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World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), the global trade association of publicly regulated exchanges, today announced the appointment of Mr. Hüseyin Erkan to the position of Secretary General. Until recently Mr. Erkan served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Istanbul Stock Exchange, a post he was appointed to by the Turkish Government. Mr. Erkan has approximately 23 years of experience in the financial sector of which 16 years have been with the Istanbul Stock Exchange. Mr. Erkan was a member of the WFE Board of Directors between 2008 - 2011.
Mr. Erkan will succeed Mr. Thomas Krantz. During Mr. Krantz’s tenure, WFE added 21 new member exchanges from both developed and emerging markets, and developed high-level ties with international governmental and regulatory organizations, such as G20, IOSCO, the European Central Bank and the International Federation of Accountants.
Mr. Erkan said: “I am honored that the WFE Board of Directors has appointed me to the position of Secretary General, recognizing my commitment to the principles put forward by the Federation. My goal is to expand and enhance WFE’s service and advocacy for well-regulated exchanges, particularly during this period of rapid global economic transformation.”
The WFE believes that Mr. Erkan’s leadership at the Istanbul Stock Exchange uniquely suits him for his new role at the WFE in articulating the unified global exchange viewpoint about industry regulatory issues. His appointment should continue to facilitate coordination between WFE members, to maintain a high level of visibility for WFE initiatives among policymakers, regulators and academics.
Mr. Ronald Arculli, Chairman of the WFE Board of Directors said: “WFE has a long-standing commitment to bringing the world’s regulated exchanges together in order to improve the quality of markets. Our Board of Directors believes that Hüseyin will strengthen and focus the WFE’s voice as it proactively fulfills its promise to promote market fairness and transparency worldwide. We are grateful to Thomas Krantz for his 15 years of service to the federation.”
During his 16 years at the Istanbul Stock Exchange, Mr. Erkan led several facets of the organization from international market oversight and relations, to central securities settlement and clearing. While serving as Chairman and Chief Executive of Istanbul Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2011, Mr. Erkan was responsible for daily operations of the Exchange, including the introduction of several new Markets and the development of a number of domestic and regional indices. His skills at gathering international cooperation for the Exchange were a vital part of linking the Istanbul Stock Exchange to many other major exchanges globally, thus creating a regional hub. At the same time, Mr. Erkan served as President of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges, a regional federation of 34 developing markets from Croatia to Mongolia, and the Chairman of Takasbank – The ISE Settlement and Custody Bank.
Prior to his role at Istanbul Stock Exchange, Mr. Erkan held several high-level positions in the private sector, such as Managing Partner and Board Member of Tezal Securities, Consultant for Bankers Trust, International Capital Markets Specialist at Deĝer Securities, and various positions in manufacturing, transportation, and services sectors. While earning his MBA in International Business and Finance at New York University’s Stern Business School, Mr. Erkan conducted his thesis project on currency risk management at the United Nations Development Program.
