ITS board of directors appoints Kurmet Orazayev as new CEO
The board of directors of the international trading platform ITS approved by a majority vote at its latest meeting the appointment of Kurmet Orazayev as the company's new chief executive officer (CEO), effective April 1, 2026.
The board of directors also adopted a decision to relieve Chingiz Kanapyanov of his duties as CEO.
"The board of directors conducted a comprehensive review of the platform's strategic position and identified priorities for its further development. We sincerely thank Chingiz Kanapyanov for his significant contribution to the establishment of ITS. Under his leadership, the platform evolved into an international liquidity hub, providing investors from Kazakhstan and other countries with broad access to global markets," said Roman Goryunov, a member of the ITS board of directors.
"We are pleased to welcome Kurmet Orazayev, whose extensive experience in the exchange industry and deep knowledge of ITS provide a solid foundation for the platform's next stage of development," Goryunov said.
Orazayev is a seasoned manager in exchange trading and financial infrastructure with more than 15 years of experience. Since 2009, he has headed management of the Eurasian Trading System Commodity Exchange (ETS).
Since 2012, Orazayev has been chairman of the Committee on Commodity Markets and since 2019 a member of the Council of the International Association of Exchanges. Since 2023, he has also served on the ITS board of directors as an independent director, ensuring complete continuity of the platform's strategic course.
Kanapyanov said: "Over the years of working together, the ITS team has built a unique infrastructure that has given investors real access to the world's leading markets. I am grateful to my colleagues, partners and trading participants for the journey we have shared. I am confident that in the next phase, the platform will continue its steady growth, and I wish new successes for Kurmet and the entire team."
Orazayev said: "ITS is a platform with clear growth potential. As a member of the board of directors, I gained a deep understanding of the platform's team, strategy and possibilities. My task is to ensure confident continuity of what has been started, to expand investor access to global markets, increase the number of broker participants and product offerings, strengthen ITS's position as a regional leader in international trading, and maintain cooperation between ITS and ETS for mutual development of the commodity market within the framework of the AIFC."
About ITS
ITS is a trading platform operating under the jurisdiction of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). ITS offers investors more than 3,200 global market instruments listed in the U.S. and Kazakhstan. Among the unique products developed by ITS are exchange-traded funds based on proprietary indexes and the ability to trade shares of companies going public, before the start of trading in New York.
In 2025, ITS achieved record results: total trading volume exceeded $14 billion, 70 times the 2024 figure. The number of investors with trading access increased to more than 1.2 million. The platform hosts 20 participants from seven countries: Kazakhstan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Oman and South Africa.
ITS clients are professional securities market participants from Kazakhstan and other countries – financial intermediaries accredited or registered with the AIFC. Retail and corporate investors gain access to trading through financial intermediaries – brokers and banks.
ITS Press Service