Today we are speaking with one really special lady from the CFA community who is an active and valuable member of CFA Institute and CFA Society Istanbul. Her name is Ilke Homris, CFA.
Ms. Ilke Homris has been a CFA charterholder since 2002 and since 2015 she has served as a Director of the CFA Society Istanbul. Also, she is a Collaborative WIM (Women in Investment Management) Ambassador, promoting gender diversity and inclusion of women in the finance world on a global level.
Ms. Ilke Homris has 25 years of distinguished experience in equity research, capital markets, valuation, corporate finance and investments.
In this interview, we talked with her about her professional and CFA journey, her reasons behind the decision to become a CWIM Ambassador, as well as about social expectations and gender biases in a very practical way.
What would you label as a focal turning point or event in your life that influenced and shaped your career path and brought you where you are now?
A pivotal turning point in my career happened very early on when I was working as a junior equity analyst at one of the leading local brokers. Though I enjoyed my work environment, I had aspirations of working at an international bank. This was around 1996 or 1997. One day, I shared my ambition with a college friend who was working at ING Barings’ representative office. He explained that while the office was small and not looking to expand, he kindly offered to introduce me to his manager, Atif.
Atif graciously agreed to meet with me and advised that I gain more experience before revisiting the opportunity. I appreciated the advice and focused on developing my skills. To my surprise, in early 1999, I was invited to interview for a role at ING Barings, which led to my dream job. At the time, I was a Level 2 CFA candidate, inspired by the example of Attila Köksal, CFA, who was my previous manager.
At the time, it felt exhilarating to work for an international brokerage where all the local analysts were vying for your business. I loved being part of the global team, attending EMEA meetings, and contributing my insights on the market, in addition to equity, also on the economy and politics—critical topics for emerging markets like ours. The exposure to international markets, both developed and emerging, was invaluable. I also had the chance to make recommendations to some big-name clients from time to time. Despite working long hours, and being recently married, I truly enjoyed every moment of the experience. I learned a great deal from Atif, who was also a CFA charterholder. Few months after leaving that role to move into sales, I also got my designation. A particularly meaningful moment came in our charter award ceremony in May 2024, when I presented the CFA certificate to Atif’s son, Emre. Having met Emre as a child during my time at ING Barings, this full-circle moment reminded me just how interconnected our journeys can be — be it careerwise or socially, it truly is a small world.
Why do you think it is important to invest in women and to have women in a team?
I could have easily said the expected, such as “women bring diversity, empathy, and affection - qualities much needed in today’s world.” But no, here’s what I truly believe, and ironically, I’ll start by quoting a man: Paul Smith, CFA, once said in a podcast, “Because it is only fair to do so. It’s fair because women make up half of the population.”
I don’t believe there even needs to be a discussion around this. After all, would we ever ask, “Why do you think it’s important to invest in men or have men in the team?”
I deeply respect the efforts made by both men and women to increase women’s representation in the workforce and on boards. However, I believe true revolutions or reforms require bold steps, not incremental changes. We should aim for a goal that reflects true equity - such as a 50% club - because anything less misses the point of equity.
That said, I strongly believe in merit-based inclusion. Anyone should be in a position because they’ve earned it through their abilities, not simply for the sake of diversity. This belief is one of the reasons I admire the CFA program, which is a great equalizer. As Marg Franklin, CFA said in her latest speech at the Global SLC in Montreal, “Life is not fair, but the CFA program is.”
Social expectations often impose on women the need to respond successfully to multiple tasks simultaneously – including taking care of family and household and achieving high performance at work at the same time. Does it represent a stumbling block or a tailwind for women's professional development?
Social expectations often require women to excel simultaneously in family responsibilities and professional roles, posing unique challenges. Let me share my own story—one that shaped my perspective on this balancing act.
I was raised by strong women: my single mother, a successful medical doctor, and my two aunts and grandmother, who stepped in after my father passed away when I was three (the stumbling blocks and tailwinds for my mom would be another major story to tell, though should be very clear in this one sentence). Growing up in this supportive environment, I never noticed significant gender-based differences in responsibilities. Multitasking felt natural, not something to be defined or analyzed. That was the normal for me. And I always thought I’d also work nonstop in life until…
Until I became a mother. I was working in equity sales when I left for my pregnancy leave, (a bit earlier than initially planned since some complications had begun), saying I’ll be back in few weeks anyway because I loved my job and wanted to continue doing that. But life had other plans. My daughter was born prematurely, weighing just 1.8 kg, and the thought of leaving her at home, even with support from grandmothers, felt unbearable. When my legal maternity leave ended, I proposed working half-days from home. With Blackberries widely used at work, I was confident I could effectively manage client needs remotely. Living in Istanbul, where traffic often extends the workday to 12 hours away from home, made this arrangement critical for me. Unfortunately, my employer declined, and I made the difficult decision to resign.
This marked a turning point in my professional journey and reshaped my perspective on balancing work and family. I did not return to work until my daughter was 14 months old, choosing instead to take a less demanding role at a company. Less than a year after I started that job, I became pregnant with my son and decided to leave before my maternity leave even began. I made this decision for three reasons: I was unhappy with the role and the company I was working for, I wanted to prepare for the Ph.D. qualifying exam in finance (I passed the exam but never finished the thesis) and I didn’t want to appear unethical by taking on a new job solely to cover my maternity leave.
I didn’t return to work until my son was two years old. While I could have rejoined the workforce earlier, I chose to delay my return because my mother was diagnosed with advanced cancer and began treatment. I decided to wait until her condition stabilized. When the opportunity for a part-time position arose at the largest local broker, it felt like a perfect balance between my professional aspirations and family. This was in early 2008, and by then, many of my peers had already reached much more senior positions. Given the shortage of qualified analysts, one of my responsibilities was to help train junior analysts while also managing my own workload. I worked in this part-time role for two years, which turned out to be one of the happiest periods of my life, both professionally and personally. I was incredibly grateful to secure such a part-time position, and I took great pride in the quality and quantity of work I delivered — I truly excelled. And since I was so content, the amount of work I did was much more than the one I generated when I later moved on to a fulltime position in the same job. And of course, the major tailwind was the support of my mom, be it helping with my kids, offering wisdom or providing emotional strength during challenging days at work, till the day she passed away.
I can talk more and more on the next few years… But I’ll leave it here.
Did my choices above create stumbling blocks in my professional development? Absolutely, since a consistent career trajectory is crucial in professional life, and rightly so. Yet, I wouldn't have chosen differently because these decisions aligned with what I felt comfortable with given my past and my values. I’d also like to thank my husband, Onurhan Homriş, a long-time unregistered Level 3 candidate (with whom we started the CFA journey together and who, in fact, passed Level2 when I’d failed), who hasn’t taken the exam since 2001, for his unwavering support throughout all my decisions.
Social expectations for women can be a double-edged sword. While they often create exhaustion, bias, and limited career growth, they also build resilience, multitasking, and adaptability. Systemic changes—like flexible workplace policies and cultural shifts toward shared responsibilities — are key to turning these challenges into opportunities.
Ultimately, my journey taught me the importance of aligning professional decisions with personal values. The obstacles I faced shaped me into a more resilient and empathetic individual, proving that success comes in many forms.
What was the main reason for you to become a CWIM Ambassador?
Being an ambassador for CWIM offers a unique opportunity to connect, collaborate, and grow alongside a diverse group of women united by shared experiences and goals. It provides a platform for empowerment, where women can share their stories, learn from each other, and build meaningful networks that transcend geographical boundaries. Wherever I go in the world, I always send a message to our CWIM group to meet with whoever is there. It was lovely to meet with some CWIM Ambassadors from all over the world in Montreal last month and also in New York last summer for a personal visit. I can always feel the mutual support and the stronger voices we can create in both local and global contexts. I look forward to meeting more CWIM ambassadors at the annual conference in Chicago in May 2025. Even this opportunity to talk about my career journey to younger professional women (and men) is priceless. I thank you, dear Natasa Djorovic Bijanic, CFA, for initiating these series of interviews and congratulate you with all my heart. And I’d also like to thank Sarah Yao Schutzman, CFA and Regina Gaysina for creating this group. I’d like to take this opportunity to invite all of you, CWIM ambassadors, to our CEE Investment Conference on 15/05/25 (announcing the actual date for the 1st time in this platform) in Istanbul.
Did the CFA designation help you in better positioning on the business world map?
Absolutely. After taking a two-year break from work following my mother's passing, the CFA designation opened up a new world for me. I had been a member of the society since its founding in 2003 but had never attended an event. The first event I decided to attend was the inaugural Women in Finance event in 2015. There, I reconnected with old friends, and our President at the time, Ertunc Tumen, CFA, mentioned they were planning to professionalize the society. A few months later, I became involved in my lovely current job.
The CFA designation not only helped me find a fulfilling job where I interact with highly qualified finance professionals globally, but it also gave me the opportunity to help introduce a platform for those who want to be part of this educated and ethical community.