FINTEX SUMMIT 2025 - FINANCE AND TECHNOLOGIES EXPO

Namig Aliyev was born in 1977 in Baku. He is a graduate of Baku State University. During his student years, he worked on a number of periodical publications. In 1999-2000 he worked in the Republican Scientific and Technical Library and in 2001-2003 in the Main Department of Cultural Education of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a leading specialist. As of 2004, he worked as a correspondent, leading correspondent, assistant editor, editor at the Free Azerbaijan Broadcasting Company "Azad Azərbaycan".

He started working in the Communication Department of the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan in May 2010. Since July 2011, he has been the Head of the Public Relations Division of aforementioned department. He is the presenter of "Economic News" program  at Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Closed Joint-Stock Company (AZTV).

Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Born on April 7, 1975, in Imishli region of Azerbaijan Republic.

Education:

In 1992-1997, he received higher education at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics.

In 2004, he received a second master's degree in Journalism at the Institute of Public Relations of Georgia.

In 2009, he received his PhD in Economics and in 2017 he got Degree on Doctor of Economic Sciences.

In 2021, he graduated from Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education program "Leading Economic Growth". 

In 2022-2023, he graduated from the University of Oxford's master’s-level qualification - Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Strategy and Innovation.

Pedagogical activity

In 2013 Vusal Gasimli was given the title of Associate Professor.

V.Gasimli was engaged in pedagogical activity in the UNEC Special Talented Group and MBA program in 2010-2014.

V.Gasimli provided public lectures at Harvard University, Washington University, California University, Cairo University, Seoul Hanyan and Hankuk Universities, and Rio de Janeiro University.

He worked as a guest scholar at Korea International Economic Policy Institute in 2013.

Vusal Gasimli is professor at the Azerbaijan Public Administration Academy under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2020.

Vusal Gasimli was awarded the title of professor by the decision of the Supreme Attestation Commission Under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated April 19, 2024.

He has 10 books and about 500 scientific and publicist articles in Azerbaijani, Russian, Korean and English.

Labor Activity:

During the 12.05.2000-06.12.2003, the economic consultant in Express newspaper edition,

15.02.2005-19.11.2005, Economic columnist at ANS-PRESS Publishing House LLC,

19.11.2005-30.04.2007, President of ANS-PRESS Publishing House LLC,

09.02.2009-11.05.2011, Deputy of head of the Department at Azerbaijan Socio-Political University,

In 2007-2011, he worked on projects implemented by the European Union, the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and several international organizations.

In 2011-2016, he worked as Head of the Department for Economic Analysis and Globalization of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In 2016, he became an economic development consultant for the Asian Development Bank.

In 2015, he represented Azerbaijan at the T20 platform of brain centers of the G20.

From 10.05.2016 to present he is the Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

He is also a member of the government commission established on the basis of the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated July 13, 2016 No. 2199 "On additional measures to improve the business environment in the Republic of Azerbaijan and further improvement of the position of our country in international rankings".

Vusal Gasimli was appointed Focal Point of UNESCAP in 2021.

Awards

Vusal Gasimli got the award of Astana Economic Forum for outstanding research achievements in 2012.

He was awarded the "Progress" Medal in 2018 by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

He was awarded the "15th anniversary of the Ministry of Defense Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2005-2020)" jubilee medal in 2022.

He was awarded the "100 years of Heydar Aliyev (1923-2023)" jubilee medal by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2024.

He was awarded the 25th Anniversary Medal (1998–2023) by the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2024.

Vusal Gasimli speaks Azerbaijani, English, Russian and Spanish at A1 level.

Married, has three children.

Cristina Doros is a Senior Vice President, and Group Country Manager for Visa in the CISSEE region.

Cristina leads Visa's operations and strategy in 17 countries across Southern and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Ukraine, Moldova.

Prior to the current position, Cristina was holding the role of a Regional Manager for Central Asia and Azerbaijan at Visa. In this role, Cristina was managing overall Visa business in these markets focusing on strategy development and implementation, business development, technology, and innovations.

Before moving to Central Asia, Cristina was managing Caucasus cluster at Visa.

She has more than 25 years of experience in retail banking, information technology, innovations, cards, and mobile payments. Cristina joined Visa in 2016 to lead regional Core Products team overseeing Core products (Debit, Credit and Premium), loyalty platform development, digital solutions, and push payments.

Cristina holds a Master’s Degree with Honors in Economics from IEDC-Bled School of Business, Slovenia.  

Orkhan Mammadov was born in 1984 in Baku.

2005 - graduated from the Baku State University, Faculty of International Relations.

2005 - studied at the Regent’s University London on the International Business and Finance Program.

2009 - received master's degree on Business Administration, 2012 – second higher education on Finance and Credit at the Azerbaijan State Economic University.

Held various positions at the Ministry of Industry and Energy, Ministry of Economy.

Since 2018 has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Yelena Bakhmutova graduated in 1983 from the Almaty Institute of National Economy (NarKhoz) with a degree in Economics. She has held various positions in both governmental and commercial structures, including in the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In 2001, she was appointed Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2002, she headed the Department of Financial Supervision of the National Bank of Kazakhstan. By 2004, she became Deputy Chair of the Agency for Regulation of the Financial Market and Financial Organizations, eventually serving as its Chair.

In 2012, she joined Samruk-Kazyna JSC as Deputy Chair of the Management Board and Managing Director for Finance and Operations. From 2016, she served as Chair of the Management Board of the Social Health Insurance Fund. Since 2018, she has led the Council of the Association of Financiers of Kazakhstan.

Elena Bakhmutova has also served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Kazpost JSC and held board positions in several other key institutions.

For her outstanding service in public and state affairs, she has been awarded numerous state honors, including the “Parasat” and “Kurmet” orders, the medals “10 Years of Astana,” “20 Years of Astana,” and “10 Years of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” as well as a letter of gratitude from the President of Kazakhstan.

After graduating from the secondary school he was admitted to the department of “Accounting” at Azerbaijan State Economic University and completed the full course on the speciality of “Economist” in 1981. Zakir Nuriyev started his labour activity as Leading Accountant at the “Control and Inspection” department of the Ministry of Communications, Azerbaijan Republic in 1981.

 Zakir Nuriyev did his military service during 1981-1983. He worked in the capacity of Accountant – Inspector, Chief Inspector and Deputy Chief Accountant at the “Control and Inspection” department of the Ministry of Communications, Azerbaijan Republic from July, 1983 until January, 1989 after having served in the military.

 He was appointed to the post of Manager of the “Control and Accounting” division at “Regional Communication” Production Association of the Ministry of Communications, Azerbaijan Republic in 1989. Zakir Nuriyev worked in the capacity of Chairman of the Management Board at “Rabitabank” Joint-Stock Commercial Bank during 1993-1998 and has been acting as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at “Rabitabank” Open Joint-Stock Company since 1998 up to date. He was elected President of the Azerbaijan Banks Association in 1996 and worked in that capacity until 2006. He has been member of the Presidium at Azerbaijan Banks Association from 2006 till 2015. He was re-elected President of Azerbaijan Banks Association in 2015.

Nurlan joined Visa in 2013 bringing 9 years of experience in banking, marketing, business development and payment cards to the team. Prior to joining Visa, he was Head of Payment Cards at DemirBank (Azerbaijan), responsible for acquiring payment products, payment card risk and digital channel development. Prior to joining DemirBank, Nurlan worked at UniBank, where he was in charge of marketing and business development.

Since 2022, Nurlan Hajiyev has been appointed to the position of Senior Director, Regional Manager in Azerbaijan, based in Baku.

 In this role, Nurlan continued his work on business development in Azerbaijan, ensuring local team’s integration and alignment. With nine years’ experience at Visa, Nurlan initially joined as business development manager being a single representative of Visa in Azerbaijan for 6 years, contributing to the team's recent growth. Throughout this time, Nurlan has been a valuable member of the Visa CISSEE team, building strong client relationships, driving business development, strategy and its implementation in the market. Nurlan has greatly contributed to such milestones in the Azerbaijan market as implementation of VTS and launching Apple Pay, launching first in CEMEA B2B Connect along with other key achievements

Experienced specialist in Processing, Project Management, Risk Management, Customer Service, Mobile Banking, and Business Process Improvement.

Responsible for Payments stream in Kapital Bank, including end-to-end management of payment products, service and support. He also plays a key role in the continued development of strategic relationships with International Payment Systems.

Executive Master's degree in Maastricht School of Business and Azerbaijan State Diplomatic Academy (2018), Master's degree in Economic Assessment of Investments at the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy (2012), Bachelor of Management at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2008).

Mr. Ramil Mahmudov is a Deputy Director of the Payment systems and settlements department at Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic. He is an experienced professional in payment systems, e-banking, card business, digital payments with more than 20 years at central banking. As co-author of several regulations and recommendations for payment institutions and Fintech, he also familiar with international experience about payments systems ecosystem and payment instruments and also with risk management, fraud management, chargeback rules.

Mr. Mahmudov holds Master’s degree in Banking and Finance from University of Luxembourg and Master’s degree in Finance from Azerbaijan State Economic University. He received Executive education diploma from New York University Stern School of Business and numerous training certificates in the field of payments and management in Europe and Asia.

Mete BAYDAR, a product marketing professional with a 20-year career, held key roles in product strategy at Samsung Electronics and as Country Manager for PlayStation. Currently, he serves as the VP of Strategic Partnerships at Appcircle, focusing on mobile DevOps automation for enterprises. Mete's expertise lies in understanding the pivotal role of mobile applications in our evolving tech landscape.

Süleyman Akkum is an accomplished data and analytics leader, serving as a Board Member of Smarttech and the Founder & General Manager of Smartmind. With over 20 years of experience, he has led more than 100 successful data warehouse and business intelligence projects across finance, telecom, insurance, public sector, and healthcare domains.

Süleyman holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from Ege University and an MBA from Maltepe University. As a certified Oracle Data Integrator and Business Intelligence expert, he brings hands-on proficiency in platforms such as Oracle, MSSQL, Power BI, and Linux.

At Smartmind, he champions end-to-end data strategies—from analyzing complex source systems to designing scalable architectures and delivering high-performance reporting ecosystems. His leadership is rooted in technical excellence, mentoring, and a strong business vision that drives data-driven transformation.

Süleyman is passionate about turning data into value, building future-proof analytics teams, and guiding organizations toward intelligent decision-making.

He has been working at NBA Technologies International LLC for 10 years.

Ilker Kurtulus is the Director of Data at PASHA Bank, with over 10 years of experience in data science, cloud computing, AI, and data governance. Prior to joining PASHA Bank, he led BNPL and digital lending initiatives at fintech companies and worked as a consultant data scientist for big data and cloud firms.

Sadig Akhundov is an expert with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of banking and information technology. Throughout his career, he has successfully led a  range of digital transformation initiatives across several banks, driving innovation, operational efficiency, and technological modernization.

Currently, he is a Director of the IT Operations Department at the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, where he oversees the  critical IT functions, ensures the resilience and reliability of national payment infrastructure.

Edgar Abdullayev is EMBA Graduate of Yeditepe University of Turkey.

He has 15 years of experience in Managing people. His corporate life has been divided in to different periods as 11 years of Telecommunications, 2 years of Transportation and travel, 5 years of Banking and Financial Technologies. During his corporate life periods in Telecommunications and Banking, Edgar has been a part of very important and decision-making teams which affected directly customer experience in financial transactions, financial technologies and banking experience.

Right now, he is Managing Director of United Payment LLC and adding value to the “Digital Payment Strategy” of country.

Azer is the Executive Director at the Azerbaijan Fintech Association (Azfina). He is a financial sector professional with over 15 years of international experience in banking and fintech. His main areas of expertise include digital payments, fintech regulation, and compliance, private and investment banking. As the head of the fintech association, he is committed to fostering the development of digital financial services, promoting fintech innovation, and enhancing international collaborations.

I'm Anton Shvachka, Head of the Operations Center at Leobank. I’m responsible for customer service and support, including automation, process design, and technology implementation. My focus is on finding the balance between efficiency and human-centered service.

Professor Meryem Duygun holds Aviva Chair in Risk and Insurance at the University of Nottingham. She is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences. Founder and president of the International Finance and Banking Society (IFABS), Meryem has built one of the world’s largest academic‑industry‑policy networks. She is founder and co‑director of INFINITY, the University of Nottingham’s Inclusive Financial Technology Innovation Hub, funded by Research England. Meryem brings extensive expertise in risk management, banking, FinTech, InsurTech, and sustainable finance. She is Co‑Director of the Global Centre for Banking and Financial Innovation at Nottingham University Business School.  Her research and policy engagements, ranging from serving as a consultant to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Asian Development Bank Institute and the Indonesian Supreme Audit Board to advising on SME credit risk in the post‑COVID era, all underscore her commitment to evidence‑based financial reform. Her accolades include multiple appearances on UK Innovate Finance’s “Women in FinTech Powerlist” (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024), recognition as a top-17 influencer in InsurTech by FinTech Global (2019), inclusion among the Top 30 influential women in Islamic finance, and the University of Nottingham Vice‑Chancellor’s Medal for 2024.

Sinan has extensive experience in data platforms, data integration, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, and cloud technologies. Prior to joining KPMG, he held senior consultant and managerial roles in leading banks and consulting firms in Turkey. He has led data modeling, workflow development with Airflow, and dashboard creation using Superset in the context of the IAS 29 project. On IBM CP4D, he spearheaded data lake and data warehouse implementations integrating IoT, SCADA, and APIs, and delivered BI solutions. For IFRS 17 and financial dashboard initiatives, he designed DWH and ETL architectures. He conducted cloud maturity assessments, developed strategies, and designed cloud migration plans, while also creating AI solution architectures and use cases. His expertise also includes churn analysis and credit risk management, financial data modeling, and KPI reporting.

Yevgen Lisnyak is Senior Director at Visa and the Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech & Ventures in Ukraine, CIS & South-East Europe (17 markets). His key responsibilities include identifying, support and development of the high potential partnerships for Visa in new robustly growing fintech business environment driving cashless economy.

Yevgen joined Visa in 2017 as Director, Head of Innovation Solutions. In this role Yevgen successfully managed and launched transit and smart city solutions in Ukraine and CIS countries. Now Yevgen focuses on support of neobanks, mobile finance services of MNOs, digital products of traditional banks, innovative disruptive fintech companies as well as fintech ecosystem development on 17 markets.

Yevgen has deep expertize in banking, payments and Fintech, he ensured support and built Visa strategic partnerships with wide range of fintech companies in Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries.

Yevgen Lisnyak brings to Visa 15 years of international experience in IT and consulting gained with leading international companies. Mr. Lisnyak holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Physics and Mathematics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).

Teymur Aghakishiyev is a Chief Operating Officer at “AccessBank”. He has 16 years of experience in banking sector and has enjoyed many executive positions throughout his career in product development and management, product sales, strategy, digital payments, payments and cards infrastructure, treasury, settlements and cash management.

He loves to dig into customer problems and solve them with modern technology and puts the customer at the center of all that he do.

Teymur Aghakishiyev holds MBA degree in Banking from Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

He is a professional trainer in banking.

CMO,  Leading Marketing at Collect Group Holding

Alexander has 20+ years of experience in payments and leads product development at eComCharge, the company behind the white-label SaaS platform beGateway.

Hikmet Can Yilmazsoy is the Head of Türkiye, Caucasus and Central Asia at Swift, where he is overseeing the relations and engagements with key stakeholders in the financial ecosystem including central banks, financial institutions, market infrastructures and regulatory bodies. Since joining Swift in 2018, Can served as the Country Manager for Türkiye and Qatar until his current role.

Prior to his tenure at Swift, he led business development and project management activities in cash management, payment systems and digital banking areas with a leading bank in Türkiye. In addition, Can drove high-impact strategic initiatives in the customer experience management, retail banking and corporate finance areas throughout his 16 years of banking career.

He holds an MBA degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a BSc in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University, with executive education from Columbia University and INSEAD.

Otabek Nasirov is the Chairman at Central Asian Fintech Association, a member of the expert council at Cyber Park, AICA, and the working groups of the Foreign Investors Council (FIC) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Otabek actively participates in the development of the fintech market and community in Central Asia, regulatory sandboxes and local legislation of the fintech industry, including education on blockchain technology, convergence technologies such as AI, digital assets, cyber security and others. Represents and lobbies for the interests of the fintech community within key regulators of the digital economy in Central Asia, including ministries of digital technologies, central banks, antitrust agencies, tax and customs authorities, and others.

Otabek is a member of the UMAY Angels Club, ICLUB by Venture Found TA Ventures and cooperates with the Uzbekistan Venture Capital Association (UzVCA), the National Venture Capital Fund (UzVC), the AloqaVentures, the IT Park Ventures, the United Ventures, international venture funds, and business angel communities.

His knowledge and experience are the result of working in international and global companies such as Coca-Cola, Carlsberg Group, General Motors, Ernst & Young, and SIT Learning within the Swiss International Research Institute Schaffhausen Institute of Technology and others.

Graduate of the Tashkent State Law Institute and the Moscow School of Management "Skolkovo".

Otabek is an ambassador for the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), Chapter Zero Uzbekistan (Climate Governance Initiative | CGI ), and Employer Brand Award and Summit (EMBRAS).

Fidan Tofidi joined the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2023 as an advisor on innovations. Since 2024, she has been leading the newly established Financial Technologies and Innovations Department.

Under her leadership, the department is engaged in key areas such as the Regulatory Sandbox, product research and development (including Open Banking and Distributed KYC platforms), and the development and coordination of the fintech ecosystem. Currently, a number of strategic projects are being implemented under her guidance in these areas, and efforts continue toward integrating financial technologies into public policy.

Before joining the Central Bank, Fidan worked at PASHA Bank, where she was responsible for managing partnerships and overseeing innovative projects. During this time, she contributed to strengthening cooperation between the financial sector and technology companies, and integrating digital solutions into banking services.

A significant milestone in Fidan’s career was her role at Azercell Telecom, where she worked at the Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. She led one of the first initiatives supporting the development of the startup ecosystem in Azerbaijan, focusing on promoting innovative ideas, advancing technological entrepreneurship, and supporting young startup founders.

Akif Baghirov is Councelor to Governor at Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan with over 15 years of experience in technology and more than 8 years specializing in Information and Cybersecurity area in the banking industry. Providing strategic direction on regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and the design of security programs that are both effective and practical within a dynamic financial environment.

During 2021-2023, he worked as the Head of the Information Security Services Division of the Security Block of PASHA Bank OJSC and spearheaded on aligning with international frameworks such as PCI DSS, NIST, and CIS.

Araz Hasan-zadeh has over 8 years of experience in payment systems, card operations, clearing, and digital fraud analytics.

His core areas of expertise include fraud risk modeling, developing behavior-based analytical approaches, and detecting anomalies across payment channels. Araz also leads a range of advanced initiatives focused on optimizing and automating business processes, ensuring security against fraudulent activities, implementing fraud management systems, and enriching data for better fraud detection.

Vic Omelchenko is the Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Partner at Banza, a global IT company specializing in CRM & BPM systems, and web & mobile applications. With 20 years of experience in IT, Vic is a passionate leader, venture investor, and startup mentor. Under her leadership, Banza has grown to over 200 employees across 17 countries and delivered more than 300 digital transformation projects.

Vic focuses on the synergy of no-code platforms and process optimization to simplify IT for banking, sales, logistics, manufacturing, and customer service sectors. She brings deep insight into how modern technologies can accelerate business growth and improve customer experience. At the event, Vic will share her perspective on how no-code solutions are reshaping the way businesses operate and innovate.

Elchin Mammadov started his professional career in 2010 at the State Committee for Securities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and later occupied several roles at the central securities depository and investment firms, gaining extensive experience in various areas of the capital market. Currently he is the Head of the Business Development Department at ABB-Invest Investment Company CJSC, one of the leading investment companies in the country. In this position, he is responsible for the Company's strategic planning, marketing of investment services, application of technologies and investment portfolio management. He studied at the Faculty of Informatics and Management of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics in 2004-2008 and received his bachelor’s degree. In 2013, he decided to continue his studies at Yonsei University, the leading private university of South Korea. He received master’s degree in International Trade and Finance from Yonsei University in 2015.

Javid Isaev heads the Savings Center at JSC Bank CenterCredit — a strategic division responsible for the development and scaling of savings and investment solutions for retail clients. He oversees six key business areas and four matrix IT teams that handle the development and maintenance of digital products.

Under his leadership, the bank is implementing projects in the areas of deposits and current accounts, investment products (including mutual funds, bonds, and stocks through the bank’s mobile platform), foreign exchange and precious metals operations, Private Banking, Islamic banking, as well as centralized sales and bundled offerings.

Previously, Javid led the investment business at Bank CenterCredit, where he successfully launched major retail offerings: the IPO of KazMunayGas, the SPO of KEGOC, and the IPO of Air Astana — all through the bank’s mobile app.

His expertise includes digital transformation, building efficient online sales channels, and strengthening synergy within the financial group. Javid Isaev possesses deep knowledge of financial markets, customer service, and technology, and plays a key role in the transformation of Kazakhstan’s banking sector.

Ulkar is an economist and market analyst at the Baku Stock Exchange (BSE). During her tenure at BSE, she has actively contributed to a range of strategic initiatives aimed at the development of capital markets and the enhancement of financial literacy in Azerbaijan. She has organized various events and programs to promote financial awareness, particularly targeting young and new investors through training sessions, seminars, and workshops.

At the Baku Stock Exchange, Ulkar has also led several projects aimed at improving the understanding and knowledge of capital markets among clients and investment participants. Her efforts in financial analysis and market observation have been directed toward making the Azerbaijani markets more transparent and efficient. Under her leadership, the BSE published its first analytical bulletin—an initiative that provides in-depth analyses of capital market developments and financial market trends.

Prior to joining the BSE, Ulkar worked as an economist at LUKOIL Overseas Shah Deniz, where she gained extensive knowledge of international financial markets and the oil and gas industry. She has also been involved in educational projects in business and economics, having worked with young entrepreneurs at the Miniboss Business School.

Faraj Akhundov holds a Ph.D. in Economics and is the author of nearly 20 academic publications. His research focuses on financial management, international economic relations, and the development of capital markets.

He currently serves as the Head of the Treasury Department at Xalq Bank OJSC and as the Executive Director of Xalq Kapital Investment Company CJSC. With over 14 years of experience in the banking sector and nearly 12 years in investment management, he has played a key role in advancing investment services, improving financial instruments, and promoting financial literacy among investors.

Faraj regularly speaks at local and international events, sharing his analytical perspectives, evaluations, and insights on trends in financial markets with diverse audiences.

He is also well known in the public sphere for his analytical articles and video content on finance, offering commentary on global economic developments and contributing actively to financial education.

Orman Sultanlı is an experienced professional in private banking and a sales expert with more than 10 years in the financial sector, including over 5 years dedicated to high-net-worth client management. As a team leader at PASHA Private Banking, he is responsible for driving client acquisition strategies, delivering investment solutions, and fostering long-term client relationships.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (MESI), a master’s degree in International Management from the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), and completed postgraduate studies (Ph.D. track) in World Economy at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

In addition to his banking role, Orman is a certified sales trainer and coach. He actively promotes financial literacy and trust-based advisory models within Private and Family Banking. His research and public speaking focus on client psychology in investment decisions, the bank's role as a reliable financial partner, and the evolving nature of sales in today’s economic environment.

He has published several academic articles in international peer-reviewed journals and is a strong advocate for developing an investment culture in Azerbaijan.

Murad Rzazade is a cybersecurity leader with almost 10 years of experience in information security, risk assurance, and digital protection across the financial sector.

At PASHA Insurance OJSC, he leads the company’s information security strategy, ensuring resilience, regulatory compliance, and secure digital transformation across business-critical systems. His scope covers cyber engineering, incident response, application security, and GRC — enabling a unified approach to both operational defense and strategic risk management. He also serves on the Audit Committee at the Compulsory Insurance Bureau of Azerbaijan, contributing to sector-wide governance and oversight.

His earlier experience includes cybersecurity consulting at PwC Azerbaijan, where he delivered advisory, assessment, and audit projects for leading clients in the banking, telecommunications, retail, and government sectors. His work focused on cybersecurity frameworks, IT risk, penetration testing, and enterprise-level defense strategies.

Murad graduated with distinction from the University of Manchester, where he studied Computer Science with Business & Management under full government sponsorship.

Chingiz Safarli is a cybersecurity executive with over a decade of experience in building and leading security programs across the financial and technology sectors. As the Director of Information Security at Kapital Bank, He is responsible for the strategic direction of cyber defense, cyber R&D, IT and IS risk management, and regulatory compliance related to information technology. He also leads the development and expansion of the cybersecurity program across the Pasha Holding Ecosystem.

 Earlier in his career, Chingiz developed expertise in offensive security, vulnerability research, and secure software development. He has designed and implemented advanced security tools at cyber security startups, including static and dynamic application security tools, as well as cryptographic security solutions.

My name is Ulfat Yusifov, son of Fikrat, and I was born on March 21, 1984, in Baku. I completed my secondary education at School No. 219 in Baku in 2001 and was admitted to the Faculty of Finance and Credit at Azerbaijan State University of Economics the same year. I earned my bachelor's degree in Finance from that university.

I began my professional career on July 14, 2010, as an accountant at "Azertransservis" OJSC. On June 7, 2011, I resigned voluntarily to pursue further studies. In 2012, I graduated with a master's degree in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University in the United States.

On January 14, 2013, I resumed my career at "Azertransservis" OJSC as Deputy Chairman. From September 11, 2014, to July 1, 2016, I worked as a Senior Advisor in the International Relations Department of the State Social Protection Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Between July 20, 2016, and July 20, 2018, I served as a Chief Advisor in the Economics Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

From September 16, 2019, to February 12, 2020, I worked as a Senior Specialist at the Career Development Center of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics and also served as an adjunct lecturer at the university’s business school.

Between February 12, 2020, and February 20, 2024, I held the positions of Specialist and later Leading Specialist at the Department of Payment Systems and Settlements of the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan, specifically within the Division for the Development of the National Payment System. Since August 12, 2024, I have been working as a Leading Specialist in the Division for Regulation of Payment Services and Payment Systems Operations at the Department of Supervision and Policy for Payment Services and Systems of the Central Bank.

I am married and have two children.

Mehdi Mehdizade has been working at the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2017. He is currently the head of the Banking Sector Legal Support Division for the within the Financial Markets Legal Support Department of the Central Bank. During his tenure, he has been actively involved in the development of prudential regulations for the banking sector, including regulations related to information security in financial markets.

Tamerlan Mashadihasanli is the Chief Product Owner of the SİMA Digital Solutions Platform and the Head of “Products and Services” division at AzIntelecom. Recognized as a professional expert in digital solutions, Tamerlan has greatly contributed to the progress of innovative technologies in Azerbaijan. This talented young man, who earned his PhD at the age of 27, has significantly influenced the spread of digitalization in various sectors. In particular, with his leadership skills in developing secure digital identification services through SİMA, he is considered one of the leading figures in Azerbaijan's digital transformation.

Presales & Partner Enablement Director

Tatiana has profound experience in IT and management of AI-powered products (10 years). She joined VisionLabs in 2020, launched and scaled more than 5 products since then.

In VisionLabs Tatiana manages portfolio of AI-powered products for banking, fintech and telco sectors. Product portfolio includes remote identification, anti-fraud, mobile and web SDKs, high-load backend systems. Launched and scaled anti-fraud technologies, including Liveness detection alongside with the first production-ready DeepFake Detection in Russia.

Prior to VisionLabs Tatiana was product owner and project manager in digital transformation (VTB Bank): she was responsible for implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), OCR and biometric identification into processes of different business lines.

Tatiana graduated from the Higher School of Economics (Russia) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (London), Banking and Finance.

Mehmet Ali Tombalak is executive and visionary entrepreneur with over 30 years of leadership experience in the financial technology and IT sectors. He is currently the Chairman of the Board at TÜBİSAD (Turkish Informatics Industry Association), where he advocates for the advancement of Türkiye’s digital economy and global competitiveness in high technology.

As Founder of Fineksus, Mehmet Ali Tombalak played a pivotal role in establishing the company as a trusted RegTech provider across 29 countries, offering AML compliance and financial messaging solutions. He previously served on the Executive Board of NETAŞ and contributed to the transformation of Probil Group into a solutions-driven IT company.

He holds an MBA from Marmara University and a graduate degree in Applied Psychology from Üsküdar University, reflecting his deep interest in both business and human dynamics.