Mehmet Bakkaloglu

Mehmet Bakkaloglu with a volleyball trophy given to him by his employer to acknowledge his team spirit and motivation.

Mehmet Bakkaloglu accepts a certificate from the Governor's Prevention Partnership, which offers youth mentoring programs.

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Age: 37

Company: OFI

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Town where I live: West Hartford

Town where I work: Newington

College: University of Hartford

Q&A:

What do you do and what are your goals in your current job? I direct all financial aspects of the business, and I am directly involved with the company's human resources and information technologies. As part of the OFI management team and holding an officer position as treasurer, my goal will always be to maintain a solid financial structure and maximize operational efficiency through effective IT infrastructure and team collaboration.

What are your goals for you community involvement? My goals are simple, to always be involved in my community and to foster positive change wherever I go. I do this by using my financial background to help organizations raise funds and sharing my knowledge to help shape the lives of young leaders.

What's your biggest passion? My passions are professional and civic work, spending time with people I care about, and Game of Thrones.

What are your future aspirations? Along with living in a beach house, I envision myself being a successful business owner of a company that makes a positive difference for its customers and the community it serves.

If you had one wish to brighten Hartford's economic future what would it be? I believe that bringing a national professional sports team to the region would help tremendously. It would unite the community, increase job opportunities and bring additional tourism to the area. I would love to see the revenue it would generate fund continuous development of the downtown area. It could be a catalyst to bringing in additional retail and dining options to the area.

List four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty:

A self-starter who was promoted from senior accountant at OFI to controller in less than two years and then to chief financial officer two years later.
An active member of Young Professionals Council at the University of Hartford since 2004 and a mentor to finance students.
A proactive member of the Construction Institute, supporting events and assisting in fundraising planning to ensure major events are profitable.
Committed to continuous improvement within OFI, including morale and team-building.

Time Tested:

What personal possession in your life has withstood the test of time? A personal possession that means much to me is a volleyball trophy given to me by my OFI family in appreciation of my team spirit and motivation.

What hobby did you develop at a young age that you still enjoy today? I began playing basketball at age 11 and continued to play through college. Today, I love to play any team sport.

Twenty years ago, what did you envision as your future profession? I always envisioned a future in financial management.

Who do you consider your mentor? Matt Danyliw, COO of Workscapes, for seeing my full potential and taking me under his wing at OFI.

See the complete list of Forty Under 40 Winners for 2016!