Our Team

Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
Esfandyar Batmanghelidj is an experienced communications professional focused on emerging markets. He combines media relations know-how with a proven track record in commercial strategy and marketing
Esfandyar is also the founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a think tank focused on the economies of the Middle East and Central Asia. He is also an Adjunct Professor at John Hopkins SAIS, where he teaches on sanctions. Between 2018-2020, he was a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, where he wrote about Middle Eastern economics.
Previously he was account director at Tancredi, a boutique corporate communications firm based in London. At Tancredi, Esfandyar developed strategic communications plans for Posteitaliane and managed CEO communications for Sedco Capital, one of the Middle East’s leading asset managers, among other clients.
Esfandyar began his career as the business development and marketing communications director of a $30m funded education-technology company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Middle Eastern studies from Columbia University and an executive master’s in public administration from the London School of Economics.

Partner and CEO
Ekaterina is among Uzbekistan’s most-experienced communications professionals. She has been with DNA since its founding in 2020 and was made a partner in the business in 2023 before being promoted to CEO in 2025. Ekaterina has managed communications projects and campaigns for a wide range of clients, including large Uzbek enterprises, multinational corporations, international organisations, and Uzbek government ministries and agencies. She specialises in the implementation of multi-year communications campaigns and has overseen major campaigns for clients including the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan, the World Bank, and Nestlé.
Prior to joining DNA, she was a public relations and communications specialist at The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) and at the Center for Economic Research, a Tashkent-based think tank. Ekaterina holds a bachelor’s degree in Philology and English Language Instruction from the Uzbekistan State World Languages University.

Chief Operating Officer
Madina oversees operations at DNA. She joined the team in January 2022 and has since played an active role in streamlining internal processes, ensuring stable financial reporting, and maintaining effective communication with clients. Her approach is distinguished by attention to detail, efficiency, and the ability to find solutions in complex organizational and corporate situations.
Before joining DNA, Madina worked for five years at the legal firm Legalmax, where she was responsible for financial planning and project support. This experience gave her a solid understanding of legal specifics and business processes. Madina is committed to making her team’s work with financial and administrative tasks easier and to creating a comfortable environment for effective collaboration both within the company and with external partners.