Prior to graduating from the Bosphorus University, I volunteered for organisations such as the Azerbaijani Consulate in Istanbul, as well as for BP. My passion for learning and desire to observe a variety of different industries brought me closer to audit and assurance, and to my first position at KPMG. Here, I worked in Istanbul, Moscow and Hong Kong.
Being engaged in various industries all over the world taught me how to adapt to new situations and operate under stress. KPMG was a fantastic experience for me, and I am grateful to its partners who supported my development. I also met my future wife at the firm.
The major problem so many railway businesses face is providing what the market needs
Later I joined Baker Tilly Azerbaijan and simultaneously worked as a lecturer at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, where I delivered ACCA courses. After spending eight years in assurance and gaining significant experience, I was excited to join the Azerbaijan Railway company as deputy finance director.
I was then designated as the head of institutional reforms management division to assist the corporation with reforms. I am currently the head of the strategy and corporate development department, where I am in charge of strategic management and corporate governance related processes.
The decision to leave assurance was not easy, as I was leaving my comfort zone. However, the desire to take up logistics led me to the railways. I had always been interested in transportation, and when I got an offer from the state railways, I realised that working in a real business would be more challenging. I was also pleased with the prospects that came with the job’s wider framework.
I believe boosting public transportation depends on the existence of a comfortable, reliable and high quality service, supported by a government subsidy. This should provide control, the level of quality and competitive prices.
Globally, the challenge that state railroads face is the implementation of controlled change management efforts and adapting to market needs that result in the sustainable development of the industry. However, there is huge experience accumulated from all over the world which provides good ground for change and reformation.
The major problem so many railway businesses face is providing what the market needs. If I had the power, I would provide people with a legal foundation allowing them to change their organisations, while also providing the opportunity to implement innovations to harmonize transportation regulations, enabling more international multimodal transportation across the world.
What I enjoy about my job is it gives me the opportunity to face challenges, learn, and then design solutions that we can implement.
I think my biggest achievement is trying to share all my knowledge and expertise, gained during my foreign experiences, for the growth of my team and students. I’m also very proud of contributing to Azerbaijan’s development as a Eurasian logistics hub.
If I wasn’t in finance I would have been a developer. Technology has always interested me, and I see programming as a method to solve problems and express oneself creatively.
One of my favourite hobbies is photography. It adds so much value to our lives by capturing significant moments, people, and places, as well as helping us learn and grow as individuals.
