GLTA

Definitive Agreement

Marti

Galata Acquisition Corp.

Underwriter: B. Riley Securities
Raised
$125M
CIK
1852767
SPAC Ticker
GLTA.U
Merger
Marti
Focus
FinTech, Financial Services, Technology, Insurance, Payment Platforms
External link: SEC Filings

SPAC Team

Leadership

Kemal Kaya has served as our Chief Executive Officer and a Director since our inception. Kemal is a leading figure in Turkish banking and has more than 35 years of experience in financial services. Since 2008, Kemal has served as a Senior Advisor to The Blackstone Group, focused on transactions in the region. Before joining Blackstone, Kemal was the CEO of Yapi Kredi Group, one of the leading financial groups in Turkey. He assumed this position after leading Turkey’s first and largest privately owned bank acquisition by Koc Financial Services. Under his leadership, Yapi Kredi Bank and Kocbank were merged, the biggest merger to date in the Turkish banking sector. Before the merger, Kemal served as General Manager of Kocbank and CEO of Koc Financial Services, the financial holding company of a strategic partnership between Koc Holding and UniCredit, in which Kemal also played a leading role in realizing in 2002. Earlier in his career, he held various senior positions in financial institutions and investor relations management with Yapi Kredi Bank. Kemal was educated in the United States and received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Kansas.

Daniel Freifeld has served as our President, Chief Investment Officer and a Director since our inception. Daniel is the founder of Callaway and serves as the firm’s Chief Investment Officer. He plays a central role in the identification, development, and execution of investment opportunities for the firm and leads the development and implementation of the firm’s stakeholder engagement strategies. Prior to founding Callaway, Mr. Freifeld served as Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy at the U.S. Department of State, where he was responsible for oil and gas issues in Iraq, Turkey, Russia, and the eastern Mediterranean and as a program coordinator for the Near East South Asia Center at the U.S. Department of Defense, working in more than ten Middle Eastern countries. He has been an associate of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard University and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a member of the state bars of Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. He speaks Turkish and French and conversational Arabic, Farsi, and Spanish and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science summa cum laude from Emory University and a juris doctor from New York University School of Law.

Michael Tanzer has served as our Chief Financial Officer since our inception. Michael serves as a Portfolio Manager for Callaway’s flagship investment fund, focusing on the identification, development, and execution of investment opportunities in corporate credit special situations. Prior to joining Callaway, Mr. Tanzer was a Senior Analyst at Southpaw Asset Management, where he focused on distressed investments across the capital structure, as well as litigation finance opportunities. Prior to joining Southpaw, he was a senior analyst at DG Capital Management, a special situations hedge fund based in New York. He began his career at Oberon Asset Management, also based in New York. He speaks conversational French and holds bachelor's degrees in economic theory and philosophy from New York University.

Adam S. Metz is one of our independent Directors . Adam serves on the board of directors of Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund, a private externally managed specialty finance company focused on lending to middle market companies, in connection with which he also serves on the board of directors of SL Investment Corp., a sidecar investment vehicle of the Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund. Adam also serves as non-executive director of Hammerson PLC (LON: HMSO), a property development and investment company. Previously, Adam served as Managing Director and Head of International Real Estate at The Carlyle Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CG), a private equity, alternative asset management and financial services company, from September 2013 to April 2018. From March 2011 to August 2013, Adam served as a Senior Advisor at the dedicated real estate equity investment platform of global alternative asset management firm TPG Capital. From October 2008 to December 2010, Adam served as Chief Executive Officer at General Growth Properties, Inc. (formerly NYSE: GGP) (“General Growth Properties”), a shopping mall operator. From 2003 to 2008, Mr. Metz served as Co-Founding Partner at Polaris Capital LLC, a private investment management company. From 2000 to 2002, Adam served as Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Rodamco North America N.V., a closed-end real estate fund. From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Metz served as Chief Financial Officer and then as President at Urban Shopping Centers, Inc. (formerly NYSE: URB), a real estate investment trust. From 1987 to 1993, Adam served as Vice President at JMB Realty Corp., a real estate investment company. From 1983 to 1987, Adam served as a corporate lending officer and then as Vice President at First National Bank of Chicago (formerly NYSE: FNB), a retail and commercial bank. Previously, Adam served on the boards of directors of Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. (formerly NYSE: FCE.A), a real estate company, from April 2018 to January 2019, Parkway Properties Inc. (formerly NYSE: PKY), a real estate investment firm, from June 2012 to November 2016, General Growth Properties, from 2005 to 2010, Howard Hughes Corporation (NYSE: HHC), a real estate development and management company, during 2010 following its spin-off from General Growth Properties, AMLI Residential Properties Trust (formerly NYSE: AML), a trust specializing in management, acquisition, development, and co-investment of multifamily apartment communities, from 2003 to 2004, Aliansce Sonae Shopping Centers SA (BVMF: ALSO3), a Brazilian shopping mall company, Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation (formerly NYSE: BLLY), a fitness club chain, from 2005 to 2006, and Chiasso Acquisition LLC, a home furnishing retailer from 2006 to 2008. Adam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Cornell University and an Master’s in Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Shelley Guiley is one of our independent Directors . Shelley served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Fundraising at The Carlyle Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CG), a private equity, alternative asset management and financial services company, from July 2010 to February 2020. In that role, Shelley led the execution of Carlyle’s fundraising strategy, working with Management to define fundraising goals, create a systematic approach and drive the fundraising processes. Prior to joining Carlyle, Shelley was a Senior Vice President and the Director of Investor Relations at Allied Capital Corporation (NYSE: ALD) from March 2005 to July 2010, where she managed the firm’s relationships with institutional and individual investors. Prior to that, she was employed by Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) and Price Waterhouse LLP. Shelley has over twenty years of experience in the financial services industry, primarily in the Investor Relations field. Shelley earned her Bachelor of Science degree in commerce from The University of Virginia and a Master’s in Business Administration degree from The Tuck School at Dartmouth College. She is a licensed CPA and has held a Series 24 license since October 2020, an 82 license since April 2011 and a Series 63 license since November 2011.

Tim Shannon is one of our independent Directors . Tim serves as the Managing Partner of Cedar Investors LLC, an investment firm with private equity holdings in industries including veterinary and dental practice management. Prior to founding Cedar Investors, Tim was an operator at DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) where he focused on initiatives including strategic partnerships with health insurance companies. Previously, Tim was an investor at Zweig-DiMenna Associates, a hedge fund with holdings across global equities and credit. He started his career at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. as a research analyst covering sectors including health and life insurance. Tim is a CFA charterholder. He holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management and policy magna cum laude from Georgetown University and a master’s in business administration with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.