Rustam Tahirov

Rustam Tahirov is the Director of the Financial Sector Sustainable Development Department at the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBAR). In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives for financial sector and market growth. He has played a key role in developing the Azerbaijan Sustainable Finance Roadmap (2023-2026), which sets out a structured plan to establish enabling 

Arsen Mustafin

Arsen Mustafin is Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board of DAMU Entrepreneurship Development Fund JSC since May 2025. He was previously the Head of the Corporate Sales Department in the branch network of Freedom Bank JSC (2023-2024); Director of the Borrowing and International Cooperation Department (2022-2023); and Director of the Software Tools Department (2018-2022).  

He graduated from the T. Ryskulov Kazakh Economic University in 2005, with a degree in Accounting and Auditing. 

Ghulam Samad

Ghulam Samad is a Chief of Research Division at the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute, ADB. Before joining CAREC Institute, Mr. Samad was a Senior Research Economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. Mr. Samad also served as an Economist at the Planning Commission of Pakistan. Mr. Samad holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Colorado State University, USA.

Akim Nasirov

Akim Nasirov is a Leading Specialist at the Entrepreneurship Development Division, Business Environment Policy Department, Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic. 

He is engaged in MSME policy development, improving the business environment, and coordinating interagency working groups within the framework of the national MSME development program and investment promotion efforts in the Kyrgyz Republic.

Firangiz Aghayeva

Firangiz Aghayeva is the Chief Strategy and Organizational Development Specialist at the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA) of Azerbaijan, where she leads strategic planning, performance management, and institutional development initiatives. She plays a key role in strategic reporting, designing KPI systems, and coordinating international cooperation projects with international organizations such as the KOICA, JICA, OECD and ADB.