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A man who fulfilled his dream


10.04.2013
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A man who fulfilled his dream

A businessman from Saint-Petersburg, our compatriot Serikbay Bisekeev, whose enterprise provides services for the companies from Forbes list, was called “Entrepreneur of the Year” in Russia. Today he works in Kazakhstan to share his experience and skills with his Motherland.

Stand firstThe most famous independent international award “Entrepreneur of the Year”, which is also called “Oscar for business” – was picked up by Serikbay Bisekeev  from the experts of Ernst&Young – the largest consulting company of the world. He became the first Kazakh abroad, who was awarded with such a prestigious prize. Today Serikbay Bisekeev is the founder and owner of a company with a quite symbolic name “Arman”, which produces equipment in the sphere of systems integration. Although in the very beginning the company worked as a supplier of the similar equipment from Germany.

Our hero’s story of success started well ahead of his “Arman”, of his dream. If you exist, stand first! This is the motto for Serikbay Bisekeev, taken from his early childhood, from his sports times. After successful graduation from the school in Kustanay and a variety of sport achievements, he, a son of ordinary clerks, was offered to enter any university of the republic without any exams. He never wanted to follow the stream. And he went to Leningrad in order to enter an extremely famous and respected Leningrad Polytechnic Institute named after Kalinin, dreamt of becoming machinery design engineer. “I wanted to invent Soviet Mercedes”, recalls my companion with laughter. However, the time introduced the amendments to the plans.

Struggle for survival                   

Business far-sightedness and unstoppable character did not allow sitting still, permanently making him look for new space to apply his talents. 1990s were hard times; shops did not offer food, coupons, criminal environment was the worst in CIS, newcomers were not welcomed, no hope for help, so, a pure struggle to survive. In student years in order not to be a drag on his parents and have some pocket money, he went into commerce, construction brigades, started new sports and even won box champion title in his second year of studies – in a sport new for him. If you exist, stand first!

After graduating the institute together with his friends he created a broker company. Later with his partner, being a supplier of mobile telephones to mobile operators, took part in the formation of GSM communication standard in CIS. After that he opened a unique for those times mobile phones trade network.

- We had always worked using our own money in contrast to our competitors, who took credits and were ahead of us in development, however, the crisis of 1998 set the records straight. We went on developing. At the same time I decided to go on studying, as realized my lack of specific business knowledge, says Serikbay Bisekeev.

In 1999 the businessman entered entrepreneurs’ trainings in Stockholm business school in Saint-Petersburg and successfully graduated from there. And then he understood – it is time to grow your own “muscles”, as due to some reasons he had to split up with his business partner, so with new vigor he entered a world of new opportunities.  Because, if you exists, stand first.

After my graduation from Stockholm business school I decided to start my own project. At those times I had already had the main resource – the understanding and knowledge of how to make a company in accordance with world practices. I was totally clear with the fact the business based on “buy-sell” model can never be considered an innovative one and I was dreaming about innovation technologies.  Yes, we had a prosperous company, at that time, together with mobile communications we were selling private automatic branch exchange (PABX), equipment for mass market, but no one was seriously involved with industrial solutions. The niche was free. And I decided to occupy it. That is how the story of Arman company began.

To the new level

As we have already mentioned above, in its first years the company had only been selling the imported dispatch communication equipment for industrial facilities. Oil and gas companies had huge investment budget for modernizing their enterprises, and Serikbay Bisekeev, having felt the conjuncture of the market, concentrated there. The time proved it was the right strategy.

After five years of distribution of international brands of industrial communication, Arman Company managed to become a supplier of the largest enterprises in the country. But news time has come. And it was then, when Serikbay Bisekeev engaged himself with, as he says, true insanity – he decided to produce his own Russian digital dispatch equipment under Armtel brand. They gathered the best programmers all over the world, contractors for development of casting frames, board producers.

- We decided not to hold staff for all production cycle in contrast to our competitors and thus we extended our room for maneuver with producers, says Serikbay Bisekeev. We concentrated on the quality of products we offer, and in order to achieve that we learned much, properly described all processes and procedures. It all turned out to gain a sizeable reputation with our clients, and their number grew steadily.

Within the years of operation, the company established by our compatriot grew from the supplier of German industrial communication equipment to a producer and world leader in technologies and systems integration. At present, Arman employs 230 people, making projects on a turnkey basis. The company managed to create its own product and solutions in line with modern standards and which are highly sought all over the world.

Recently in the course of a nationwide teleconference the Head of the State set a task to the Government to look for people, which would promote Kazakhstan innovations to the world level, and highlighted that the goal for Kazakhstan is to gather a huge number of innovators and to bring the advanced technologies, to set up production, and for the Government to support local producers.

- When I learned that Kazakhstan won the right to host EXPO 2017, it was a very pleasant piece of news to know about another international gain of Kazakhstan, and twice pleasant, that the topic will be “Energy of future”. The President Nursultan Nazarbayev says that the future belongs to renewable energy sources, and sees benefits for future generation in that. This deserves big respect. Kazakhstan has the best conditions in the world to work with alternative energy, lots of countries dream about such conditions. With great pleasure we decided to take part in this program and plan to build wind farm in Kazakhstan, - our compatriot says.

Today the company belonging to S. Bisekeev takes part in technology transfer and starts production in our country – near Almaty one can see production line of energy centers with the most advanced generators, which do not require permanent maintenance.

- We suggest shifting to the notion of “ownership costs”, which will allow the country to give up expensive after-sales service in long-term perspective.

Another question, the businessman says that in Kazakhstan, in spite of existing strategies for increasing local content, there are significant problems with promoting this concept.

- If you read an article by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Oil and Gas you will see that instead of the declared dozens of percent of Kazakhstan content, after the inspections only 2% were found. In any developed country, which recovers and produces raw materials, government puts a big emphasis on the employment of population and creation of production. However, in our realities the majority of companies prefer to buy cheap ready-made products and earn on after-sales service contracts. For example, in the project of Beyneu-Bozoy-Shymkent gas pipe, where the state invested 50%, general contractors reply us that they have no priorities for local contractors.

Though, as the entrepreneur thinks, Kazakhstan chose the right way of development.

- The republic invites qualified consultants, and they help to select right trends, although the legislative basis is still slightly behind.

As per the businessman’s words, the President of Kazakhstan takes important steps to increase Kazakhstan content, creating skilled work places, what, for example, Russian government does not do.

It impresses me, you just need to put right performance controls, - highlighted the entrepreneur.

As Serikbay Bisekeev believes, Kazakhstan offers lots of opportunities for development. Of course, it is necessary to realize that all depends on each of us.

- Nobody will build your future for you. You need to learn, self-improve, to aim for becoming a real profession in what you do, - the businessman says.

Serikbay Bisekeev visits Kazakhstan quite often and is eager to be useful in each moment of being here.

After performance on a Youth Generation Forum of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where he was invited as a speaker, he received an offer from participating countries to give a lecture on a topic “Story of success”. The businessman decided that the first one who he would share his expertise, would be his younger compatriots in the universities of Kazakhstan so that everybody could believe his dream as once did he. The first listeners were the students of Nazarbayev University.

As an answer to a question whether he is planning to move to Kazakhstan for permanent residence, the businessman said that he was asked this questions many times by his friends. Thy say: “You can be useful for the country”.

- Today I create skilled work places and it is the main task of all businessmen. I planned to give a lecture for students and entrepreneurs on the story of success, answer their questions and help with advice. And it does not matter where I live, I will contribute to the development of Kazakhstan. I think that the patriot is not the one who lives on his Motherland and does nothing, but the one, who brings better technologies, knowledge and experience, helping to be competitive on.

What is the secret of success of this person? Obviously, it lies in the fact that having achieved one goal, he becomes enthusiastic about another. And he does not quite down until he brings the perfection to the thing started.

Laura Tusupbekova

The source is here

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