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Serikbay Bisekeev: "Wealthy relatives are not essentials of success"
Serikbay Bisekeev, a successful entrepreneur, a charismatic personality, and, as to say in a contemporary way, a self-made man, in an interview with business weekly "Capital.kz" told about the secret of his success. Under his leadership Arman Holding became a major Russian player in integration of information exchange systems of industrial and transport enterprises. The Company has rep offices in Kazakhstan, Germany, India and Singapore. The Holding is growing along with the development of industrial communication and power generation markets, having travelled in more than a decade history the way from an equipment supplier to the integrator and manufacturer of energy and telecommunication systems for industrial facilities. "Plan! Act! Improveyourself!" are theleading motives ofthis story ofsuccess.
- The media calls you as the Kazakh Steve Jobs from the Neva banks. How do you feel about that?
- This comparison, of course, had not been agreed with me. I even called the editorial office in order to express my displeasure about it. Perhaps, for the members of the media talking about successful Kazakh is much flattering. But comparing me with the person who changed the whole world is at least not correct. However, I do not mind the publicity of my achievements, in order to make people believe in success, dream and embody their ideas into reality. Anyone can become who he wants to be. Wealthy relatives are not essentials of success.
- You say that your main secret is a high staff motivation. How do you motivate them? What else is helping you to develop your business?
- The whole work starts with the help of employees. If you don’t motivate them, the company simply will not develop. I use the motivation tools and often talk about them in my presentations given to young listeners. My axioms, based on my own experience, contribute to business development. Well, for example, it is too important to conduct motivational sessions with all employees in order to understand their true motives of working for you.
Find a common interest for development of an employee and you will get a strong player in your team. Or in addition to theinternal trainings you have to attract the best trainers from outside and conduct role-playing games, according to the results draw up a sales book, record on a video so that every new employee could learn it in order to pass certification without any loss of time from the executives’ side. In fact, these axioms have allowed me to achieve success and develop it. Everyone can use them in his own business.
My recommendations can be used both in doing your own business and in state administration. Because the state is the same kind ofa company, it is also multinational, large-scale and controlled by the similar business laws. However, these business laws for some reason are not used in practice.
Moreover, the criticism should be constructive. People, who are disaffected with the certain governmental decisions, can only berate it. They should rather, in fact, offer effective alternative solutions. I'm trying to find a way out of this situation and to help civil servants in their difficult task.
- Are there any dead seasons in your business?What do you doif you come to the deadlock?
- The goals and dreams are the mainengine. I issue new challenges for myself and my employees.I try tovisualize the processandgradually pursue my goal.People around us, seeing theimpossible becoming possible, start to believe andmakeeven greater efforts. In fact,only people who have bigdreamscan change the world!
-Earlierin theinterview,youwere against lending.How doyounowfeel about theloan? In your opinion, in what kind of cases they can be justified?
-I'm against theloans at the initialstages of business startup,because thebusinessmanbecomes evenmore vulnerable.Considering the extremevolatilityof the market, the loan is a toolof raidinginthe hands ofindecent people. If I once was able tostartup a businesswithout loan,I believe thatthis is possiblenow.
- You say "I still rent a house and drive a used car". What is the brand of your car? Why do you stick to this principle?
- Now I have no car. I travel by public transport and have time for all of my business. In Singapore, the issue of air gas pollution and traffic jam was approached radically, increasing, for example, the car toll to 300%. Singapore has solved the problem of people regarding moving from A to B in 10-15 minutes in a clean taxi, subway, bus for $3-10 with no insurance, time for parking, petrol, repair and etc. in eco-atmosphere. In fact, it’s all that a person needs.
- You have set up rep offices in Germany, India and Singapore. What markets else are you going to conquer?
- I moved to Singapore, because this region is very interesting to me. 600 million people live in Southeast Asia. To develop in a more competitive environment, of course, is more complicated, but interesting and promising for the company. We win tenders and have successfully started moving forward. I enjoy the opportunity to work and implement own projects anywhere in the world, despite some political characteristics in country. In such scenario, it’s important to work out a system that would function even in your absence.
-Where are thegood managers coming from?
- I thinkthat Kazakhstanis full ofcompetent people. But these peoplehave no opportunity to work instate-owned companies. People are appointed to the executive positions on the basisof loyalty rather thanprofessionalism.While thetribalism prospers in the country, we will be in need formanagers whoarebehind thegilded youthand invisible to all.
- You were born in Kazakhstan, studied, lived and began your professional career in Russia, develop your business in Germany and India and live in Singapore. You are a citizen of the world. What ties you to the motherland? What kind of projects do you want to implement here?
- My parents, my sisters, people close to me live in Kazakhstan. This is my home. I really want to make a modest contribution to the development of the republic by sharing international experience. I was not engaged in privatization of subsoil, our forefathers fought for and that’s why didn’t accumulate billions. If with the lapse of time they address me, I’ll share my experience and knowledge with great pleasure. As for Kazakhstan enterprises of Arman Holding, they are presented in Almaty and Astana.
Moreover, I’ve been promoting the alternative energy for the past three years. People do not believe that in the future there will not be any nuclear power plants, heating and power stations, hydropower plants and major oil companies; they did not believe also that with a simple phone we would be able to take pictures, conduct video conferences and watch TV online. Nevertheless, it had become a reality. The oil will be too expensive source of energy. In the foreseeable future, the electricity and heat will be readily available due to a cheap film, which will operate on daylight.
According to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the share of renewable energy should reach 50% by 2050. In the current situation I can definitely say that the execution of the President's instructions leaves much to be desired and stays behind the target rates. To the present day, there is neither clear tariff classification nor financial settlement center for energy producers; also there is no purchase agreement to be shown to the investors before the world exhibition EXPO 2017. In general, the current legislation does not allow the sector to develop fully.
Also at the moment I'm engaged in establishment of an international world economic forum in Singapore with the support of local authorities. Kazakhstan's participation in this event would significantly increase its recognition in the world. Now even the most educated and successful Singaporean and international businessmen have no idea about our country. In my turn, I suggested to the initiators of the Astana Economic Forum and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to make visiting sessions in the world financial centers where rich companies are concentrated. This would make Kazakhstan more recognizable in the shortest possible time.
Spending a lot of money for arrangement of one-sided advertising without tangible results, in my opinion, is not far-sighted. We need new approaches to cover different investors, and most of them have no opportunity to come to Kazakhstan. And most importantly, while the laws for investors are not improving and you broadcast commercials on BBC and CNN all day long, the country will get nothing from it! Ministers know this issue, but the results are so far.
-In one of the interviewsyou said that thecompany carries on social projects.What kind of projects are they? How do youselect them?
-In myopinion, thecharity shouldbe anonymous. In order to supportsocial initiativesI haveset up a websitethrough whichanyone can directly address to meand talkabout his/her project. We have plenty ofprojects inthis area, but we cannot assist everyone, we are not oil people. Ihopethat the governmentwill be more effectivein distribution of Kazakhstantaxpayers’ aid.
- Thecountry’spublictruststheOmbudsmaninstitution. If you are offered a position of the Commissioner for protection of entrepreneurs’ rights, would you agree to get it?
- Currently, I haven’t received such kind of proposals. In principle, I am willing to consider it, because I'm interested in this topic. However, the position involves collaboration or work in the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. I do not see myself in this current structure, as to my mind, the management does not interact with entrepreneurs of all areas. To effectively address the problems we need to be in the know: go out to the field, talk to people, and then you can avoid crises and unrest, without referring to subordinates.
I live in Singapore and wondering how all laws are well-thought-out. The algorithm and examples already exist. Nothing prevents us to live better. I believe in a prosperous Kazakhstan. Let's start from ourselves!
The source is here.
