Alma brings over 15 years of experience in corporate and investment banking as well as capital markets, having held senior roles at both international and regional financial institutions. Her deep understanding of the Central Asian financial landscape and her track record in building client relationships and navigating complex regulatory environments make her a fantastic fit for this role.

Burak Cerrahoglu is Vice President and responsible for new rating relationships in CIS region and Turkiye.

Prior to joining Moody’s in 2007, Burak was Operations/Risk Manager with European Housing Finance EHF, which is a mortgage finance company based in Istanbul and specializing in the secondary mortgage market in Turkey. Burak was previously with the Mortgage Acceptance Corp. in the U.S., while structuring MBS and mortgage whole loan sales.

Burak holds M.S. in Finance from Boston College and B.S. in Finance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Marcus Yiu is an Analyst with Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, he supports lead analysts in covering a portfolio of sovereign credits in the Asia Pacific and Central Asia regions. 

Marcus joined Moody’s in January 2020, after working at J.P. Morgan Asset Management as a Market Analyst based in Hong Kong. There, he performed macroeconomic and market research with a focus on Asia and took part in generating asset allocation ideas for clients.

Marcus graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick.

Marcus Yiu is an Analyst with Moody’s Sovereign Risk Group. Based in Singapore, he supports lead analysts in covering a portfolio of sovereign credits in the Asia Pacific and Central Asia regions. 

Marcus joined Moody’s in January 2020, after working at J.P. Morgan Asset Management as a Market Analyst based in Hong Kong. There, he performed macroeconomic and market research with a focus on Asia and took part in generating asset allocation ideas for clients.

Marcus graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick.

А.Baimagambetov was born on 16 August 1977 in Almaty.

А. Baimagambetov received his degree in Finance and Banking from Abai Almaty State University, a Law degree from Al-Farabi Kazakh State University and Executive MBA degree from Nazarbayev University.

Started his career in 1998 as a leading economist in the Accounting methodology division of the NBK Accounting department and further held various positions in multiple departments of the NBK.

From 2003 to 2007 he held the position of Deputy Director of the Human resources department and Head of the Monetary operations accounting division at the NBK.

During the 2007 – 2011 period А. Baimagambetov worked at JSC Halyk Bank, where he was in charge of the retail business, operational affairs and the implementation of IT projects.

Between 2011 and 2017 А. Baimagambetov held various senior leadership positions at the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBK), including Advisor to the Governor of the NBK, Director of the Balance of payments and currency regulation department, as well as Director of the Monetary operations department, which is responsible for the management of NBK’s foreign exchange reserves and assets of the National Oil Fund in addition to the implementation of monetary policy.

From 2011 to 2014 he was a member of the Board of Directors at JSC Kazakhstan Stock Exchange.

А. Baimagambetov served as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors at JSC National Investment Corporation from June 2017 to May 2019.

Chief Executive Officer of JSC Kazakhstan Deposit Insurance Fund from May 2019 to December 2019.

By the Order of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 26 December 2019, Akylzhan Baimagambetov was appointed Deputy Governor of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

He was awarded the «Order of Kurmet», a number of jubilee medals of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the badge «Honored employee of the National Bank of Kazakhstan». He was also awarded the Certificate of Appreciation of the Chairman of the NBK.

Lena Gillich is an Analyst of the Sustainable Finance team. She has produced over 50 Second Party Opinions (SPOs) since 2021. Her areas of expertise include renewable energy, green buildings, waste management/circular economy, and biodiversity. Lena is actively engaged in developing Moody’s Ratings approach for assessments based on EU Taxonomy and European Green Bond Standard (EuGBS) requirements. 

She has extensive experience conducting EU Taxonomy assessments for corporates, financial institutions, and sovereigns. Lena is a regular participant and speaker in round table and panel discussions, including events like the European Sub-Sovereign and German Laender Forum organized by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF).

Prior to joining Moody’s Ratings, Lena spent four years as a sustainability and management consultant in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (DACH region). During this period, she specialized in developing comprehensive ESG strategies for corporates and implementing them under sector-specific conditions.

Lena holds an M.Sc. in Economics – Finance and Banking from the University of Muenster in Germany, and a B.A. in International Business from the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences of Kleve in Germany. In March 2023, she was successfully certified as an expert in Climate & Renewable Energy Finance at the Frankfurt School – FS-UNEP Collaborating Center.

Vladlen Kuznetsov is a Vice President – Senior Analyst at Moody’s Ratings, based in Dubai. He covers a portfolio of banks and other financial institutions in the CIS countries in the Financial Institutions Group. Vladlen has an extensive background of almost 20 years in credit risk analysis of banks and other financial institutions, regional and local governments and entities related to local and central governments.

Vladlen joined Moody’s in 2006. Prior to joining Moody’s, he had worked for Fitch Ratings in Moscow covering banks and other financial institutions in Russia and other CIS countries. Before that, Vladlen worked for Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen in Moscow with experience in banking audits since 1998.

Vladlen holds Master’s degree in engineering and economics from the Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) in Moscow. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a holder of Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Sustainability Climate Risk (SCR) charters from GARP (General Association of Risk Professionals).

Vladlen Kuznetsov is a Vice President – Senior Analyst at Moody’s Ratings, based in Dubai. He covers a portfolio of banks and other financial institutions in the CIS countries in the Financial Institutions Group. Vladlen has an extensive background of almost 20 years in credit risk analysis of banks and other financial institutions, regional and local governments and entities related to local and central governments.

Vladlen joined Moody’s in 2006. Prior to joining Moody’s, he had worked for Fitch Ratings in Moscow covering banks and other financial institutions in Russia and other CIS countries. Before that, Vladlen worked for Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen in Moscow with experience in banking audits since 1998.

Vladlen holds Master’s degree in engineering and economics from the Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) in Moscow. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a holder of Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and Sustainability Climate Risk (SCR) charters from GARP (General Association of Risk Professionals).

Education: Anastasiya S. Ovsyannikova graduated with honors from the Almaty Institute of Technology and Business in 2001, specializing in Finance and Credit.

She furthered her academic pursuits by completing an MBA program at the Corporate University of Sberbank in collaboration with INSEAD in 2019.

Work Experience: Since the beginning of her career in 2000, Anastassiya S. Ovsyannikova has demonstrated herself as a determined specialist, showcasing high professionalism and leadership qualities across various sectors of Kazakhstan's financial industry.

From 2000 to 2011, she held key positions at JSC «Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan» and JSC "KazinvestBank", overseeing operational management, development of banking products, and financial control.

Since 2013, Anastassiya S. Ovsyannikova has contributed significantly to the Subsidiary Bank of PJSC "Sberbank" in Kazakhstan, initially focusing on corporate business planning and analysis before assuming leadership of the Financial Department.

In 2022, she was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Management Board at Subsidiary Bank of JSC "Sberbank" (now JSC "Bereke Bank"), where she adeptly steered financial operations and strategic planning.

From early 2023, Anastasiya S. Ovsyannikova has held the role of Managing Director at JSC "Bank CenterCredit", where she oversees key strategic initiatives and manages crucial financial functions including the Financial Department, Accounting, and Treasury.

Her impact in the industry was further underscored in 2023 when she was elected Vice President and joined the Management Board of JSC "Bank CenterCredit", affirming her leadership and influence in Kazakhstan's banking landscape.

Her extensive experience and professional achievements make her an outstanding leader among financial sector specialists, capable of successfully tackling complex challenges and implementing companies' strategic initiatives.

Holds a Master’s degree in Financial Management from Vlerick Leuven Ghent Business School (Ghent, Belgium). Certified Financial Manager accredited by the Institute of Management Accountants (Montville, USA). With extensive experience in banking, has held management roles at ABN Amro Bank Kazakhstan and RBS Bank Kazakhstan. Currently, at the Bank, oversees risk management, the collateral appraisal department, and the loan workout department.

Lev is an Assistant Vice President – Analyst at Moody’s Dubai office (UAE), covering financial institutions including Insurance companies and banks in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Prior to joining Dubai office in 2022, he worked for Moody’s Financial Institutions Group in Moscow, Russia and for Moody’s Credit Policy research group in New York. Lev holds an MBA in finance from Zicklyn School of Business (New York), and BBA degree in finance from Baruch College CUNY (New York).

Alma brings over 15 years of experience in corporate and investment banking as well as capital markets, having held senior roles at both international and regional financial institutions. Her deep understanding of the Central Asian financial landscape and her track record in building client relationships and navigating complex regulatory environments make her a fantastic fit for this role.

Burak Cerrahoglu is Vice President and responsible for new rating relationships in CIS region and Turkiye.

Prior to joining Moody’s in 2007, Burak was Operations/Risk Manager with European Housing Finance EHF, which is a mortgage finance company based in Istanbul and specializing in the secondary mortgage market in Turkey. Burak was previously with the Mortgage Acceptance Corp. in the U.S., while structuring MBS and mortgage whole loan sales.

Burak holds M.S. in Finance from Boston College and B.S. in Finance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.