Istanbul, Türkiye — April 15, 2026
Burgan Bank Türkiye has appointed Birsen Akyürek as head of trade finance, as banks in the region increase focus on expanding trade-linked revenue, particularly across SME-driven segments.
Akyürek joins from DenizBank, where she led trade finance alongside corporate and SME banking and digital initiatives. Her move reflects a broader preference for leadership profiles that combine product, client coverage and execution, rather than operating within traditional trade silos.
She will be responsible for expanding trade finance activity, with a focus on increasing client penetration and structuring solutions across corporate and SME portfolios. The role also includes leading key transactions and coordinating across internal teams to deliver tailored trade offerings.
Shift Toward Commercially Driven Trade Leadership
Burgan Bank: What It Means
Before DenizBank, Akyürek spent over a decade in banking roles including corporate banking positions at HSBC. Her experience spans trade finance, lending and digital projects, aligning with how banks are repositioning trade functions more directly around revenue generation.
In Türkiye and similar markets, trade finance is increasingly tied to SME activity, where growth depends on origination strength and execution speed rather than balance sheet scale alone.
One change is becoming clear. Trade leadership is no longer defined by operational expertise. It is increasingly measured by the ability to expand client coverage and convert trade demand into structured, revenue-generating flows.
About Burgan Bank Türkiye
Burgan Bank Türkiye is the Turkish subsidiary of Kuwait-based Burgan Bank, offering corporate, commercial and retail banking services.
Digital Trade Outlook Analysis
Trade finance roles are being redefined around integrated transaction banking models. Banks are aligning leadership across trade, lending and payments, where the ability to originate and execute across products is becoming more critical than managing a single vertical.
Related on Digital Trade Outlook
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- Standard Chartered Appoints Ole Matthiessen to Lead Transaction Services and Digital Assets
- National Bank of Greece Joins Komgo Network to Expand International Trade Finance Operations
- RBC Unifies Global Transaction Banking Under New Co-Leadership Structure