TEAM

Isak Antika, Managing Partner

Isak Antika is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Actera Group and serves on the firm’s investment and operating committees. Prior to forming Actera, Mr. Antika was the founder and Managing Partner of Antika Partners, a leading corporate finance and M&A house based in Istanbul which was the strategic partner of Merrill Lynch in Turkey. Prior to establishing Antika Partners, Mr. Antika was the Head of Investment Banking for Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa at JP Morgan and was a member of the bank’s worldwide operating committee. During his 18-year tenure at the bank, Mr. Antika served in a variety of positions including Regional Manager for Turkey, CIS, Balkans and Israel, Division Manager for Turkey and Central Asia, and Country Manager for Turkey. Mr. Antika started his career at JP Morgan Chase & Co. in London in the Global Markets Group.

Mr. Antika received a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Bosphorus University in Istanbul.

Mr. Antika serves on the Board of Directors of Mey Icki, Spectrum Radyo Grubu, Karma Acikhava, Guney 2M, and LBT Varlik Yonetim.

Murat Cavusoglu, Managing Partner

Murat Cavusoglu is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Actera Group and serves on the firm’s investment and operating committees. Prior to forming Actera, Mr. Cavusoglu was a Managing Director and investment committee member of Southeast Europe Equity Fund (SEEF), a private equity fund sponsored by Soros Fund Management investing in Turkey, Southeast Europe and the Caucasus. Prior to joining SEEF, Mr. Cavusoglu was the founder and Managing Partner of Taurus Capital Partners (TCP), the general partner of a US$120mn private equity investment program focusing on Turkey. Prior to establishing TCP, Mr. Cavusoglu held a number of senior executive positions at Fiba Group, a leading Turkish conglomerate, including serving as the Managing Director of the group’s main holding company and Board Member of various companies in the group. Mr. Cavusoglu started his career at Goldman Sachs in London, focusing on corporate finance and M&A transactions across Europe.

Mr. Cavusoglu received a BS in Electrical Engineering with Highest Distinction from University of Virginia, an MS in Engineering Economic Systems from Stanford University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Mr. Cavusoglu serves on the Board of Directors of Mey Icki, Spectrum Radyo Grubu, Karma Acikhava, Guney 2M, and LBT Varlik Yonetim.

Yagiz Cekin, Director

Yagiz Cekin is a Director of Actera Group and serves on the firm’s operating committee. Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Cekin was a Vice President at Southeast Europe Equity Fund (SEEF), a private equity fund sponsored by Soros Fund Management investing in Turkey, Southeast Europe and the Caucasus. Prior to joining SEEF, Mr. Cekin was a Principal at Taurus Capital Partners, the general partner of a US$120mn private equity investment program focusing on Turkey. Mr. Cekin joined Taurus Capital Partners from the Investment Banking Department of Global Securities where he worked on M&A transactions in Turkey, Balkans and Central Asia. Mr. Cekin started his career in 1996 at Finans Invest in the Corporate Finance Group.

Mr. Cekin received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Bosphorus University in Istanbul and an MBA from Virginia Tech.

Mr. Cekin serves on the Board of Directors of Guney 2M.

Selmi Haleva, Vice President

Selmi Haleva is a Vice President of Actera Group and serves on the firm’s operating committee. Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Haleva was a Principal at Antika Partners, a leading corporate finance and M&A house based in Istanbul which was the strategic partner of Merrill Lynch in Turkey. Prior to joining Antika Partners, Mr. Haleva was an Associate at Taurus Capital Partners, the general partner of a US$120mn private equity investment program focusing on Turkey. Mr. Haleva started his career in 1998 at Industrial Development Bank of Turkey (TSKB) where he worked in the Equity Research and Corporate Finance Groups.

Mr. Haleva received a BS in Business Administration with majors in Marketing and Management from Marmara University in Istanbul.

Mr. Haleva serves on the Board of Auditors of Mey Icki and on the Board of Directors of Spectrum Radyo Grubu, Karma Acikhava, and LBT Varlik Yonetim.

Turker Tekten, CFO

Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Tekten was the CAO and CFO of Morgan Stanley in Turkey and managed the establishment of the Turkish entity Morgan Stanley Menkul Degerler A.S. where he held the position of Acting General Manager. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Tekten held a number of positions at JP Morgan Chase Turkey including serving as the CFO of the bank and as AVP of Emerging Markets Turkey Structured Products Desk. Mr. Tekten started his career at Turkiye Is Bankasi, a leading Turkish commercial bank, as an Assistant Internal Auditor.

Mr. Tekten received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University in Ankara and holds Advanced and Derivatives licenses from Capital Markets Board of Turkey.

Mr. Tekten serves on the Board of Auditors of Guney 2M and on the Board of Directors of Spectrum Radyo Grubu, Karma Acikhava, and LBT Varlık Yonetim.

Ali Ispahani, Senior Associate

Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Ispahani was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company where he led the firm’s corporate finance practice in Turkey, advising both strategic and financial investors in Turkey and Western Europe. Prior to McKinsey, Mr. Ispahani was a Vice President at Alpha Finance, a New York based investment boutique where he advised institutional investors regarding investments in Turkey and Eastern Europe. Mr. Ispahani started his career at Ernst & Young Corporate Finance in the M&A group in New York, focusing primarily on mid-market transactions.

Mr. Ispahani serves on the Board of Auditors of Spectrum Radyo Grubu, Karma Acikhava, and LBT Varlik Yonetim.

Ipek Gulec, Analyst

Prior to joining Actera, Ms. Gulec was an Analyst at JPMorgan Chase Investment Banking Division in New York where she focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital restructuring in the Financial Institutions Group.

Ms. Gulec received a BA in Quantitative Economics and International Relations from Tufts University.

Saim Korlu, Director

Saim Korlu is a Director of Actera Group and serves on the firm's operating committee.  Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Korlu was a Vice President at Abraaj Capital, a $7 billion private equity firm focused on Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to Abraaj Capital, Mr. Korlu worked in

the New York offices of the The Carlyle Group, a $90 billion global private equity firm. Mr. Korlu started his career at JP Morgan in New York in the Investment Banking Group.

Mr. Korlu received his BS in Industrial Engineering and Economics from Northwestern University. 

Seckin Tabak, Analyst

Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Tabak was an Associate at Ernst & Young in Istanbul, focusing on mergers and acquisitions across Turkey and Southeast Europe.

Mr. Tabak received a BA in Management from Bosphorus University in Istanbul.

Arif Keles, Associate

Prior to joining Actera, Mr. Keles was a Senior Analyst at Teknort Consulting, a boutique strategy consulting firm in Turkey, where he advised retail, telecom and private equity clients.  Mr. Keles started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers where he focused on the financial services sector.

Mr. Keles received an MBA from Ross School of Business at University of Michigan and a BS in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Koc University.