Zaur Karimli
Lead IT Auditor
Baku
Summary
IT and Information Security Specialist with extensive experience in IT auditing, risk assessment, and internal controls. Strong track record of leading security initiatives, ensuring compliance with international standards (COBIT, ISO, NIST), and enhancing governance frameworks. Skilled in identifying IT/IS risks, conducting technical evaluations, and developing strategic solutions in banking and corporate environments.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Lead IT Auditor
ABB
01.2023 - Current
- Lead Group-level IT audits aligned with COBIT, ISO/IEC 27001, and NIST frameworks
- Conduct information security risk assessments and ensure compliance with regulatory standards
- Perform third-party risk reviews and develop IT configuration baselines
- Evaluate network/system security, IT governance, business continuity, and cybersecurity controls
- Collaborate on security-related initiatives across departments
Lead Internal Auditor
ABB
09.2021 - 01.2023
- Assess IT and operational risks across branches, mortgage services, card operations, and processing center
- Contribute to the development and monitoring of IT/IS Key Risk Indicators (KRIs)
- Audit change management processes and assess risk implications in digital transformation projects
- Analyze data governance practices and permissions compliance
- Report findings and insights to senior management
Senior Business Analyst
ABB
04.2020 - 09.2021
- Defined and optimized business processes using ARIS BPM for loan and digital banking projects
- Worked on blockchain-based lending and risk-based scoring implementations
- Supported McKinsey-led branch transformation efforts
- Extracted and analyzed data from SQL databases for process testing and improvement
Business Analyst & Project Manager
Azersun Holding / Dreamland
08.2019 - 03.2020
- Managed IT projects including finance system integration and site automation
- Developed risk documentation and technical requirements for implementation
Business Process Analyst
Kapital Bank
01.2018 - 07.2019
- Led risk and process optimization projects for SME, HR, and Finance divisions
- Contributed to fraud risk mitigation by automating internal control processes
- Drafted technical specifications and tested information systems
- Recognized as top performer in task completion and project delivery (JIRA)
Education
Master of Science - Economics, Banking and Finance
Heriot-Watt University
09.2015 - 09.2016
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Azerbaijan State Economic University
09.2010 - 06.2014
Skills
Red Hat Certified System Administrator
CCNA
Network Security
OS Administration
Virtualization
Application Security
Cloud Security
Data Privacy
SQL
ARIS
Palo Alto internal and external firewalls
ElK Kibana
DLP
Dataroid
Bi Publisher
Jira
Microsoft Office Suite
ISO 27001
COBIT
NIST
Audit planning
Access control
IT & Information Security Risk Management
Regulatory Compliance & Audit
Security awareness training
Network security
Database security
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 02/15/93
- Nationality: Azerbaijani
Certifications And Skills
Red Hat Certified System Administrator, CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Administrator), Network Security, OS Administration, Virtualization, Application Security, Cloud Security, Data Privacy, SQL, ARIS, Palo Alto internal and external firewalls, ElK Kibana, DLP, Dataroid, Bi Publisher, Jira, Microsoft Office Suite, ISO 27001, COBIT, NIST
Timeline
Lead IT Auditor
ABB
01.2023 - Current
Lead Internal Auditor
ABB
09.2021 - 01.2023
Senior Business Analyst
ABB
04.2020 - 09.2021
Business Analyst & Project Manager
Azersun Holding / Dreamland
08.2019 - 03.2020
Business Process Analyst
Kapital Bank
01.2018 - 07.2019
Master of Science - Economics, Banking and Finance
Heriot-Watt University
09.2015 - 09.2016
Bachelor of Science - Economics
Azerbaijan State Economic University
09.2010 - 06.2014