Okan Akin, CFA
13 Years at AB|28 Years of Experience
Okan Akin is a Senior Vice President and Corporate Credit Research Analyst, focusing on emerging-market issuers. Prior to joining AB in 2012, he was a director in the Global Markets and Strategy Group at Royal Bank of Scotland, where he was responsible for credit strategy for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Prior to that, Akin was a director in the Emerging Markets Fixed Income Research Group at J.P. Morgan, where he initiated coverage of the Middle East. He holds a BA in business administration and international relations from Bosphorus University, Istanbul, and an MS in European economics and policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Akin is a CFA charterholder. Location: London
Published Work
Banking sector crises have historically been one of the key drivers of risk for EM countries' asset returns. Could the next banking crisis be in EM?
Most investors need little persuading that emerging markets offer exciting opportunities. But emerging-market corporates also pose environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges so entangled and seemingly intractable that investors are reminded of the legendary Gordian knot. In this paper, we show investors how to cut through these challenges.
Emerging-Markets Corporates (EMC) are full of dynamism and opportunity-but come with some specific risks attached. How can skillful research help EMC investors capture these higher-yielding opportunities while avoiding the pitfalls?