BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 3. Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Asel Zhanassova Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Transport, according to a presidential decree.
Earlier, Tokayev relieved Nurlan Sauranbayev of his post as Minister of Transport.
Zhanassova, an expert in cybersecurity and digital governance, moves into the dual leadership post following senior executive roles across Kazakhstan’s public sector and international IT domains.
She was born in Almaty in 1987. In 2010, she graduated from the University of Cambridge with a degree in computer science under the Bolashak international scholarship program. In 2014, Zhanassova completed a master's program in Executive Management at the University of Cambridge and Lomonosov Moscow State University.
From 2010 to 2014, she worked in London at an international company, holding positions as an IT specialist, manager of the Information Technology Department, and director of the Cybersecurity Department.
From 2014 to 2016, Zhanassova served as Deputy Director of the Digital Technologies Department at the National Bank of Kazakhstan.
In 2016-2017, she was Chairwoman of the Management Board of the National Managing Holding Zerde JSC. From 2017 to 2018, she served as an adviser to the managing director of the Astana International Financial Centre, and from 2018 to 2020, as its Managing Director for Digital Technologies.
From 2020 to 2022, Zhanassova was Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan. In 2022-2025, she served as Chairwoman of the Management Board of Kazpost JSC.
On June 8, 2025, she was appointed Adviser to the President of Kazakhstan. On December 10, 2025, she was appointed Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan.
