Early Life
Ferit Faik Sahenk was born in Ankara, Turkey, on March 18, 1964. He attended The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Human Resources from Boston College in 1989. His father, Ayhan Şahenk, was a prominent businessman.
Rise to Success
After graduating from college, Ferit Şahenk apprenticed at Doğuş' Garanti Bank. He founded Garanti Menkul Kıymetler Şirketi in 1991. In 1998, he moved to the holding company and acquired two food retail chains. He also oversaw the operations of NTV. In 2001, after the death of his father, Ayhan Şahenk, Ferit took over Doğuş Holding. Under his leadership, Doğuş Group expanded into various sectors, including media, tourism, finance, and construction. In 2004, Sahenk sold a quarter of Garanti Bank to General Electric for $1.6 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Sahenk has implemented several key strategies to grow Doğuş Group. These include acquiring and expanding into new business sectors, such as media and tourism. He created a recruitment division, Humanitas, to focus on top talent. He also introduced central back-office operations, leasing, insurance, and cashback rewards to banking.
Philanthropy
Ferit Şahenk is known for his philanthropic efforts. He donated 3 million CHF to TASIS for the Ferit Sahenk Fine Arts Center. He is also involved in various social and cultural initiatives.
