He was born in Uşak in 1972. He graduated from İzmir Science High School in 1989 and subsequently completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at the Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences. He obtained his PhD in Business Administration from the same faculty in 2021. He began his professional career in November 1998 as an Assistant Inspector at Interbank. In May 2001, he left his position at the bank to join the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) as an Assistant Specialist. During his approximately 16-year tenure at the BRSA, he served successively in the TMSF Asset Management Department, as well as the Risk Management and Surveillance Techniques, Institutions, Implementation, and Strategy Development departments. In January 2017, he assumed the role of Head of Internal Control and Compliance at Bank of China Turkey; having left this position at the end of 2024, Ferhun Ateş currently operates as an independent consultant and trainer in the financial sector. Dr. Ferhun Ateş qualifies as an independent board member in accordance with the CMB Corporate Governance Principles. He has no relationship with Sümer Varlık Yönetim A.Ş. or its related parties.