Imran Baghirov

Executive leadership at the intersection of Retail, Telco, Innovation and IT. 10+ years management consulting. 2 innovation hubs built. 2 published AI patents. Telco strategy and innovation leader. Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. I build innovation engines. Across telecom, retail, fintech and startup ecosystems, I've spent 20+ years turning ideas into scalable impact. Currently I lead Retail & Commerce Business Development for Eastern Europe at Mastercard, driving growth across Türkiye and the CIS region through digital transformation, ecosystem partnerships and high stakes go to market strategies. Before that, I spent 13+ years in telecom, including 6 years in C-level roles, leading strategy, innovation, data and CX. I launched two national innovation hubs (Barama and Lotfi Zadeh), supported 1,000+ startups, and built partnerships that reshaped how corporations collaborate with early stage ecosystems. My work has been recognized globally. I am an EB-1A awardee for Extraordinary Ability in Innovation and Leadership, a distinction reserved for leaders who deliver transformative impact at scale. I hold 2 patents, speak regularly on the global stage (3x TEDx speaker) and hosted a tech radio show for 2 years. I've mentored founders and advised corporates from Seedstars Global to Mastercard's strategic clients across 3 continents. My style: vision plus ruthless execution. I bridge legacy industries with exponential technologies, delivering results through storytelling, systems thinking and speed. Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt with a passion for data science, I use advanced analytics and experimentation to break bottlenecks and unlock growth. Along the way I've held 4 board seats: Azeronline (telecom), HeartGuard (healthtech), Junior Achievement Azerbaijan (education) and Texnopolis Media, where I also hosted a weekly tech radio program. Now I'm pointing this playbook at the GCC. Exploring where 20+ years of frontier market leadership can create the most value next and open to conversations with those building in the region. Dubai and the wider Gulf. Relocation ready. If you're building something bold in innovation, strategy or ecosystem transformation, let's talk.