After having received BS degree in Mechanical Engineering (1980) and an MBA from Columbia University, New York, (Finance and International Business - 1983), Tayfun Bayazıt started his banking career at Citibank in 1983. He subsequently worked in executive positions within Cukurova Group for 13 consecutive years (Yapı Kredi as Senior EVP and Executive Committee Member, Interbank as CEO, Banque de Commerce et de Placements S.A. Switzerland as President and CEO). In 1999, he was appointed as Vice Chairman of Doğan Holding and an Executive Director of Disbank. In 2001 he assumed CEO position at Disbank. In 2003 he was also appointed Chairman and was requested to remain as CEO of Fortis Turkey and the region in July 2005. Consequently he was elected as Chairman of Fortis in 2006. Bayazıt came back to Yapi Kredi in 2007 (UniCredit and Koc Groups JV this time) as CEO and two years later he was elected as Chairman. Mr. Bayazıt left this post in August 2011.

He is currently Vice Chairman of TUSIAD (Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association) and takes active role in various non-governmental organizations.