Organizational Structure
Board of Directors
Botagoz Sultanova
Chairperson of the Board of Directors since 2020 year
Botagoz Sultanova has been working in banking and finance for over 22 years. She began her career in lending in 1998 as a loan officer at Bank TuranAlem in Almaty. She worked as a lending and audit consultant in the small business lending project of the EBRD, head of the credit department at ATF Bank, head of the corporate business risk division at Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan; executive director, partner of a Kazakhstan audit company. Since 2017 he has been working as an independent director of Optima Bank OJSC (Kyrgyzstan).
In 2011, she founded a consulting firm and is its general manager, leads international projects for financial institutions. During this time, she has completed more than 30 consulting projects for international financial organizations (EBRD, IFC, ADB, GIZ), banks, international funds and microfinance organizations (MFIs) in Europe and Asia (in 10 countries) in the field of lending, internal audit and control, risk management, strategic and business planning.
In 2003 she received the qualification of an auditor of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the international certification of an accountant CAP, and in 2008, an international qualification of a professional accountant CIPA. Has a certificate of a professional accountant of the Republic of Kazakhstan. First education - technical, graduated from the technological faculty of the Omsk University of Service (Russia). Fluent in Russian and English.
She has degrees and certificates in finance, Basel, audit, marketing, management, sales, and personal effectiveness. She undergoes professional development at least 40 hours per year in accordance with the requirements of professional organizations. Member of the Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Member of the Global Institute of Internal Audit.
Raushan Kurbanaliyeva
Member of the Board of Directors since 2013 year
Ms. Raushan Kurbanaliyeva graduated from the Kazakh State Academy of Management with a degree in Economic and Social Planning. At the moment she is receiving an MBA - Master of Business Administration at the educational establishment "Almaty Management University". Has certificates CAP, USAID / CAMFA II "Financial services for rural areas and agriculture", intensive MBA course and A. Galunin's school of business management.
Ms. Raushan Kurbanaliyeva has over 15 years of experience as the Chairman of the Management Board of MFO Arnur Credit LLP. She was engaged in attracting investments and grant funds from international investors. During the work under the leadership of Ms. Kurbanaliyeva, the Company has gone from regional to one of the largest MFOs in Kazakhstan.
Also, Ms. Raushan Kurbanaliyeva has a long experience as a member of the Board of Directors. For more than three years he has been a member of the Board of Directors in the Microfinance Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan; for more than five years - an independent member of the Board of Directors at JSC Shardarinskaya WPP; for more than four years, a member of the Board of Directors at CJSC MDO "Humo" - one of the leading microfinance companies in Tajikistan.
Gani Aliyev
Member of the Board of Directors since 2013 year
Gani is an experienced lawyer and financier. A native of the South Kazakhstan region, he graduated from the Kainar University with a degree in jurisprudence.
Total work experience of 18 years in the banking and finance sector, worked in management positions and has professional skills in financing and lending, litigation, audit and legal support.
Natalie Zajicova
Member of the Board of Directors since 2018 year
Natalie sits on the Board of Directors and is a shareholder of Arnur Credit, one of the largest microfinance organizations in Kazakhstan. Natalie is also the Executive Vice President of Cotton CZ, an international cotton trading company responsible for introducing Kazakh cotton to the global market.
Previously, she served as a professional management consultant in Washington DC, specializing in strategic communications and fundraising. She worked with her clients on developing and implementing their marketing and business strategy, and managed their relationships with governments, international donor agencies, and foundations. Ms. Zajicova also served as a Senior Project Manager at the Independent North American Council on Kazakhstan (INACK), where she was responsible for the overall strategic planning and management of the Council. As INACK’s primary point of contact to U.S., European, and Eurasian governments and private sector leaders, she actively promoted stronger bilateral business and economic relations and investments.
Prior to entering the private sector, Ms. Zajicova was the Senior Program Officer for the Institute for New Democracies, managing multiple international projects focused on economic and democratic transition, legal reform, energy security, and human rights. She also served at CSIS Europe Program’s Energy Security Project, and at Freedom House.
Ms. Zajicova has a degree in International Relations from Syracuse University. She was a visiting fellow at Moscow State University and speaks fluent English, Czech, and Russian.
Shabdan Tagaev
Member of the Board of Directors since 2021 year
Shabdan has over 20 years of experience in the Financial industry, including extensive regional experience in Central Asia and Eastern Europe working at OikoCredit and Incofin Investment Management. He also served as Board Member at Ararat Bank, Armenia.
Shabdan received his first degree in Law from the Kyrgyz State National University and also hods MBA from the University of Bath, School of Management in the UK.
Currently, he is Senior Investment Manager at Incofin Investment Management covering Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan & Azerbaijan.
John Staub
Member of the Board of Directors since 2021 year
John is an experienced banker and consultant. After growing up in South Africa and Zimbabwe, he graduated from the University of London in Economics and Politics and subsequently received an MA in Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Following a 21-year banking career in Israel and the UK, he has worked for the last 25 years on many banking consultancy projects in the UK and in CIS countries. He has wide experience in all aspects of banking, including credit and lending, risk management, audit, management information and strategy.
He has served on the Supervisory Boards of several financial institutions in the UK, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus.
Management Boards
Raushan Kurbanaliyeva
Chair of the Management Board
Ms. Raushan Kurbanaliyeva joined MFO Arnur Credit as the Chair of the Management Board in 2005. She is responsible for managing the operational and financial performance of the company, as well as the development and implementation of a 5-year business plan aimed at optimizing the credit and staffing processes and opening branches throughout Kazakhstan. While under her leadership, MFO Arnur Credit has become the third-largest microfinance organization in Kazakhstan, received The SMART Campaign for its commitment to the Client Protection Principles, and steadily maintained a growing high-quality portfolio. She has led the process of attracting foreign creditors, shareholders, and partners, such as EBRD, IFC, and the Deutsche Bank.
Before to joining Arnur she has served as the Regional Representative of an international audit company, BDO Kazakhstan audit. For six years, she also worked at the Tax Administration of the city of Shymkent where she has reached the position of a senior tax inspector in the legal entities department.
Ms. Kurbanaliyeva received a degree in Economic social planning from the Kazakh State Academy of Management. She has also received additional education and training, including Institute of Professional Accountants, Almaty Courses: -Financial Accounting 1.2; Managerial accounting; 1.2; Financial Management; Taxes and regulations; Audit; Training course “APPAP- II Building institutional capacity of microfinance institutions; Legal issues of microfinance”, prepared by the support of AMFOK, Ministry of Agriculture and the World Bank; an intensive course Ernst & Young Business Academy, “mini MBA”, as well as several certificates from the Management school business trainer A. Galunin.
Nurgali Kopbossynov
Deputy Chairman of the Management Board-Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Nurgali Kopbossynov joined MFO Arnur Credit as the Head of Treasury Department in 2008 and in 2011, he was appointed the Deputy of Chair of Management Board. Before to joining Arnur Credit, Mr. Kopbossynov held several high-level positions in the banking industry, including as the Chairman of the Board of “Agrocredit Ordabasy”, LLP, Chief accountant at Neftekhimbank, Trust Bank, and at Turkestan Bank.
Mr. Kopbossynov received a degree in Jurisprudence from the International Humanitarian and Technical University, as well as a degree in Economics and Management in Construction from the Kazakh State Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering. He continued his education with several certificate and training programs, including Training on the Development of links between MFOs and commercial banks by the World Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, of the Russian Microfinance Center training on Branch network of MFI: the creation and management, as well as several certificates from the Management school of business trainer A.Galunin.
Alisher Abamuslimov
Deputy Chairman of the Management Board-Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Alisher Abamuslimov joined MFO Arnur Credit in 2008 as a lawyer at the “Aksu” branch. He has risen through the ranks and in 2015, he became the Acting Deputy Chairman on Operational Activities, his position was approved in 2018.
Before to joining MFO Arnur Credit, he has worked as the Legal Advisor in the Shymkent branch of Kazkommertzbank, as well as Teacher in economics and law at the Kazakhstan University of Peoples’ Friendship and the Humanities and Pedagogical College.
Mr. Abamuslimov has a Master’s degree in Jurisprudence from the International Kazakh-Turkish University A.Yassaui.
Aiman Bakhtybaeva
Member of the Management Board, Director of the Risk Department
Ms. Bakhtybaeva joined MFO Arnur Credit as a Regional Manager in 2014. In 2018 she was promoted to Director of Credit Department and in 2019, she became the Director of the Risk Department.
Before Arnur Credit, she worked at ORDA Credit in various positions for 6 years. Ms.Bakhtybaeva has participated in several specialized pieces of trainings organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others.
Ms. Bakhtybaeva graduated from Taraz State University with a degree in Accounting and audit.
Igor Pak
Member of the Management Board, Managing Director of Digital Technologies
Pak Igor Valerievich graduated the Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics in 2006, Faculty of Computing Systems, and received the qualification of a CAD engineer (computer-aided design systems). In 2021, he graduated with an MBA from Almaty Management University with a degree in General and Strategic Management. He has certificate Procurement with SAP ERP 6.0 EHP6. and certificate in Strategic Marketing from the Kyiv Academy of Media Arts.
More than 16 years of experience in software development, IT consulting, ICT infrastructure and cloud services, 7 years of which in leadership positions.
