Ulugbek Tilyayev has over 25 years of experience in private sector development, including more than 15 years dedicated to advancing the financial and banking sectors. He began his career in commercial banking before serving for three years as Assistant to the Executive Director on the Boards of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, representing the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Mr. Tilyayev joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in September 1999, initially working in investment operations and portfolio management for projects across Central Asia. In 2007, he relocated to IFC’s regional hub in Istanbul, where he coordinated strategy and advisory programs for Europe and Central Asia. Since 2012, he has focused on developing and managing advisory engagements in the financial sector across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia region, with a particular emphasis on financial inclusion and MSME finance. In parallel, within IFC’s Global SME Banking Practice Group, Mr. Tilyayev has led the Global SME Banker Training Program and launched bank transformation initiative. Currently, he oversees IFC’s financial sector advisory and consulting operations in Central Asia and serves as the MSME finance lead for the region.
His areas of expertise include program management, MSME banking, strategy development, business model design, and bank transformation. Mr. Tilyayev holds an MBA from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University (USA).
