Visa Will Appoint Salima Gutiyeva in Central Asia
The veteran executive will step into the regional manager role for Central Asia starting in December 2026.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in People
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Visa has announced that Salima Gutiyeva will serve as the company's new vice president and regional manager for Central Asia. She is set to officially assume the position on 1 December 2026.
Why it matters
The appointment marks a leadership transition for Visa's operations in Central Asia as the company seeks to further develop its regional digital payments infrastructure. Gutiyeva will take over the role from Sanjar Suleymanov to manage partnerships and technological expansion.
Salima Gutiyeva brings more than 20 years of experience at Visa to her new leadership role. She previously led the company's business operations in the United Arab Emirates starting in 2022.
The players
Salima Gutiyeva
She is an experienced Visa executive who previously led the company's business operations in the United Arab Emirates.
Sanjar Suleymanov
He is the outgoing regional manager for Visa in Central Asia who will be replaced by Gutiyeva.
Visa
This is a global financial services corporation that facilitates electronic funds transfers throughout the world.
The details
In her new capacity, Gutiyeva will focus on promoting digital payment solutions and expanding Visa's cooperation with local banks and merchants. She replaces Sanjar Suleymanov, who previously held the regional manager position for Central Asia.
Timeline
Salima Gutiyeva began leading Visa's business in the United Arab Emirates in 2022.
Gutiyeva will officially assume the new regional manager position on 1 December 2026.
Market Landscape
This leadership shift reflects a broader trend of major financial institutions prioritizing specialized regional management to capture growing digital payment volume in emerging markets. It positions Visa to strengthen its competitive stance against regional rivals by leveraging internal expertise.
Customers and merchants in Central Asia can expect continued efforts to expand digital payment options as the new leadership takes over operations. These changes are intended to streamline banking partnerships and improve access to modern payment technologies.
The takeaway
This appointment highlights the continued commitment of multinational financial firms to fostering specialized leadership in high-growth regions. Investors and industry observers will be watching the transition in December to see how the new strategy impacts regional market adoption.
What happens next
Salima Gutiyeva is scheduled to officially start her new role on 1 December 2026.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership changes, visit the /business/people/ section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UzDaily.
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