RUSLAN SULTANOV
Chairperson of the board of Kazakhstan’s Economic Research Institute,Kazakhstan
Ruslan Sultanov is chairperson of the board of Kazakhstan’s Economic Research Institute. Holding MBAs from both the T. Ryskulov Kazakh Economic University and the International Business School, Ruslan began his career in 2002 at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, working in the tax committee, and then in the central office for analyzing customs and tax revenues. Since January 2005, he worked at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, specializing in analysis and development of internal and external trade, including participating in negotiations on Kazakhstan’s WTO accession. From October 2006 Ruslan served as advisor to the president of the Center for Trade Policy Development, before being appointed vice president in 2007. In 2008 he became head of the Center for Trade Policy Development, where he was responsible for providing analytical support on trade policy issues, including creation of the Customs Union and Kazakhstan’s WTO accession. Since March 2016 Ruslan has been engaged in private entrepreneurial activity, and from April 2017 he was made head of the ‘PharmMedIndustry of Kazakhstan’ association of local pharmaceutical and medical product manufacturers. Ruslan has held his current leadership position at the Economic Research Institute from October 2019, where he provides analytical support on economic policy issues.
GREGORY LECOMTE
Head of the Central Asia unit in the Eurasia division of the OECD Global Relations and Co-operation Directorate, France
Gregory Lecomte is Head of the Central Asia unit in the Eurasia division of the OECD Global Relations and Co-operation Directorate. He has more than 10 years of experience on economic policy advisory work with governments and has supervised or contributed to more than 20 OECD publications. Prior to joining the OECD, Mr. Lecomte gained extensive experience in the private sector, including in strategy consulting in Russia with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. He also published various journal articles, focusing on economic transformations of post-Soviet countries. He holds a MPhil of Political Sciences (Post-Soviet studies) from Sciences Po Paris, and is a graduate of ESSEC Business School in Paris (MSc in Economics and Business), Université Paris Nanterre (MPhil of Public Management) and Université Paris-Dauphine (Applied Mathematics). Mr Lecomte speaks French, English, Russian.
KATI SUOMINEN
Founder and CEO of Nextrade Group, USA
Kati Suominen is the Founder and CEO of Nextrade Group that helps governments, multilateral development banks, and leading technology companies enable trade through technology, including promote ecommerce development around the world. Nextrade’s more than 50 clients include the World Bank, IFC, IDB, ADB, USAID, UK FCDO, UPS, Mastercard, Visa, Google, and eBay, among many others. Dr. Suominen has ideated and built dozens of data and analytical products and pilot initiatives as well as eight global initiatives and public-private-partnerships to enable ecommerce development – including, most recently, the Alliance for eTrade Development between 16 leading companies and USAID to enable SME ecommerce in developing nations. and Prosper Africa Tech for Trade Alliance with 21 companies and U.S. government’s Prosper Africa initiative, to enable Africa’s trade through U.S. technology. She also ideated and helped build the UNCTAD- led eTrade for All initiative. She serves as Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Adjunct Professor at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Earlier in her career, she served as Trade Economist at the Inter-American Development Bank. Dr. Suominen is the author and editor of over 120 papers and 10 peer-reviewed books on trade, globalization and technology with leading academic presses, most recently Revolutionizing World Trade: How Disruptive Technologies Open Opportunities for All (Stanford University Press, 2019). PhD, University of California, San Diego; MBA, Wharton School of Business; MA Boston University, BA, University of Arkansas Little Rock.
NURLAN KULBATYROV
First deputy CEO, JSC “Center for Trade Policy development “QazTrade”,Kazakhstan
Nurlan Kulbatyrov, deputy general director of the ‘QazTrade’ Center for Trade Policy Development, started his career in 2009 as a senior expert at the ‘Institute of Economic Research’ under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy. Subsequently from 2010 to 2016, Mr. Kulbatyrov served as a senior expert and then division head of the Department of Analysis of Investment Processes, and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development of the Institute of Economic Research. He has held his current deputy director position at QazTrade from May 3, 2016.Since May 3, 2016, he was appointed Deputy General Director of the joint-stock company “Center for Trade Policy Development “QazTrade” under the Ministry of Trade and Integration.
KANAT KOBESSOV
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NUR ZHOL COMPANY, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Exporters "KazGrain", Kazakhstan
Kanat Kobessov has all the necessary knowledge in the transport sector, has more than 24 years of experience in logistics.He is a certified expert at USAID (American Agency for Development), CILT (Royal Institute of Transport and Logistics), QID (Kazakh Association of Independent Directors), Member of the Board of Business Association of Entrepreneurs «KIT».According to the results of the open competition, he was elected to the Public Council of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Order 126 of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan of 13 December 2023), within which he works on the development and promotion of the transport industry of the country.
MIKHEIL JANELIDZE
Policy and Management Consulting Group – PMCG, GEORGIA
Mikheil Janelidze, a Trade Policy Sector Lead at PMCG, an Advisory Board member of Trade Intelligence and Negotiations Advisor (TINA), brings a distinguished career in international affairs and economic development, balancing public and private sector expertise. His role as Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia (2015-2018) marked significant achievements. Strengthening ties with the U.S., EU, and major Asian nations, he bolstered economic and security cooperation. Georgia, under his leadership, became a leader in the EU’s Eastern Partnership, enhanced trade and security relations, and engaged in agreements with China, Japan, and India. Mr. Janelidze played a key role in implementing UN Sustainable Development Goal #16 and chaired the Open Government Partnership. Previously, as Vice Minister of Economy (2011-2015), he negotiated the EU-Georgia Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, elevating Georgia’s trade policies. He holds an MBA in Global Management and a bachelor’s in international relations.
RONY SAAB
Team Coordinator at European Bank for Reconstruction & Development “EBRD,” UK
A seasoned senior port and free industrial zones expert with over 20 years of experience related to transport, port, and industrial zones development, management, and investment in over ten countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. Turkey, Morocco, Netherlands, Oman, and Ukraine. Rony’s port expertise covers all aspects of master planning, design, management, operations, and consulting services.
GAIDAR ABDIKARIMOV
Secretary General at the International Association «Trans-Caspian International Transport Route», Kazakhstan
PhD Graduated KazATK named after. M. Tynyshpaeva in 2005, Degree with honors. Obtained Ph.D. from the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering (MIIT). Author of more than 15 scientific papers, co-author of a textbook for Specialists “Logistics Management of Freight Transportation and Terminal and Warehouse Activities”. Developed draft agreements (contracts) on the transportation of passengers, cargo, and baggage in international traffic, development of international transport links, and scientific and technical cooperation with railway transport authorities of foreign countries, and foreign legal entities. Managed the Representative Offices of JSC “NC “KTZ” in the European countries of the CIS, the countries of the Caucasus, and the Baltic countries.
ASSET ASSAVBAYEV
Secretary General Permanent Secretariat (PS) of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) TRACECA, Kazakhstan
Mr. Asset Assavbayev was born in 1982 in Kazakhstan. He graduated from the Kazakh University of Traffic Ways in 2006, and received the Master Degree in State and Municipal Administration from the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation in 2016. Mr. Asset Assavbayev has over 18 years of professional experience in the transport sector.
Since 2004, Mr. Assavbayev accumulated experience occupying various positions in the Transport Control Committee of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan including the post of the Vice-Chairman (2010-2013) and the Chairman (2013-2014) of the same Committee. He served as the Chairman of the Transport Committee of the Ministry of Investment and Development from 2014 to 2019 where he dealt with the implementation of transport policy, ensuring transport safety, development of road, railway and port infrastructure and etc. Prior to being elected as the TRACECA Secretary General, Mr. Assavbayev was the President of the Association of Road Builders of Kazakhstan and Independent Director of the Board of Directors of JSC «NС «KazAvtoZhol» (2019).
Since December 2019, Mr. Assavbayev has held the post of Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA.
