Founder-led perspective
A focused practice bringing Songül Arslan’s international commercial experience directly to the question at hand.
Independent global advisoryInternational perspective · Commercial judgement
Cross-border growth,
judged in context.
Arslanga supports boards and leadership teams with market entry, strategic alliances and commercial growth — particularly across pensions, financial services, regulated markets and AI-enabled transformation.
Why Arslanga
01 / 06Independent judgement, close to the decision.
Arslanga is a founder-led advisory practice for decisions that cross markets, institutions and stakeholder interests. It brings international perspective, regulated-market understanding and alliance-building into one focused view of what is commercially viable.
Context before prescription
Markets are assessed through the regulatory, institutional and commercial conditions that determine what can work.
Alliances as strategy
Partners, propositions and governance are considered alongside the market opportunity — not after the direction has been set.
Independent view
Options are tested without a predetermined model, including whether to proceed, pause or redirect.
For pension organisations, financial-services firms, regulated technology providers and internationally ambitious specialists facing a consequential growth decision.
Engagement pathways
02 / 06Advice shaped around the decision to be made.
Each pathway is adapted to the markets involved, the evidence already available and the decision leadership needs to make.
01
Market-entry decision
- When this helps
- You are weighing a new country or region and need to establish whether the opportunity justifies commitment.
- Work and outputs
- Assessment of market potential, regulatory and institutional conditions, competitive dynamics and viable routes to entry.
- Decision enabled
- A grounded view of the options and a clear basis for a go, pause or redirect decision.
02
Strategic alliance design
- When this helps
- Growth depends on selecting the right partner and establishing a workable basis for collaboration.
- Work and outputs
- Partner mapping and assessment, a focused shortlist, shared proposition, commercial model and governance requirements.
- Decision enabled
- Which partner to prioritise and what must be agreed before mobilisation.
03
Cross-border growth priorities
- When this helps
- Several markets are in view and leadership needs to decide where to concentrate effort first.
- Work and outputs
- Market prioritisation, definition of the growth thesis and a sequenced commercial roadmap grounded in local market realities.
- Decision enabled
- Where to focus, what to sequence and which conditions need to be resolved.
04
AI-enabled transformation
- When this helps
- Leadership needs to determine where AI can improve the proposition, decision-making or operations — and what is required to proceed responsibly.
- Work and outputs
- Assessment of the opportunities, governance requirements, priorities and adoption sequence.
- Decision enabled
- Which opportunities warrant action, in what order and under what governance.
Areas of focus
03 / 06Experience where context and trust carry weight.
The perspective is international, but never abstract. Advice is grounded in the institutional, regulatory and commercial conditions surrounding the decision.
Pensions & retirement
Institutional structures, long-term outcomes, distribution, technology and the practical realities of reform.
Financial services
Complex propositions, partnership models, regulated distribution and international commercial development.
Regulated growth
Expansion where policy, oversight, stakeholder alignment and reputation materially shape what is viable.
Enterprise AI
Adoption where governance, operating capability and buyer confidence determine access to the market.
How we work
04 / 06From open question to considered action.
Define the decision
Clarify the ambition, the choice it requires and the constraints that could change the answer.
Establish the context
Build a grounded view of regulation, institutions, stakeholders, incentives, competition and culture.
Create alignment
Bring the relevant parties into the conversation, test assumptions and shape an approach able to earn support.
Set the route forward
Turn insight into choices, priorities, responsibilities and a practical sequence of next moves.
The adviser
05 / 06Founder, Arslanga · International growth adviser · London
Songül
Arslan
Arslanga is Songül Arslan’s independent advisory practice, focused on cross-border growth, partnerships and regulated markets. Separately, she is Head of International Business Development & Strategic Alliances at Strawpath.
Her experience spans the UK, the Netherlands, wider Europe, the US and Africa. Earlier roles include Financial Projects Manager at PwC, Loyalty Manager at Shell and Strategic Account Manager & Business Development at CTC Pensions Technology.
Academic perspectiveFinancial economics and strategy at Radboud University; international politics at Leiden University.
LanguagesSeven languages, including native or bilingual Dutch, English and Turkish.
Selected research & speaking
Research & perspective
06 / 06Ideas for the decision before the mandate.
Evidence, systems and market judgement.
Selected research
Research co-authored by Songül Arslan and originally published by Strawpath.
The Unseen Giant in Finance: Transformation and Innovation in Pensions
An analysis of global pension trends and technological innovation, with a spotlight on Sub-Saharan Africa and the practical lessons emerging across pension systems.
- Authors
- Andrew Mugoya, Songül Arslan and Lauretta Akwule
- Original publisher
- Strawpath
The Pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP)
A study of the EU’s portable pension framework, examining technology, innovation, engagement and the conditions required for cross-border adoption.
- Authors
- Andrew Mugoya and Songül Arslan
- Contributors
- Dr Francesco Briganti, Jorik van Zanden and Gianluca Mauro
- Original publisher
- Strawpath
Further perspective
Short-form analysis on the commercial questions surrounding regulated growth.
0102
Enterprise AI · Market access
Trust is the new market access
Why governance evidence, accountability and buyer confidence are becoming commercial qualifications — not matters to address after traction.
Pensions · Cross-border systems
Portability requires an execution layer
A view on pan-European pensions: regulatory design matters, but continuity across fragmented systems determines whether portability works in practice.
Start a conversation
Bring the decision, not a polished brief.
A first conversation can test the opportunity, expose the questions that need answering and establish whether Arslanga is the right fit. No predetermined model and no hard sell.
Start a conversation with Songül Arslanga on LinkedIn ↗