Rustam Zapiyev

Project Manager at VM.Capital. Business development, client relationships and international projects — from initial enquiry to project coordination.

Project Manager, VM.Capital

Business development · International projects · Client relationships

Experience spanning international banking, entrepreneurship, digital technology and sales. An understanding of a project’s financial, commercial and organisational aspects, from the initial objective to coordinating participants and putting agreements into practice.

Experience in numbers

20+ years in digital and IT

Website development and promotion, mobile service launches, online sales development and digital project management. Experience leading sales and business operations.

USD 420 million

Kazakhstan’s first bill-discounting transaction, for the country’s largest national company. Development of transaction procedures and coordination with the National Bank of Kazakhstan.

6 years in international banking

Trade finance and corporate client services at one of Kazakhstan’s largest foreign banks. Letters of credit, guarantees, documentary collections and bills of exchange.

15 years in tourism

Business ownership, travel product development, sales, marketing and partnership development.

2 years of international representation

Representation of the Maldives’ largest tour operator across the CIS. Work with travel partners, hotel products and investment property.

Business ownership

Establishing businesses in the digital and tourism sectors. Combining ownership with responsibility for projects, sales and marketing.

Areas of expertise

Business development and negotiations

Understanding client needs, preparing tailored proposals, negotiating commercial terms and developing lasting relationships. Experience with corporate clients, entrepreneurs and international partners.

International corporate projects

Commercial preparation and coordination of company formation, administration, banking and operational infrastructure projects. Collaboration with specialists on corporate, financial and regulatory matters.

Sales and partnerships

Development of direct and partner sales channels. Experience with complex services, digital products, technical equipment and international travel offerings.

Digital projects and marketing

Connecting commercial objectives, product content, user experience and analytics. Defining requirements for websites and services, developing online sales and digital communications.

From a financial challenge to a working solution

International banking experience spans documentary instruments, major corporate transactions and coordination of procedures with the regulator.

Experience with Kazakhstan’s first bill-discounting transaction, worth USD 420 million, brings together financial, documentary and organisational expertise: an understanding of how a transaction new to the market becomes an agreed operational process.

For VM.Capital projects, this background supports attention to bank requirements, the quality of initial documentation and the relationship between commercial terms and implementation.

Entrepreneurship and commercial judgement

Building businesses entails direct responsibility for winning clients, managing costs, delivery quality and business development.

Experience across industries, from digital services and technical products to tourism, helps build a quick understanding of a subject, identify the value of a proposition and consider how it will work in practice.

The focus extends from initial setup to ongoing operations: resources, recurring costs, responsibilities and relationships with clients and partners.

Digital technology as a business tool

More than 20 years in digital projects, spanning web development, mobile services, e-commerce, analytics and online sales development.

Experience includes shaping propositions, briefing developers, organising content, designing user journeys and evaluating results. Practical use of generative artificial intelligence supports information processing, material preparation and analysis of options.

At VM.Capital, this expertise connects the development of digital services with client needs and the company’s commercial objectives.

International communication

International banking and overseas representation are complemented by years of work with partners and clients from diverse business environments.

Two years representing the Maldives’ largest tour operator across the CIS provided practical experience in partnership development, international product promotion and engagement with a professional audience.

Working languages: Russian and English.

Working with VM.Capital clients

Clarifying objectives, structuring initial information and preparing commercial proposals. Agreeing the scope of services and coordinating clients, the VM.Capital team and external advisers.

Key areas include establishing and developing businesses in Kyrgyzstan, corporate administration, banking solutions, High Technology Park residency and operational infrastructure.

Support is built around a clear sequence of actions, precise communication and timely involvement of relevant specialists.

Leadership and teamwork

Mountain tourism instructor. Kazakhstan champion in tourism technique competitions in 1998 and rafting in 2005.

Many years of experience leading trekking groups and serving as team captain: preparing participants, allocating roles and coordinating action in changing conditions.

Education

Kazakh State Academy of Management

1995–1999

Faculty of International Economic Relations.

Major: International Monetary and Financial Relations.

Gymnasium No. 51

1985–1995 · Almaty, Kazakhstan

Focus: Physics and Mathematics.

Graduated with honours.

Discuss a Project

Company formation, business development or corporate infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan. Get in touch to explore possible solutions and the next steps with the VM.Capital team.