Advisory Board Member
Adil Hafa
After earning his degree in Computer Engineering, Adil embarked on a remarkable journey in the defense industry, contributing to pivotal avionics projects for fighter jets, passenger planes, and helicopters. Yet, his intrigue with cybersecurity ignited during his formative years, experimenting with a modest 386 SX computer before advancing to a 486 DX-2 80 during the heyday of renowned hacker groups like “Master of Deception” and “Legion of Doom.”
As his career progressed, Adil seamlessly transitioned to Türkiye Siemens Telecommunications’ esteemed research and development department, concurrently pursuing a master’s in information security engineering.
Simultaneously, Adil refined his expertise as a penetration tester at Denizbank – Intertech and Garanti Teknoloji, cultivating a multifaceted skill set.
Seeking a comprehensive grasp and pragmatic application of security systems, Adil assumed the pivotal role of Senior Security Engineer at LCWaikiki, Turkiye’s retail giant boasting nearly 55,000 employees and a vast network of branches.
Following his impactful tenure at LCWaikiki, Adil took on significant responsibilities at the Turkish Stock Exchange – Takasbank, where he also served as an IT Department Manager, advising the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.
Here, he masterminded the ministry’s cybersecurity strategy, forging alliances with diverse stakeholders and achieving a notable 24% enhancement in cybersecurity measures.
Subsequently, Adil was entrusted by the Turkish Wealth Fund to spearhead cybersecurity initiatives for the Türkiye Finance Center.
In 2021, Adil assumed the pivotal role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Yemeksepeti, concurrently leading as the Global Head of Security Testing, Red Teaming, and Bug Bounty Programs in Delivery Hero. Demonstrating his adeptness in managing intricate cybersecurity endeavors, he navigated both roles with finesse.
Amidst organizational shifts, Adil seamlessly transitioned to Ödeal as CISO, a pioneering fintech company specializing in physical and software payment solutions.
Ever committed to fostering connections and guiding startups, Adil remains steadfast in his mission to empower others in crafting resilient cybersecurity strategies, marrying technical prowess with business acumen.
Advisory Board Member
Emre Tınaztepe
Emre Tınaztepe is the founder and CEO of Binalyze, a Digital Forensics and Incident Response company headquartered in Estonia with offices in the US, UK, Türkiye and Singapore.
In addition to evangelizing the new DFIR category, Emre is actively participating in the development of next-generation Digital Forensics solutions with Binalyze’s world-class team, guiding the company on its mission to disrupt and innovate in the digital forensics space to transform the nature and use of DFIR in the enterprise security stack by making it lightning fast, scalable, automated and easy to use.
Before starting Binalyze, Emre worked in various positions at global cybersecurity companies. His areas of expertise include Reverse Engineering, Malware Analysis, Driver Development, and Incident Response. He also led the development of an Anti-Malware suite used by millions of users to protect their devices against cyber-attacks.
Advisory Board Member
Koray Kaya
Koray Kaya is a banking expert and executive with over 28 years of experience in the credit, risk, and finance sectors. He has worked for leading banks and institutions in Turkiye and led innovative and strategic teams & projects in various fields. He has also worked at Kredi Kayıt Bürosu (KKB), a company that provides credit information and risk management solutions to individuals and organizations.
He studied Civil Engineering at Yıldız Technical University and received his MBA from the United States. He began his career at Garanti Bankası in 1995, where he played a key role in the establishment of one of the first personal credit scoring systems in Türkiye. He also designed credit automation systems for consumer credits, credit cards, and small enterprise credit applications.
In 2004, he joined Experian as a Business Consultant, where he helped banks and financial institutions improve their credit decision processes and risk management strategies. He helped more than 15 local and international organizations to have better decision-making processes.
In 2005, he joined Türk Ekonomi Bankası (TEB) as the Head of Credit Risk Management Department, where he oversaw the credit risk policies, models, and systems of the bank. He took responsibility to convert the traditional risk assessment infrastructure into an automated decision system to handle large volumes of applications in the retail environment.
In 2009, he moved to Akbank as the Head of Retail Credits Monitoring and Collection Department, where he was responsible for the monitoring, analysis, and recovery of retail credit portfolios. He also worked as the Director of the Retail Loans Underwriting Department where he changed all retail loans underwriting criteria of the of the Bank to perform in a more efficient process. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of KKB during his tenure at Akbank.
As the Assistant General Manager of KKB, he oversaw the vision, strategy, and execution of the company, ensuring that they deliver quality and value to their clients. He also handled the business development, sales, marketing, product, and service functions, managing the budget and the growth of the company. In addition, he was actively involved in the European Credit Bureau Association (ACCIS) as the Board of Directors representing Turkish Credit Bureau. He is the inventor of Findeks, Karekodlu Çek Sistemi and Tardes which are disruptive Bureau services that changed the financial sector in Türkiye. He also created the Credit Literacy Week as a social responsibility project in Türkiye which supports to increase the awareness of credit risks and access to credit.
He joined Medrics as COO in 2024, which he was already a founding partner and still working in the same organization to expand the company business in Europe and restructuring of the current business processes and financial capabilities.
Advisory Board Member
Mehmet Başer
Mehmet Başer held various CEO/COO roles in local and multinational companies, including Borusan Telekom (now part of Vodafone), Ericsson and British Telecom Global Services before rejoining McKinsey in 2014. Mehmet Başer started his professional journey in corporate finance at PwC and joined McKinsey & Company as a management consultant. Mehmet held COO and CEO roles in Borusan Telekom between 2001 and 2010. He then served as the Key Account Director/VP Sales at Ericsson before joining BT Global Services as Country Manager, a premier provider of managed network IT services for business and government organizations. Mehmet Başer currently holds the position of Global Senior Solution Leader. He developed extensive expertise in technology, digital and telecom by leading the turnaround and transformation in IT and telecom companies. Mehmet holds B.S degrees in Electronics Engineering and Physics from Bogazici University, Istanbul and M.B.A degree from Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University, USA.
Advisory Board Member
Yunus Çelebiler
Yunus has over 25 years of experience in fast growing technology companies. He worked in Silicon Valley, NY, Boston and London at software startups and in financial services and was the CTO of the fastest growing Turkish telecom operator.
He is experienced in growing technology teams, establishing successful product management practices, and supporting sales efforts in technology companies.
He holds a BS in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and an MBA from INSEAD, and is a CFA Level I.
As an advisory board member of VentureArts, he adds great value while selecting high potential companies, helping them grow and managing investor relations.
Advisory Board Member
Yusuf Ertaç
Yusuf Ertac is a seasoned financial executive and consultant with more than two decades of expertise in the energy and telecommunications industries. Based in Toronto, Ontario, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to enhance financial performance and steer growth initiatives across diverse organizations.
Yusuf’s professional journey began at Vestel – Zorlu Holding as a Controller, before advancing to the position of Chief Financial Officer at Zorlu Energy Group. This role solidified his proficiency in financial management within the energy sector. In 2007, Yusuf founded Sinerji Global, his own consulting firm, through which he has provided critical insights for energy infrastructure projects worldwide.
2016 marked a significant milestone in Yusuf’s career as he assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer at TurkNet, a prominent telecommunications company in Turkiye. His leadership was instrumental in driving the company’s digital transformation, ultimately serving a customer base of 1 million subscribers.
Yusuf’s professional repertoire includes strong competencies in financial planning and analysis, strategic planning, treasury management, and mergers and acquisitions. He excels at refining financial processes, deploying new reporting systems, and leveraging data-driven insights to propel business growth.
In his current role as a Business Development Consultant at Hamilton Enterprises Holding Corp, Yusuf continues to apply his vast experience in integrated utility solutions.
Yusuf’s academic background includes a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the University of Rochester, NY. His profound grasp of financial management, strategic planning, and industry-specific knowledge makes him an invaluable asset in driving financial success and growth across various sectors.