Who are we?
More and more companies hire boutique financial advisory services firms as their advisors not only for their M&A deals but also for their different needs. Because the boutique financial advisory services firms serve much fewer clients than huge outfits, they can offer incredibly personalized services based on their clients’ needs.
In a number of recent studies, the findings suggest that (i) both acquirers and targets are more likely to choose boutique financial advisory services firms in complex deals, suggesting that boutique financial advisory services firms are chosen for their skill and expertise; (ii) boutique financial advisory services firms spend more time, probably, on due diligence and negotiation to complete deals; and (iii) boutique financial advisory services firms achieve more favorable deal outcomes. Furthermore, as they typically serve a niche, their experience and knowledge is hard to match.
EMA is an Istanbul-based boutique financial advisory services firm providing financial advisory services to middle-market clients.
With the extensive operational management and transactional experience of its founders as well as their working relationships in both financial and capital markets not only in Turkey but also globally, EMA strives to provide value-added strategic financial advisory services, especially, for family owned companies having limited or no prior experience in corporate finance nor in project finance.
Our clients typically consist of private companies with revenues of USD 10 to USD 50 million seeking for a minimum of USD 5 million of capital or debt, a segment, which is usually overlooked by larger investment banks and financial advisory services firms for a number of reasons.
With our strong belief that such family owned companies also deserve professional representation, we assist them in maximizing shareholder value while they are growing or experiencing any special situations in their company’s evolution.
We also believe that not only our experience, but our expertise and teamwork approach adds a broader perspective to all we do and provides increased benefits to our clients.
OUR MANAGING PARTNERS
EMA was founded in 2015 by Mr. Mehmet KOÇAK and Mrs. Ebru KOÇAK, finance professionals with extensive senior management experience in multinational companies both in Turkey and globally.
Mr. Mehmet KOÇAK
Mehmet is the Managing Partner and Co-founder of EMA.
After graduating from Boğaziçi University with a BA Degree in Business Administration in 1990, Mehmet joined Istanbul Office of the Arthur Andersen Worldwide Organization where he worked as an auditor and business consultant for about three years. Mehmet left Arthur Andersen in early 1994 and began his career in the financial services industry. Only four years later, he joined the Turkish operations of ABN AMRO Bank N.V. as a Managing Director in charge of asset-backed lending.
In 2007, his entrepreneurial spirit saw the overwhelming need to form-up a merchant banking platform to specifically serve the small to mid-sized enterprises in Turkey on a one-stop shop principle and joined a Turkish group to set up the first merchant banking platform of its kind in Turkey. His initiative being largely blocked by the global financial crisis, together with his two colleagues, he decided to set-up a boutique financial advisory services firm where he was responsible of deal sourcing and structuring. Since 2007, Mehmet successfully completed project finance, balance sheet restructuring and distressed debt management transactions and M&A deals for different clients of different size.
Mehmet is bilingual with fluency in English and French and has experience working with international finance and global business transactions. Furthermore, he holds the designation of Certified Public Accountant.
Mehmet’s extensive financial experience and market relationships provide the basis for EMA to advise, structure and secure a variety of financing and capital transactions for its clients, including lines of credit and alternative forms of equity capital. Additionally, he has extensive experience with advising on and executing corporate acquisitions and divestitures; balance sheet restructuring and distressed debt management.
Besides running his own boutique financial advisory services firm, Mehmet is currently and has been a member of Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Advisory Board and Board of Statutory Auditors of a number of private companies and NGO’s in Turkey and abroad.
On the personal side, Mehmet has been married to his wife and business partner, Ebru.
Mrs. Ebru KOÇAK
Ebru is the Managing Partner and Co-founder of EMA.
After graduating from Boğaziçi University with a BA Degree in Business Administration in 1991, Ebru joined Istanbul Office of the Arthur Andersen Worldwide Organization where she worked as an auditor for about three years. Ebru left Arthur Andersen in 1994 and began her career as a finance professional in the real sector. In 199, she was appointed by Tetrapak as the Regional CFO in charge of Caucasus, Kenya and South Africa.
In 200X, she joined Groupe PSA, the second largest car manufacturer in Europe, in her capacity of CFO for Groupe PSA’s start-up logistics operations in Turkey where she was offered international positions on a number of occasions, which she had to decline for family reasons. She left Groupe PSA in 2015 on the occasion of her retirement and co-founded EMA.
Throughout her professional carrer, Ebru successfully set-up finance functions with special focus on regional management by objectives, segmental budgeting and reporting, transfer pricing issues, etc…
Ebru is trilingual with fluency in English and French besides Turkish, her mother tongue and has a devastating transcultural competence derived from experiences in multinational companies. Furthermore, she holds the designation of Certified Public Accountant, State Auditor and Professional Certified Coach of International Coach Federation.
Additionally, she has extensive experience with HR related issues as she also set-up the HR function while working for Groupe PSA.
On the personal side, Ebru has been married over 20 years to her husband and business partner, Mehmet.