Not Just Change, but Deepening: Cerebra’s Strategic Transformation Story

In an interview with Turkish Law Blog, Cerebra Managing Partner Fikret Sebilcioğlu shared insights into the company’s strategic transformation, built upon 15 years of experience. He explained how Cerebra reshaped its service portfolio in response to an evolving risk landscape, increasing regulatory expectations, and a growing emphasis on ethics in business. The interview also highlights how this expertise-driven transformation is shaping the company’s future vision.

TLB Interview

– After 15 years of experience, Cerebra has entered a strategic transformation. What were the main drivers of this change and what did it involve?

Since our establishment in 2009, we at Cerebra have been committed to developing our areas of expertise to deliver the highest quality service to our clients. Yet, the business environment is evolving rapidly, bringing with it new risks and expectations for companies. In order to strengthen our sustainability, increase our competitive advantage, and focus on areas where we can create the greatest impact, we initiated a strategic reassessment process. As part of this journey, we re-evaluated our service portfolio, deciding to fully concentrate on selected areas while completely withdrawing from others. We also refreshed our brand and communication tone to emphasize our expertise in ethics, compliance, and fraud prevention more prominently.

– What role do ethics and compliance play in your strategic transformation? How has your mission to promote responsible business conduct evolved?

Ethics and compliance have always been core values embedded in Cerebra’s DNA. As we designed our transformation strategy, one of our key objectives was to encourage the companies we serve to pursue not only financial success but also a commitment to responsible business conduct. We therefore chose to deepen our focus in areas such as managing ethical risks, reinforcing compliance processes, and preventing fraud. Unethical behavior affects not only individual companies but also the broader business environment, markets, and society. Through our ethics- and compliance-driven services, we aim to support our clients’ long-term sustainability and trustworthiness.

– Occupational fraud is becoming an increasingly significant risk. What solutions does Cerebra offer in this area, and how do they align with your strategic transformation?

Occupational fraud has become one of the major threats facing modern businesses. Risks such as corruption, bribery, conflicts of interest, asset misappropriation, and financial manipulation can lead to serious financial and reputational damage. Our services in this domain include internal investigations, fraud risk management, forensic accounting, corporate intelligence, commercial dispute support, digital forensics, and e-discovery. As part of our transformation, we’ve chosen to further specialize in these areas to better help companies manage their risks. Our ultimate goal is to enable companies to proactively manage fraud risks and prevent fraud before it occurs.

– You mentioned that you made the decision to exit certain service areas during your strategic reassessment. What criteria did you consider in making these decisions and which areas did you choose to focus on?

In our strategic evaluation, we first identified the areas where we can create the most value and raise our expertise to the highest level. By analyzing client needs, market trends, and competitive dynamics, we restructured our service portfolio. As a result of this analysis, we decided to focus exclusively on fraud investigations (internal investigations), fraud risk management, eDiscovery, and intelligence. These are the areas where we are strongest and can deliver the greatest impact. At the same time, we chose to exit services not directly aligned with our strategy in order to use our organizational resources and expertise more effectively.

– In repositioning your brand, you also revised your visual identity and communication style. What message are you aiming to convey to clients and business partners through this change?

We recognized that our transformation needed to go beyond services it had to reshape our identity as well. Therefore, we redefined Cerebra’s brand positioning, visual identity, and communication tone. With our updated branding, we are sending a clear message to our clients and partners: “With its commitment to ethical values, Cerebra not only provides fraud prevention and compliance support, but also offers a strong strategic partnership built on trust, peace of mind, and sustainable success.” Our new identity emphasizes trust, transparency, and expertise. We’ve made our communication style more direct, accessible, and action oriented. This shift strengthens our connection with existing clients and lays a solid foundation for new collaborations.

– What are Cerebra’s future goals? What kind of impact do you aim to create in the areas of fraud, compliance, and ethics?

Looking ahead, we aim to further strengthen our expertise in internal investigations, fraud risk management, and corporate intelligence, thereby solidifying our strong market position. To that end, we are increasing our investments in human capital as well as in technologies related to data analytics, e-discovery, and intelligence. Our primary objective is to be the first point of contact for executives who face suspicions or allegations within their organizations, or who need to conduct background checks on business partners. We strive to provide not only technical expertise but also fast, reliable, and solution-oriented guidance making a lasting impact on the business world rooted in ethics and integrity. At the same time, we will continue to advocate for ethical business practices by engaging in thought leadership, developing industry partnerships, and promoting knowledge sharing. In the long term, our goal is to become a trusted advisor on ethics and compliance not only in Turkey but also on the international stage.