Fasset Appoints Behnam Gurban-Zada to Lead CIS Expansion and Strengthen Shariah Finance

Fasset, the American-founded banking and investment platform, has appointed Behnam Gurban-Zada as Executive Director, Islamic Finance and Banking. The appointment comes as the company bolsters its Shariah governance architecture and expands its presence across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) regions.

Behnam brings over 20 years of experience in Islamic banking, capital markets, and regulatory advisory. He previously held executive leadership roles at Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe, and at Sberinvest Middle East. His tenure saw the establishment of Islamic banking units, including the structuring of large-scale Shariah-compliant financing and trade finance transactions, and the management of portfolios exceeding US$1.2 billion.

His commitment to Islamic finance began much earlier. Earlier in Behnam’s career, he was among the pioneers of Islamic finance in Azerbaijan and Russia. He founded PayZakat.Global, an ethical finance and zakat-focused digital platform designed to expand access to compliant charitable giving, crucial at a time when Shariah finance infrastructure in the region was still nascent.

Behnam Gurban-Zada, Executive Director, Islamic Finance and Banking, said: “Islamic finance requires both conviction and discipline. I have spent much of my career building frameworks where ethical principles are translated into practical financial solutions. Fasset is at a stage where that alignment matters deeply, and I look forward to contributing to its continued expansion across new markets and product categories for enhanced financial inclusion.”

At Fasset, Behnam will lead Islamic finance strategy and Shariah governance as the platform scales across new markets. His mandate focuses on strengthening capital markets capabilities, advancing regulatory engagement, and shaping asset-backed offerings for cross-border corridors. With experience spanning both the GCC’s established institutions and the CIS region’s developing frameworks, he brings a practical understanding of how Islamic finance evolves across different regulatory environments. This perspective supports Fasset’s efforts to connect mature and emerging markets with clarity and consistency.

Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Co-Founder and CEO of Fasset, added: “Behnam has spent his career building Islamic finance where it did not yet exist. His deep understanding of Shariah compliance, structural rigor, and regulatory engagement with credibility will significantly enhance our capability to service the wider GCC and CIS regions. As we expand across new corridors, his experience will sharpen our execution.”