--- triggers: ["cv", "resume", "curriculum vitae", "experience", "work history", "education", "skills", "qualifications", "yerbol cv", "your cv", "your resume"] title: "Curriculum Vitae" description: "Professional CV of Yerbol Akhmetbekov" priority: 10 ---
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# Yerbol Akhmetbekov | **Location & Status** | Fort Myers, FL, United States • Green Card Holder | |:---------------------|:------------------------------------| | **Connect** | [Email](https://akhmetbekov.com/?prompt=contact) • [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/yerbol-akhmetbekov/) • [GitHub](https://github.com/yerbolgmailcom) • [Website](https://akhmetbekov.com) | ## Summary **Principal Engineer and Platform Architect** focused on **model risk and AI governance** — pairing a GARP Financial Risk Manager certification with hands-on design of production LLM systems and the control systems that keep AI agents safe to run. - **PhD in Computer Science** from Novosibirsk State University ([h-index: 7](https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=36070493900)), with a 10+ year career in **Software Engineering** designing secure, scalable, API-first platforms using Python, Java, C++, TS, and AWS. - **LLM and ML Engineer** with 5+ years in data science (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, Scikit-Learn; statistics, PCA, TF-IDF, Fourier methods) and a three-year specialization in Large Language Models across OpenAI, Anthropic, and open-source Llama-derived models. Designed and shipped production RAG, fine-tuned classifiers, and agentic chatbots. - **Financial Risk Manager**, [certified](https://my.garp.org/DigitalBadgeFRM?id=0031W00002bTDxVQAW) by the Global Association of Risk Professionals — advanced pricing, comprehensive risk metrics (VaR, credit/market/liquidity/operational), and portfolio performance evaluation. - Certified **Risk and AI** [expert](https://my.garp.org/DigitalBadgeRAI?id=0031W00002bTDxVQAW) with specialized training in AI governance, algorithmic impact assessment, and regulatory compliance for AI. Combines traditional risk-management expertise with AI knowledge to oversee algorithmic systems and their business implications. - **AI control-systems design (capability):** Designed an architecture that lets a remote AI agent execute commands on an operator's own machine *without* handing over a shell, and wrote the threat model that names its own weakest link — treating the LLM judge as a scope/coherence filter, never as the security boundary, with a deterministic policy gate that runs before and independent of any model. The design fails closed and separates the safety-critical execution path from the observability path. (Designed and specified; not deployed as a product.) - Proven leadership **managing IT teams** for over a decade using Scrum/Agile, with deep SDLC focus on automation and continuous delivery. - **Blockchain Developer**, [graduated](https://kodadot.xyz/ahp/gallery/56-1) from the Polkadot Blockchain Academy in Berkeley, CA. Specializes in Rust, Substrate, and parachains; expert in cryptography, consensus algorithms, state machines, and blockchain fundamentals. --- ## Work Experience ## Positioning Principal Engineer / Platform Architect in model risk and AI governance — most recently leading LLM system design and AI-risk oversight as a senior individual contributor and technical lead. ### Senior Engineer / Technical Lead (LLM Systems & AI Risk) **Epoca International Inc.** | Boca Raton, FL | 01/2023 - present - Epoca International, Inc. is a US company that designs, manufactures, and distributes consumer products for the home and kitchen. - **Social Media Analysis System**: Designed a system for gathering data from two major social media platforms, storing it in a PostgreSQL, and analyzing trends using ML/AI models for enhanced market insight capabilities. - **AWS Infrastructure and Software Development Life Cycle**: Implemented and documented a robust AWS infrastructure and CI/CD pipeline, including Kubernetes, Docker, Ansible, GitHub Actions, Lambda, CloudWatch, API Gateway, IAM, ECR. This infrastructure streamlines data management and optimizes team workflow. - **Innovative AI Tools and Data Sandbox**: Integrated a fine-tuned model for social media hashtag analysis and established an AI data sandbox, enabling advanced data analysis and market trend prediction. - **Data-Driven Market Trend Reports**: Regularly produced three types of insightful reports using the developed system: one on Amazon product trends and another on Amazon search term seasonality/trends. These reports, available through Custom GPT, inform product development and marketing strategies. - **RAG System for AI Sandbox**: Developed a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) system in the AI sandbox for querying product data, integrating pgvector and FAISS vector databases with OpenAI embeddings and GPT-4 generated image descriptions, enriching product analysis capabilities. - **AI Chatbot Development**: Created an AI chatbot with Next.js, RSC, React, Vercel AI SDK, Streaming, and Assistant API. The chatbot features multistep reasoning mechanics and external tools calling for RAG, enhancing user interaction. ### Chief Executive Officer **Edge Apps LLP** | Astana, Kazakhstan | 11/2020 - 05/2022 - Edge Apps LLP is a Kazakhstani IT company that implements projects on tracking consumer goods. **Establishment and Growth**: Founded a new IT systems development company and supervised a team of over 30 people. Grew revenue from zero to over 1 million USD in the first year. **Strategic Partnerships and Contracts**: Built strong relationships with partners and clients, resulting in 5 signed contracts, including Agile and Fixed price development for: National catalog of goods, Marking and traceability of goods, Ismet.kz marketplace for businesses, Fiscal data operator IS, Product development for labeling goods (Partnership and revenue sharing). **Legal and Financial Management**: Established legal frameworks with third-party subcontractors, including framework agreements, individual contracts, NDAs, and DD. Maintained the company's financial health and profitability above market level. **Leadership and Team Supervision**: Led a diverse team, ensuring project delivery and quality while fostering a collaborative and productive work environment. ### Chief Executive Officer / CTO **Eurasia Blockchain Fintech Group Ltd.** | Astana, Kazakhstan | 08/2018 - 07/2020 - Eurasia Blockchain Fintech Group Ltd. operates a digital currencies trading facility in Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) under common law. **Establishment and Licensing**: Obtained a financial license for operating a digital currencies trading facility in the AIFC jurisdiction under common law. Set up the company within the AIFC jurisdiction. **Corporate Governance and Compliance**: Created a comprehensive corpus of corporate governance documents to comply with AIFC financial regulations, including AML/CFT framework, client onboarding/KYC policies, IT governance, compliance framework, risk management framework, business continuity/disaster recovery plans, crypto custodial protocols, listing/delisting requirements, audit policy, IT governance policy, public offer, end-user/client agreements, and disclosure statements. **Technical Leadership and Operations**: Led a technical team of 3 full-time employees and a subcontract team of 5 to launch the exchange platform. Established customer service. ### Founder / Lead developer **Process optimization LLP** | Astana, Kazakhstan | 01/2017 - 07/2018 - **Data Analysis and Pipeline Development**: Utilized Pandas, Numpy, and MLP-based neural networks in SciKit Learn to analyze state vehicle registry data, with data pipelines for BI and analytics. Also conducted financial data analysis using LSTM in PyTorch. **Trading Bot Development**: Developed an automated trading bot in async Python and created a simulator for the bot in C++ to test various trading strategies at 1-minute and 30-minute intervals. **Industrial Process Modeling**: Built and optimized industrial process models using Java and AnyLogic simulation software, focusing on operational efficiency. ### Head of laboratory of energy, ecology and climate **Nazarbayev University Research and Innovation System** | Astana, Kazakhstan | 04/2012 - 12/2016 - The research arm of the Nazarbayev University in partnership with leading US and UK higher education and research institutions. I led a team in developing key models and strategic initiatives: **Energy System Modeling**: Developed an energy system model for Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries using the TIMES model generator from the International Energy Agency, focusing on energy and environmental analysis. **Power Grid and Renewable Energy Analysis**: Created a high voltage power grid and power generation model for Kazakhstan with GAMS, analyzing the development of renewable energy sources. **Regional Climate Strategy Modeling**: Employed the PRECIS toolkit for a Central Asian climate model, strategizing on climate change up to 2100. In collaboration with the World Bank, we formulated **GHG emission reduction policies for Kazakhstan**'s Ministry of Energy. Managed a project with McKinsey & Co, culminating in a strategic [state document](https://policy.asiapacificenergy.org/node/133) on **transitioning to a Green Economy**, endorsed by the President of Kazakhstan in May 2013. ### Researcher / Dev team leader **Institute of Thermophysics SB RAS** | Novosibirsk, Russia | 06/2003 - 12/2011 - Leading institution in fundamental and applied scientific research in the areas of heat transfer and fluid dynamics. **PhD Thesis Defense**: Successfully defended my PhD thesis titled "Algorithms and Software for Optical Diagnostics of Two-Phase Flows," contributing significantly to the field. **Innovative Research and Development**: Created a new Planar Fluorescence Bubble Imaging technique, resulting in a highly cited [publication](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00348-009-0797-0) (97th percentile). Developed a comprehensive set of algorithms for Particle Tracking Velocimetry in C++, involving image correlation analysis, object recognition, tomographic reconstruction, and noise reduction. **Software Development Leadership**: Managed the development of the "ActualFlow" software for Particle Imaging Velocimetry, leading a team of 7 developers. Designed the software architecture, encompassing the ActualFlow framework, 37 data processing algorithms, and 16 hardware control modules. --- ## Education & Certifications **PhD in Computer Science** and **MSc in Physics** from Novosibirsk State University, 2000 - 2011 **Financial Risk Management** 2022 and **Risk and AI** 2025, Global Association of Risk Professionals **Blockchain Developer**, Polkadot Blockchain Academy from Parity tech and Web 3 Foundation, 2023 --- ## Skills | **Languages:** Expert in: C/C++, Python and JS/TS; proficient in Java and Rust. | **Large Language Models:** OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Open source (LLama 3 derived) | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **LLM Techniques:** RAG, Finetune, Embedding, Agents, Reasoning, AIGuard, Autogen. | **Chatbot Frameworks:** Next.js, React, Vercel AI SDK, Streaming API, LangChain, LlamaIndex | | **Databases:** Advanced in: PostgreSQL and SQLite; proficient in Redis, MS SQL | **DevOps:** Docker, Git, Vim, Debian, AWS, Jenkins, Ansible, GitHub Actions | --- ## Financial Risk Management The GARP FRM certification is a globally recognized standard for financial risk professionals (garp.org), covering: Identifying and managing various financial risks, including liquidity, credit, market, and operational risks; Understanding a wide range of financial products and investment vehicles, such as equities, fixed income, derivatives, real estate, and funds; Applying risk measurement techniques, including VaR metrics, simulation methods, correlation and copula analysis, and option Greeks; Evaluating portfolio performance using ratios like Sharpe, information ratio, and Jensen's alpha; Pricing financial instruments using models such as Black-Scholes, binomial trees, and Monte Carlo simulation; Navigating financial platforms, including exchanges, OTC markets, and clearing houses. ## Risk and AI Expertise As a Certified Risk and AI Expert, my expertise encompasses the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and risk management: Assessing AI system vulnerabilities and potential failure modes through specialized frameworks; Implementing governance structures for responsible AI deployment across organizations; Conducting AI impact assessments to identify, measure and mitigate algorithmic risks; Applying ethical frameworks to ensure AI systems operate fairly and transparently; Developing risk-aware AI models with appropriate safeguards against data drift and concept drift; Creating monitoring systems for ongoing assessment of deployed AI solutions; Advising on regulatory compliance with emerging AI legislation across global jurisdictions; Bridging technical AI implementation with strategic risk management for executive decision-making. --- ## Personal Information - **Avid Traveler**: Explored over 20 countries and fluent in Russian, English, and Kazakh, with ongoing studies in Chinese. - **Intellectual Pursuits**: Dedicated to studying mindfulness and deeply intrigued by concepts of time and consciousness.