce
University of Portsmouth
Undergraduate - International Finance
Istanbul Bilgi University
High School - undefined
Besiktas Ataturk Anatolian High school
Middle School - undefined
Vellesan College
Skills
Business partnership development
Strategic Planning
Human Resources Management
Industry Networking
Recruiting
Financial reporting understanding
Organizational Development
Team leadership strength
Financial administration abilities
Business Consulting
Portfolio Management
Human Resources
Leadership and People Development
Capital Markets
Firm Valuation
Firm financial oversight
Affiliations
- EMCC Turkey Member
- The Propeller Club /Port of Istanbul Member
- Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Member
- PWN, Professional Women’s Network Member
- Net4tech Member
- Foder, Financial Literacy & Inclusion Society
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 06/01/82
Articles
- Exploring the Power of Collaborative Competition, https://www.n2growth.com/exploring-the-power-of-collaborative-competition/
- Afterthoughts Turkish Referendum, https://blog.en.erste-am.com/afterthoughts-turkish-referendum/
- Turkey's Coup Attempt, https://www.fundssociety.com/en/opinion/turkeys-coup-attempt
Timeline
Team Leader, Member Communication & Networking
EMCC Türkiye
06.2024 - Current
Consultant – Executive Search
MY Executive
01.2022 - 05.2023
Board Member
FODER (Financial Literacy & Inclusion Society)
09.2021 - Current
Head of Equity Research and Fund Management
Azimut Portfoy
07.2019 - 11.2021
Country Representative and Research Head
Erste Asset Management
06.2013 - 06.2019
Research – Senior Banking Sector Equity Analyst
Erste Securities Istanbul
05.2011 - 06.2013
Research – Senior Banking Sector Equity Analyst
UniCredit Markets & Investment Banking
12.2010 - 04.2011
Senior Banking Sector Equity Analyst
Ata Invest – Research
08.2007 - 12.2010
Finance- Controlling Analyst
Deutsche Bank A.S.
11.2006 - 08.2007
Financial Reporting & Consolidation Assistant Supervisor
Finansbank A.S.
03.2005 - 11.2006
Five Lens People Development - undefined
FIVE LENS Practitioner
Reflector Drives - Connector Ability Assessment - undefined
BIG FIVE Personality
Developing Yourself as a Leader - undefined
Harvard Business School
Graduate - International Finance
Istanbul Bilgi University
Undergraduate - International Finance and Commerce
University of Portsmouth
Undergraduate - International Finance
Istanbul Bilgi University
High School - undefined
Besiktas Ataturk Anatolian High school
Middle School - undefined
Vellesan College
Managing Partner, Turkey & Eurasia
N2Growth
8 2023 - Current
Organizational Analysis -
Stanford University
ICF Executive Coaching -
ICF Executive Coaching
ICF Accredited Coach Training Program -
ICF Team Coaching