Director Spotlight - Ms Aysen Cetintas | FCI
Mackinac Bridge in Michigan
Latest News
Director Spotlight - Ms Aysen Cetintas
Director Spotlight - Ms Aysen Cetintas
12 January 2022

In this series of Director Interviews, we asked our directors to answer a few questions to get to know them a little better. In this edition, we speak with Ms Aysen Cetintas, FCI's Education Director.

What got you started in the industry?

After graduating from the University, I started my career in 1990 working in the trade finance department of a multinational bank in Turkey. In fact, I chose to have a bank career, but I came to the trade finance industry by accident and since then it is a passion of mine. A trade finance role falls somewhere between a relationship management role and a very specialized product manager role. Therefore, you need to showcase aspects of client engagement as well as product knowledge. After 30 years of my career in trade finance, I am still enjoying what I do every day and I invite new graduates to join the club!

Do you feel enough is being done to get youth involved in this industry?

Despite the best efforts of industry bodies to attract the next generation of trade finance professionals, more work needs to be done to increase the proportion and visibility of young talent in the business. The lack of awareness in this sector within the university sphere resulted in graduates not considering trade finance as a career option. Today’s world of trade finance has evolved greatly and offers tremendous career opportunities for graduates. New technology is completely changing the way trade is conducted today.  The customers using these solutions are ranging from the smallest enterprises to the largest institutions.

Trade Finance is generally big enough on its own to offer good career growth to the prospects. It is entirely possible to move in and out of various corporate banking roles, but if you really are a specialist in your field, you would be better served by sticking to what you know.

So, who is this career really for? I would say it is for those young graduates who are looking for a global career, willing to work hard, have an interest in visiting different countries and enjoy meeting clients and colleagues, who are motivated to learn and provide trade finance solutions to corporates and small & medium-sized enterprises.  I do invite young graduates to pursue their careers in trade finance and be a supportive part of the supply chain.

What is your favourite song?

I’m a true lover of music! The genres I listen to vary from classical music to rock, metal and even to ethnic songs. My favourite songs of all time are “Nothing else matters” from Metallica and “Hotel California” from Eagles.

We want to thank Aysen for letting us get to know her a little more and look forward to finding out more about our other directors in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Discover more

Learn more about Aysen and her team's work with the FCI Academy here.