Rauf Khalilov has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Franklin College Lugano, Switzerland. After gaining work experience at Finansbank, he helped set up his family’s shipping business, IRS, and worked at Glencore. In 2007, Rauf Khalilov joined the family business in Azerbaijan, where he started the automotive business. In 2010, he set up a logistics company, and today it is integrated into the structure of the SARDA group with a fleet of its own trucks and represents COSCO in Azerbaijan. In 2011, in a partnership with Fawaz Al Hokair, he established “Retail Group Azerbaijan,” which represents more than 35 brands such as Massimo Dutti, Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, and others, with over 600 employees. In 2024, together with the Al Hokair brothers, they launched CENOMI Uzbekistan with all of Inditex’s brands in Uzbekistan, employing 250 people at present.
In 2023, he and his partners started an F&B business with one of the world’s famous coffee brands, COSTA COFFEE, opening 8 stores in Azerbaijan and planning to open its first store in Georgia in 2025. Rauf Khalilov actively supports the development of sports in Azerbaijan. He is the president of the Azerbaijan Golf Federation and a board member of SABAH FC. Additionally, he is a co-chair of the Strategic Operations Committee of the Swiss-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
CEO
RAUF KHALILOV
General Director of SARDA AUTO and looks after companies in the Automotive Division in SARDA Group since January 2015. Born in Torrance California in 1981. After graduating from Keio University in Tokyo Japan in 2004, has gained 17-years of experience in managing distributors and dealers in the automotive sector. His experience at Automotive Division in Toyota Tsusho Corporation, a general trading company in the Toyota Group, includes a feasibility study of merging a Toyota distributor in Ecuador, Assistant to President in Toyota Motor Hungary, Country Manager as an internal auditor of the company’s distributor and dealers in the Caucasus and Central Asia region, Director of Sales and Aftersales in Toyota Caucasus & Central Asia. He had responsibilities of general operation and management at those companies including sales and aftersales, marketing, customer relations, finance and accounting, and HR. SARDA AUTO includes Toyota Center Baku, Toyota Center Ganja, Lexus Baku, Lexus Tbilisi, Caspian Impex Group (vehicle transportation and freight forwarding), ISR Industrial Equipment (Importer of Toyota forklift in Azerbaijan), and Auto Service Badamdar (Independent car repair shop). Besides SARDA AUTO, he launched a new project of growing roses known as Baku Roses and assists the President of SARDA Group in searching and developing new business.
AKIHISA ANDY WATANABE
COO
TARIYEL RUSTAMOV
CFO
Finance Director of the Holding since April 2016. Tariyel was born in Baku, Azerbaijan in 1981. He is married, and father of three children. After receiving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Azerbaijan State University of Economics in 2004, Tariyel has gained 17-years of professional experience in audit, accounting, financial reporting and management.
Tariyel is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) of the United States of America. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) from Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), an international professional association focused on governance.
Director on legal affairs of the SARDA Management and Director of ISR Kapital Investments LLC the owning company of Hilton Hotel Baku. Born in Baku in 1974. After graduating from Baku State University and Western University from 2000-2008 worked in VES Consulting company as a director on Legal affairs. From 2003-2004 Participated in traineeships and internships programs in London organized by LSE.
Joined the Holding in 2008. Farhad is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer, mainly specializing in tax, labor and cross-border business matters with more than 20 years of professional experience. Farhad has conducted numerous due diligence checks of various investments and production projects with the involvement of international, local and governmental agencies.