Mr. Burhan Karaçam is most recognized for his leadership roles in strategic planning and innovation in the Turkish banking sector. Indeed, his successful initiatives in the banking sector were embraced as best practices across many sectors, catalyzing the rapid adoption of professional management and corporate governance concepts throughout the Turkish business community.
After graduating from the Boğaziçi University Business School (formerly known as Robert College) in 1972, Karaçam left for London to start his professional career at Arthur Andersen. Three years later, he returned to Turkey as a local partner to set up Arthur Andersen’s Istanbul office after which he rejoined Andersen’s London office through to 1981.
Karaçam’s banking career was launched in 1981 with his first role as a Deputy General Manager for Pamukbank, a subsidiary of the Çukurova Group in Turkey, quickly followed by his role as CEO for Egebank in 1984. In 1987, Karaçam returned to the Çukurova Group to accept the role of CEO for Yapı Kredi Bank as well as serve as a member of the Çukurova Holding Board of Directors and Executive Committee through 1999.
In Yapı Kredi, as the leader of the management team he joined in 1987, he launched an ambitious modernization program with an aim to set up a totally customer-driven organization which transformed YK to be the market leader in consumer banking and a very active player in capital markets, corporate and international businesses. Under Karaçam’s stewardship, Yapı Kredi matured into one of Turkey’s leading companies, spurring the economy through its financial performance as well as its visionary investments in technology namely, Turkcell and Superonline, and tourism.
In March 1999, Karaçam resigned from Yapı Kredi Bank and the Çukurova Group to establish his own business strategy design and implementation consultancy company under the name of BK Partnership .
By March 2000, Karaçam assumed the role of Executive Chairman for Koçbank and the other financial subsidiaries of the Koç Group with the primary goal to restructure each of them in pursuit of a strategic partnership with a leading international financial institution. By the end of 2002, Karaçam designed and structured a successful deal between UniCredito of Italy and the Koç Financial Services Group.
Karaçam continues his consulting role at BK Partnership and is currently involved with projects mainly in the finance, real estate, agro business and various manufacturing sectors.