Telecom giant VEON taps a Turkish financial expert for CFO role

Netherlands-based global telecommunications leader VEON has announced the appointment of Turkish financial expert Burak Ozer as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

VEON, led by CEO Kaan Terzioglu, the former head of Türkiye’s largest telecommunications company Turkcell, welcomed Ozer in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Jan. 9.

“Burak joins our leadership team as we focus on our growth ambitions, serving some of the most exciting frontier markets in the world,” the company said, expressing gratitude to outgoing CFO Joop Brakenhoff, who will continue to serve as an advisor to VEON’s Group CEO.

We warmly welcome Burak Özer to VEON as our new Group Chief Financial Officer.

Burak joins our Leadership Team as we focus on our growth ambition, serving some of the most exciting frontier markets of the world.

We also thank Joop Brakenhoff, who will continue to serve VEON as… pic.twitter.com/FPhDl774IY

— VEON (@VEONGroup) January 9, 2025

Kaan Terzioglu also congratulated Ozer on his new role, stating, “His vast international experience and proven track record will be invaluable to VEON as we re-align our positioning to the exciting frontier markets that we serve.”

VEON’s global leadership backed by strategic expertise

VEON, headquartered in the Netherlands‘ capital city, Amsterdam, and listed on the U.S. technology stock exchange Nasdaq, operates across three continents under brands such as Beeline, Jazz, JazzCash, Kyivstar, Djezzy, Banglalink, and Toffee.

The company reported a revenue of $3.7 billion and manages assets worth nearly $10 billion with its workforce exceeding 17,000 employees.

One of the most notable aspects of VEON is its board of directors, which includes prominent figures such as Michael Pompeo. Pompeo, who served as Secretary of State during Donald Trump’s first presidential term, was also the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018.