BAKU – BAFT, an international financial services association, announced today its Future Leaders program class of 2018. Agarza Bakhshiyev, Acting Head of Risk Management department of Kapital Bank, Azerbaijan, was one of 31 individuals selected to participate. The program – now in its third year – recognizes upcoming leaders in the transaction banking industry. 

Nominated by their respective institutions, the class of 2018 includes individuals from 16 countries and a variety of disciplines within transaction banking. This year’s group will be divided into four project teams to address current industry issues such as correspondent banking relationships, cybersecurity threats and defense, artificial intelligence and transaction banking recruitment.

Bakhshiyev will collaborate with fellow Future leaders on “Big Data and Artificial Intelligence” and will work on AI methods helping banks in different operational fields for data analysis, assessing financial risk management, product creation, as well as testing useful research outputs in the bank.

“I’m honored to have been selected for BAFT’s Future Leaders program and to join such an esteemed group within the transaction banking industry,” said Bakhshiyev. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to identify solutions for critical industry issues.”

The class of 2018 will begin the program at the annual BAFT Europe Forum in London, and will conclude at the BAFT North America Meeting in Florida in May. Several class of 2017 program alumni will support the current class as mentors, joining BAFT board members who will again serve as project sponsors. 

Bakhshiyev joins the following individuals, who were selected to this year’s program:

• Adam Hanke – Natwest/RBS
• Adriaan Bellaart – ING Bank NV
• Allison Vara – JPMorgan
• Andrew Smart – Scotiabank
• Aoun Al Aoun – Arab Bank Plc
• Beatrice E. Lee – HSBC Bank
• Bret Berta – Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS)
• Charlotte Kissmeyer – Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB)
• Cristina Thome Certucha – Société Generale
• Dario J. Sanchez – Fulton Financial Corporation
• Elie Medlege – Banque Libano-Française
• Hiren Shah – Pelican
• Janice Durisin – Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP
• Janna Webskowski – US Bank NA
• Joëlle Schmidt – Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB)
• Karen Sabioni Oliveira – BNP Paribas SA
• Karen Veslemøy Hveem – Danske Bank
• Kerim Yebari – Deutsche Bank AG
• Kit Lin – Barclays
• Kristin Francis – PNC Bank
• Marcus Jacobsson – Swedbank AB
• Melissa Gomes – Bank of America Merrill Lynch
• Mónica Couret – BBVA
• Nimesh Avantha – Standard Chartered Bank
• Ozgur Akdeniz – Australia and New Zealand Banking Group
• Pani Oritis – Santander UK
• Poppy Biswal – KeyBank National Association
• Renny Narvaez – BNY Mellon
• Steve Darnell – BMO Capital Markets
• William M. Santoro – IBM

About Kapital Bank

Kapital Bank renders services at 92 branches and 7 service-points. It has the most extensive service network. Detailed information about the bank’s products and services can be obtained at www.kapitalbank.az, as well as by calling the Customer Service Center: 196.