Askar Akhayev is the Head of the Sanctions Compliance Division at Freedom Bank Kazakhstan. He has over 12 years of experience in law, banking, and consulting, including five years with KPMG. His professional expertise covers sanctions compliance, international regulatory frameworks, and risk management. Throughout his career, he has been involved in the development and implementation of internal policies, led projects to improve compliance processes, and actively engaged with regulators. At Freedom Bank Kazakhstan, Askar took the initiative to establish a dedicated sanctions compliance function, substantiated its necessity, and was appointed to lead the newly formed team. Today, he is responsible for the Bank’s overall sanctions compliance strategy, development of internal procedures, and staff training, as well as representing the Bank in dialogue with international and national bodies, including participation in industry meetings with OFAC and OFSI.
