January 2010-         

August 2008-December 2009

   - As Managing Partner

KepezCPA is a Financial Advisory firm specialized at:

- Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory

- Accounting and Tax Advisory

- Corporate Finance Services.

Mehmet Kepez is a Vice President of Audit and Assurance Committee of Istanbul Chamber of Certified Public Accountants.

- As Chief Finance Officer and Board Member of   (taking place among the first 100 biggest corporations in Turkey, the 9^th place among the first 500 IT companies throughout Turkey, Distributor of TURKCELL,Nokia, Phillips)

June 2007- August 2008

- As ARAS HOLDING CFO, Executive Board Member Coordination of all the financial activities of the group.

- Reporting to CEO, President of the BOD

March 2005- June 2007

As Deputy General Manager- Finance & Purchasing of ARAS CARGO

-Execution of all financial activities, budget, tax, fund raising, accounting and purchasing issues of the Aras Cargo.

-Responsible departments: Budgeting, Finance, Accounting, Purchasing.

- Coordination of 41 people.

-Reporting to: GM, CEO, President of BOD.

December 2004-March 2005

D&R (Doğan Muzik Kitap Mağazacılık Pazarlamacılık A.Ş- a member of Doğan Medya Group)

As Head of Operational and Financial Audit

• Reporting to the General Manager of the Co.
• Conducting of a team of 7 people (1 internal audit manager and 7 associates). Responsible for the financial audit and operational audit of the main functions including finance, accounting, category, IT, sales, marketing departments and D&R stores.
• Responsible for the enhancement of the activities. Rehabilitation of the operations and execution.
• Providing assistance to General Manager.

April 2004-September 2004

Completion of Military Obligation.

August 2002-November 2003

Alien Denetim ve Yeminli Mali Müşavirlik A.Ş.

Exclusive correspondent of PKF (Pannell Kerr Forster) International, Istanbul/Turkey

As Director, Assurance & Advisory

Professional Responsibilities:

• Conduct of the audit (IAS, SPK, US GAAP), business assurance, compliance, fraud investigation and special works.  
• Dealing with corporate finance activities (project finance, due diligence, preparation of the information memorandums, valuations, mergers and acquisitions, buy-outs, financial advisory, debt restructuring). Please refer to my credentials (credentials.xls) for detailed info with regards to corporate finance.
• Coordination of the know-how transfer and administrative affairs with PKF International.

June 2002-June 2003                                      

Marmara University, Istanbul/Turkey

Institute & School of Banking and Insurance

As academician and senior instructor of  “Investment Theory and Portfolio Analysis” lecture (on a part time basis).

February 2002-June 2002

PhD STUDY (Achievement of all of the compulsory lectures of the PhD program in banking & Finance.)

August 2000-February 2002

Tekfen Holding Company, Istanbul/Turkey

As “Budget and Auditing Coordinator”         

Major responsibilities:                                                                                                             

• Consolidation of 54 companies located in various countries where IAS and US GAAP practices are applied.
• Forecast of the parameters.
• Consolidation of annual and periodical budget and comparison of it with the actual figures.
• Internal audit of Tekfen Group.
• Member of the Tekfen Group Auditory Board.
• Valuation of various companies.            
• Performance assessment of Tekfen Group companies by means of financial analysis.                             
• Decision making about financial affairs (Buy - Sell Decisions, Investments).
• Periodical reporting to management about macroeconomic indicators and their interpretation.
• Reporting in various disciplines.
• Accounting system implementation and rehabilitation of group companies in various countries.
• Preparation of Tekfen Group for annual independent audit review.
• Financial review of the strategic decisions of the Executive Board.
• Analysis of the valuation reports of the companies subject to initial public offering.
• Preparation of the “Strategic Planning Manuel” of Tekfen Group.
• Search for worldwide finance opportunities for leading projects of Tekfen Group. 
• Major industries of Tekfen Group: Construction, Fertilizer, Trade, Investment, Banking, Foreign Trade Marine Terminal, Retail, Cotton Spinning, Knitwear, Insurance, Securities, Manufacture.                  
• Major Companies of Tekfen: Tekfen Construction, HMB, Tekfen Engineering, Tekfen Manufacturing, Transbalkan, Toros Energy, Akdeniz Fertilizer, Toros Fertilizer, Tekfen Industry, Karaca, Tekzen, Mesbaş, Asbaş, Papfen, Tekfenbank, Tekfen Insurance, Tekfen Securities, Antalya Studios, etc.

September 1996-August 2000                                                                                               

Arthur Andersen, Istanbul/Turkey

Audit &            Business Advisory (ABA) Department

Skills developed during engagement:          

• Conventional Audit Methodology
• Reporting requirements of International Accounting Standards (IAS).
• Reporting in accordance with the requirements of Capital Board of Turkey (SPK).
• Internal control reviews.
• Business Audit Methodology practices developed by Arthur Andersen.
• Fraud investigation.
• Due diligence works.
• Compliance testing under various disciplines.
• Familiarity with Turkish taxation system.                                                                                                                     

Major engagements having in-charge responsibilities:                                                                   

• Fraud investigation in a textile Company amounting to USD 4 million.

• Kasansay Tekmen Joint Stock Company (Located in Uzbekistan): Direct translation and compliance testing in accordance with the acts of contract of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

• Antalya Water Works (Antsu) : Audit and compliance testing of the acts of the contract signed with the World Bank. Preparation of a compliance checklist to be presented to World Bank.                                                                                                                                                                 

Other Clients:

(Consolidation, internal control reviews, business audit applications, IAS & SPK audit, reporting package approvals of multinational companies.)                                                                                                       

İstanbul Gaz Dağıtım Sanayi (İGDAŞ), Phillip Morris, Total Oil, Bristol Myers, Mis Süt, Quiksilver, Çolakoğlu Metalurji, Daihatsu Sheraton Voyager, Dış Ekonomik İlişkiler Kurulu, Bosh Fren Sistemleri,Egmont Yayıncılık, Kaksan Karaisalı Kireç Fabrikaları, Gemak, Kent Yatırım, Tetrapak, Servier, Tradanet, Kent Leasing, Lambweston,Kent Faktoring, SPS Güvenlik Hizmetleri, Ant Süt, Toros Nakliyat, Denak Gemicilik, Toros Terminal, Ova Elektrik                

January 1996-September 1996                                                                                                                     

Global Securities Inc, Istanbul/Turkey

As “Internal Control Assistant” in Internal Control Division (on a part time basis).

June 1995-September 1995                                                                                                                          

Price Waterhouse, Istanbul/Turkey               

As “Trainee” in Audit and Advisory Division.                               

June 1994-September 1994                

Vakıf Leasing , Istanbul/Turkey         

As “Trainee” in Marketing Division.

June 1993-September 1993

Magic Life Der Club, Antalya/Turkey 

As “Trainee” in Accounting Office.                     

EDUCATION & ACADEMIC RECORD

2007

Postgraduate                         

2001-2006                               

Post Graduate

1999-2001                                                                              

Graduate

1992-1996

1989-1992

1986-1989

Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul/Turkey

Assistant Professor of Finance (part time basis)

İstanbul Kavram Meslek Yüksek Okulu, Istanbul/Turkey

Head of International Logistics Department

Marmara University, Istanbul/Turkey

Institute of Banking and Insurance

PhD Program in Banking

First rank among institute graduates (GPA: 95 out of 100). Thesis Subject: Firm Valuation Based on Discounted Cash Flows, A Methodological Approach to Firm Valuation based on DCF.

Marmara University, Istanbul/Turkey

Institute of Banking and Insurance

MSc Program in Capital Market and Stock Market Operations

First rank among institute graduates (GPA:86 out of 100).

Thesis Subject: Reporting In Hyperinflationary Economies In Accordance with International Accounting Standard Number 29 and A Case Study In An Industrial Company

University of Istanbul, Istanbul/Turkey

Faculty of Economics

Department of Economics (Language of instruction: English)

Taking place in the first %1 rank (GPA: 74 out of 100).

Antalya Anatolian High School, Antalya/Turkey

Antalya Private Secondary School, Antalya/Turkey

COMPUTER SKILLS

Excel, Word, Power point, MS Office Tools, Flow charter, MS Outlook Express, Lotus Notes, Logo Gold, Genex (Oracle based software developed for brokerage companies.)

MEMBERSHIPS                                                                                                              

• Active Member of Istanbul Chamber of Certified Public Accountants (ISMMMO).
• Active Member of Courier,Logistics& Cargo Association of Turket (KARID).
• Active Member of University of Istanbul Economy Club.
• Active Member of Alumni Association of  IU Faculty of  Economics.
• Active Member of Turkish Judo and Aikido Federation.
• Attending various seminars as visiting scholar at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Executive MBA Class and Isık University (Consolidation, Inflation Accounting, Leasing Accounting, etc).

• Attending various conferences prepared under the curriculum of Marmara University as an academician.

• As essayist about Theoretical Finance and Accounting  at www.bilgeyatirimci.com “Mehmet Kepez ile Randori”  

LANGUAGES

English (excellent), German (above average)

TRAININGS

• Excel, Word, Power point training by Executrain (May 1996)
• Local Office Audit and Business Advisory (ABA) Training by Arthur Andersen (Istanbul, 3 weeks, September 1996)
• International ABA Training by Arthur Andersen (Spain, 3 weeks, November 1996)
• In-charge Essentials by Arthur Andersen (Holland, 3 weeks, July 1999)
• Business Audit Toolset Applications by Arthur Andersen (Holland, 1 week, August 1999)
• Tax Planning Seminar by PricewaterhouseCoopers (Istanbul, 2 days, September 2000)
• Various other seminars and trainings prepared by Arthur Andersen related with the applications of International Accounting Standards, US GAAP, Capital Market Board of Turkey Accounting Standards, etc.