Erol Sabancı

Erol Sabancı (born 12 June 1938, Kayseri) is a Turkish businessman and banker. He served in Akbank's management for more than half a century, serving as chairman of the bank's board of directors between 1998 and 2008. He is the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sabancı Holding.

He was born in Akçakaya village of Kayseri, as the fifth son of Hacı Ömer Sabancı, the founder of Sabancı Group, and Sadıka Sabancı. He received his secondary education at Tarsus American College, then studied at Manchester College of Commerce in England. After his military service, he started working in family companies; He worked in the management of the family's flour mill and in the finance unit of the Bossa textile business.

Akbank years

He joined Akbank's Board of Directors in 1967 and served as a board member and vice president for many years. He was appointed chairman of the board in March 1998; After serving in this position for nearly ten years, he moved to the role of honorary president and advisor in 2008. His membership on the board of directors continued until March 2018, after which he took part in the bank as a board advisor. His daughter Suzan Sabancı Dinçer took over the chairmanship of Akbank in 2008.

Apart from the bank, he serves as vice chairman on the board of directors of Sabancı Holding. Being the head of one of the largest private banks in the country during the growth period of Turkish private banking made him the representative of the Sabancı family in the field of finance.