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Burak Arik

CEO at Maxitech

Burak Arik is a prominent figure in the technology sector, currently serving as the CEO of Maxitech, a technology subsidiary of Türkiye's largest private bank, İşbank, located in San Francisco, California. He has been in this role since September 2016 and is recognized for his leadership in developing innovative products that leverage advanced technologies to create practical business applications.1

In addition to his role at Maxitech, Burak Arik is also a Founding Member of Turkish Collective, a position he has held since November 2020. This organization aims to foster collaboration and support among Turkish professionals in the tech industry.1

Professional Background

  • Experience:
    • CEO at Maxitech (2016 - Present)
    • Advisor at Lunafi.co (2019 - Present)
    • Senior Manager at SoftTech A.Ş (2007 - 2016)
    • Senior Specialist at Turkcell (2007)
    • Analyst/Senior Developer at Yapı Kredi (2002 - 2006)
  • Education:
    • B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Ege University
    • Executive MBA from The Wharton School (2023 - 2025) among other professional certifications in product management and software development.1

Skills and Contributions

Burak Arik is known for his strong communication skills and a unique blend of technical expertise and leadership qualities. His work emphasizes collaboration and innovation, aiming to improve lives through technology. He has also participated in various educational programs focused on product management and venture capital, further enhancing his capabilities as a leader in the tech industry.1

Highlights

Jul 14 · linkedin

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Citi Gen AI Summit 2024. This unique closed event focused on the intersection of Generative AI and banking, bringing together investors, experts, startups, and business leaders from across the industry.

I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Citi Ventures team for the invitation, Çağla Kaymaz, Matt Carbonara ✅, Vibhor Rastogi, and Arvind Purushotham. I also enjoyed reconnecting with long-time friends Sri Satish Ambati and Aman Rangrass.

Here are my key takeaways from the event: 1️⃣ AI Integration & Talent Development: Organizations are building comprehensive AI stacks with robust guardrails while investing heavily in talent. Early estimates suggest productivity gains of 5-25% across various use cases. 2️⃣ AI Investment Landscape: The sector is seeing unprecedented interest, with startup valuations achieving revenue multiples of 30-40x or higher. 3️⃣ Enterprise AI Platforms: Horizontal AI platforms are revolutionizing workplace productivity, with some reporting daily time savings of up to two hours per user. AI agents are emerging very rapidly, improving our daily workflows. 4️⃣ Evolving AI Tech Stack: Advancements in parameter-efficient fine-tuning and mechanistic interpretability show promise for enhancing model customization and transparency. 5️⃣ AI Adoption Trends: Enterprise AI adoption is accelerating, with a shift towards specialized models and complex AI systems. 6️⃣ Customer Perspective: While there's significant interest in generative AI, the customer-facing Gen AI applications are still in their early stages of production-level implementation. 7️⃣ Future of AI and Quantum Computing: Integrating quantum computing with AI could potentially enable AGI much sooner. 8️⃣ AI Infrastructure Innovations: The industry is pushing the limits of innovation in networking, storage, and power management to address the rising energy needs of AI.

The summit highlighted the rapid pace of AI development in banking and finance. It's clear that we're on the brink of transformative changes. Please feel free to share your thoughts!

#GenerativeAI #Banking #FinTech

Jul 19 · linkedin

🎓 As I've survived the first wave of midterms, it's time to share the news. I'm a student again after so many years!

A couple of months ago, I was accepted into The Wharton School, an Ivy League top-notch business school in the U.S. I'm incredibly excited to learn from world-renowned faculty and collaborate with exceptionally talented classmates during my two-year program. We've already been grouped into learning teams, and I've got some fantastic people in mine. Matt Vail, Adam Wong, Kate Modic, Charles Wilfried Abedier, and Aditi Soory

My sincerest appreciation goes out to the esteemed leadership of Türkiye İş Bankası and Softtech for their unwavering support. Working alongside them for many years has been an absolute honor, and I am deeply grateful. Hakan Aran, Sabri Gökmenler, Sezgin Lule, and M.Bülent Özçengel. I would also like to extend my immense thanks to my teams at Maxitech and Entrapeer, whose exceptional support has enabled me to balance my studies effectively. Christie St-John did an outstanding job preparing me for the rigorous application process. But most importantly, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my family. They have been incredibly supportive and will continue to be as I've had to give up personal time to pursue this path. And I can't forget to thank Duygu OKTEM CLARK and Yiğit Ihlamur, who inspired me to do this in the first place!

Stay tuned for updates as I embark on this incredible adventure at Wharton. I'm excited to share my insights and experiences with you along the way!

#WhartonBound #Grateful #NextChapter

Related Questions

What is the mission of Turkish Collective?
How did Burak Arik transition from Turkey to the US?
What are some notable projects Burak Arik has led at Maxitech?
How does Burak Arik's background in computer engineering influence his leadership style?
What are Burak Arik's key achievements at Turkish Collective?
Burak Arik
Burak Arik, photo 1
Burak Arik, photo 2
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Experience

CEO at Maxitech since September 2016
Advisor at Lunafi.co since August 2019, Founding Member at Turkish Collective since November 2020

Education

MBA from The Wharton School (expected 2025); Executive Program in Venture Capital from UC Berkeley Haas (2022); Various courses from Stanford Continuing Studies; Product Management from Product School

Location

San Francisco, California, United States