Ilgar Veliyev

Ilgar joined EY in 1994 as an economics graduate and has been steadily rising through the ranks, having gained respect of his peers and senior members of staff. In 2007, he became the first Azerbaijani national to be appointed a Partner among all major international professional services and accounting firms.

Throughout his career, Ilgar has been involved in, and spearheaded, a wide range of projects across various markets, such as Azerbaijan, Russia (1995-1996), and the United Kingdom (2001-2003). 

Ilgar Veliyev is a licensed Azerbaijani Auditor, a member of the Council of the Audit Chamber, US Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Accountant of England and Wales. In 2013-2017 he served as the president of AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan). In 2016 Ilgar was awarded the ‘Taraggi’ (“Progress”) medal by the President of Azerbaijan.

Ilgar holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Azerbaijan State Economics University, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

How Ilgar is building a better working world

“I can see three major threads here. Firstly, businesses constantly talk about the need for integrity, equality and sustainability. We don’t just talk about it, we live these values. I pursue these principles in everything we do, as a professional and a human being. In doing so, EY sets examples and inspires others in the business community to follow suit. Secondly, we believe in vibrant and competitive economy. We play our part in supporting small and medium-sized businesses through EY’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award. Thirdly, the world is evolving rapidly. Businesses will need to be resilient and adaptive to disruptions, such as the current pandemic, to stay afloat and thrive. This is where we come in with our vast expertise and cutting-edge approaches to solving tomorrow’s problems today.”