Berik Kaniyev
He holds an OPM degree from Harvard Business School, Class of 2024. Additionally, Mr. Kaniyev completed an MBA in the Global Executive Program at the Fuqua School of Business (Duke University) and earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan.
Mr. Kaniyev co-founded JSC Lancaster Group Kazakhstan and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The company operates across various business sectors, including mining, oil and gas infrastructure, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and education.
He also holds several other prestigious positions:
Gauhar Kapparova
Mrs.Kapparova is a graduate of Kazakh State Academy of Management, International Economy, 1995 and the National Higher School of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan,1998. Gauhar Kapparova successfully completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School,2017.
Gauhar has a considerable experience in the luxury and premium class segments. Since 2000 she is a founder and a President of G&G Glamour company representing the world famouse brands in Kazakhstan. She is an Editor-at-Large of LUX magazine, London and prior to this position she was an Editor- in- Chief, L’Officiel Kazakhstan.
Gauhar is also one of the shareholders of Lancaster Group Kazakhstan.
She leads an active lifestyle. Mrs.Kapparova is a member of YPO-WPO International and YPO Kazakhstan since 2015, also a member of Harvard Alumni and Harvard Club. She is elected as a member of the Board of Trustees of Nurlan Kapparov Foundation.
Gauhar is fluent in English, Italian and French.
Yernar Zharkeshov
Yernar currently is a deputy Governor of Akmola region. He has
Aizhan Balabatyrova
With over 17 years of experience, Aizhan is a senior executive who leads the financial, strategic, and IT functions of a leading chemical company in Kazakhstan. She has a strong background in finance, strategy, process optimization, and IT, with credentials from Harvard, MIT, and MSU.
Aizhan has successfully raised funds for M&A, negotiated with investors for new modernization projects, resulting in significant savings and growth for the company, restructured existing loans with the best terms on the market. She has also implemented new approaches to management reporting, investment analysis, project management, and KPIs, as well as ERP and IT strategy. Mr Balabatyrova a highly self-motivated and result-oriented team player, who builds trusted relationships with employees, shareholders, regulators, and other stakeholders. Her mission is to drive the company’s performance and value creation through financial excellence and innovation.
Nurken Urmantayev
After graduating from Ankara University in 2004, he started his professional career at the Department for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Defense. Nurken is a 15-year experienced diplomat who worked for different government agencies and Kazakhstan embassies overseas in a variety of spheres — bilateral and multilateral, defense and security cooperation.
Currently, he is the CEO at Primus Industries LLP — a subsidiary of Primus Capital LLP group of companies — which implements industrial projects in the manufacturing area. In his current role, Nurken is responsible for project team supervision, investment negotiations with partners, both foreign and local, and interaction with the government agencies.
Nurken is also a Teaching Professor at Maqsut Narikbayev University where he teaches ‘International Negotiation and Diplomacy’ course in the International Relations Department.
Nurken is fluent in English and Turkish.
Lazzat Borankulova
Lazzat is currently a Founder and CEO of Growth Vision Pro Ltd — business and management consulting company.
Lazzat is a 20-year experienced investment and strategy executive, asset portfolio manager in one of the largest SWF Samruk-Kazyna and PE Verny Capital, project lead at Deloitte, AIFC and OECD. Extensive experience in deal origination, investor outreach, investment selection/attraction, business strategy and transformation. Currently LP and Venture Partner in the global VC Fund More Than Capital, member of the HBS Angel Association. Apart from AMP (HBS) has MBA from KIMEP and MSc Finance degree from Manchester Business School.
Ussen Galym
Ussen is currently a CIO at Baiterek National Management Holding. With over 14 years of experience in digital transformation and public service, Ussen has worked at Deloitte, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan. He specializes in software project management, business analysis, and process improvement. Ussen is passionate about climate change and sustainability; an avid chess player.
He is proficient in Kazakh, English, Japanese, Russian.
Aruzhan Meirkhanova
Aruzhan Meirkhanova is an emerging expert in policy and regional affairs in Central Asia. She earned her BA in Political Science and International Relations from Nazarbayev University and completed her master’s degree in Regional Studies at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. At Harvard’s Davis Center, she was awarded a prestigious Davis Scholarship and an Innovation Fellowship, which allowed her to advance Central Asia-related research through the Program on Central Asia. After graduation, Aruzhan returned to Kazakhstan and joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as a Sector Reforms and Policy Analyst. In this role, she designed and implemented sector reforms in Central Asia and Mongolia, focusing on the water, energy, and transport sectors.
Kuanysh A. Yergaliyev
Kuanysh is a Medical Doctor, Public Health Specialist and Educator with extensive experience in the public policy, health systems, higher education and science policy for middle income settings. He graduated from Kazakh National Medical University in Almaty and received a Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University in USA. Kuanysh is Bolashak Presidential scholarship fellow. In May of 2019, Kuanysh received Doctor of Public Health degree from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Dr. Kuanysh A. Yergaliyev served as a Rector of SDU university and held a political appointment as a Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education of Republic of Kazakhstan.
Currently, he is Chair of the Board of Directors at Satbayev University, Co-Founder and Board Chair at Kazakhstan Health Managers Association, and Assistant Professor of Practice at Nazarbayev University School of Medicine.
Dr. Kuanysh Yergaliyev is a cofounder and past-President of Harvard Chan Qualitative Methods Student Club and a founder and past-President of Miras Boston Kazakh Cultural Foundation. The Miras Foundation aims to meet cultural and social needs of Kazakh people in Greater Boston Area.
Kurmanzhan Dastanbek
Kurmanzhan is a Project Officer at the headquarters of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), where she provides technical expertise on infectious diseases at the animal-human-environment interface. With over a decade of experience in global health, working across multiple international organizations, including WHO, USAID, CDC, PEPFAR, and others, she has played a key role in initiatives related to One Health, pandemic preparedness, infectious disease control, and antimicrobial resistance in Central Asian countries.
She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an MBA from Turan University, with a background in international and business law from the American University of Central Asia.
Asset Yerali
Asset Yerali is a seasoned private equity and investment management professional with extensive experience across sectors such as infrastructure, logistics, transportation, energy and telecommunications. He is a Senior Director of Private Markets at Kinetic Asset Management.
He has a proven track record in deal structuring, asset management and fundraising; consistently securing capital from institutional investors and cultivating long-term relationships with sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and family offices.
Asset holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management
Roles and Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees
Initiatives and Projects Driven by the Board of Trustees
Key Functions of the Board of Trustees
