Media
It isn't necessary to pursue your personal interests, it's much more interesting to change the world
Serikbay, it's a pleasure to read about your accomplishments in business, about building a team, about big dreams and goals. Do you share your wealth of experience with budding entrepreneurs? Do you write books and articles?
I think this is part of my social mission. In the process of my work, the experience I have gained is constantly being updated, and it's impossible to keep this to myself and not share it with anyone. These days I communicate in a more interactive way, not just through books and articles. I have delivered my lecture "Formula for Success" in almost all the major cities of Kazakhstan, sharing my experience with young people, with students, since not one higher educational institution Kazakhstan teaches the knowledge and skills that are needed to start a business, or is oriented towards business-realities. Through social networks and my website, bisekeev.com, I am constantly in communication with budding entrepreneurs, as well as with young people who are simply interested in business, striving for development. We exchange opinions, and I try to offer advice that will help them in their development, in their endeavours.
At the moment, I'm planning to shift communication to newer and more effective formats: webinars and online interviews. These are more convenient formats, since anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to communicate and get answers to their questions, simply by having at their disposal a laptop and access to the Internet.
Could you recall your first profit, your first joy of success and the first team that believed in you?My first income I earned as part of a construction team at the age of 17 — in the USSR it was prohibited to work before reaching this age.My first joy was at the birth of my son, and the first contract I sealed in 2001 with the company "Arman", who are my beloved and like-minded team.And my first team was in 1988: the basketball team of Kustanay region. While I was captain of this team, we became the second junior team in Kazakhstan, losing only to Almaty, where some of the team members were playing for the Soviet Union team. Then all us guys and, most valuably, the head coach, believed that the impossible is possible! We were even winning up to the second half of the final. After this experience, I believed even more in myself. Afterwards I enrolled in a St. Petersburg university without any hesitation at all!
They say that without possessing an immense spiritual constitution it is impossible to attain wealth. Where do you get your powerful creative energy from? I've seen footage from exhibitions and image videos: impressive!
If you have a goal, a major goal for your whole life, not just for the short term, energy comes to you by itself. I call it a mission. It isn't necessary to pursue your personal interests, after all it is much more interesting to change the world!
The project «Road Map of Employment 2020» is being developed in Kazakhstan . Your thoughts concerning this program, and your wishes?
Upon our accession to the WTO, everyone will be on an equal footing. Therefore, I suggest that the state trains people, provides them with practical internships at entities under highly-qualified international professionals. Competencies for the future!
In those businesses that operate within the territory of Kazakhstan, do you employ young people? How do you select personnel for your projects? Kant, my favourite philosopher, wrote that it is not important to study ideas, but to learn how to think. Your thoughts on personnel training, on the education of technicians?
You're right, the most important thing about the people who work for us is their ability to think — to invent something new. But a no less important factor is their desire to work — a kind of obsession: the company's mission. Only after this need you look at their qualification, since we can give them all the knowledge that exists — our company provides a great deal of professional training — or they can always read and find out this knowledge for themselves. We are looking for "our" kind of people: ones who will share the interests of the company and its policies. We grow leaders; those who can accept responsibility and achieve goals!
How do you evaluate the potential of women in the economy?
Women can compete with men in any undertaking — both in the management of a large company, and in the creation of ideas for a business. In our company, they are in no way inferior to men: among our best workers there is a large number of female employees, very often in leadership positions.
Serikbay, have you ever been to Aktobe? What cities are dear to you?
I had a lecture in Aktobe — it's a very beautiful and fast-paced city where there are lots of active people, enthusiastic young people. I am glad that they have a place to apply their skills and knowledge, somewhere to invest their enthusiasm: in Aktobe there are plenty of industries and jobs. I was pleasantly delighted to meet your regional Mayor, and I'm not just saying that for the sake of it: he really does support our investment project to build a wind farm in Badamsha, and he does it sincerely, without any insinuation — I have only met a few people like him.Of the cities that are dear to me: of course, my home town Kamyshnoe where I was born; Kustanay, where I grew up and studied; St. Petersburg, then called Leningrad, where I spent my formative years; but now I pass each delightful day in Singapore! Their ideological leader, Lee Kuan Yew, is a genius — you should read his book.
These days there is so much talk about the economic crisis, with reference to daunting figures, and the predictions of psychics and other pundits being published. What is your attitude to the very word "crisis"? And what's your favourite quote?
In Chinese, the word "crisis" also means "opportunity". It's the same in life: if a crisis occurs in your life or in the world, under no circumstances should you be discouraged and give up. Look upon it as an opportunity to express yourself, to offer up new ideas, to force yourself to think outside the box. As psychologists say, to leave your comfort zone.I think there are very many people in our country who are in a state of "sleep"; who are not aware of their abilities and potential. If people put their hidden resources to use in the right ways, we will see a great deal interesting and surprising things.
You have given lectures to students in Aktau. Are such trips possible to Aktobe or does it not depend on you? How does one attend your open lectures?
As I mentioned earlier, the lecture was held in Aktobe in May of this year, at the Palace of Students. Online lectures and webinars are already being planned, and in the near future a schedule of events will be available. For those who want to ask questions and participate, I recommend visiting the site bisekeev.com, which I created especially for this purpose. I also have accounts on Vkontakte and Facebook, which publish all the updates as well. Stay tuned!
Tell us about what has been done in 2013. Achievements, new production, projects. Do you plan to participate in EXPO 2017?
This year I have been extremely mobile. I move around the world such a lot, but this year has seen additional lectures, meetings throughout Kazakhstan with business associations, round-tables and conferences... such a lot of useful information and new experiences. Mentoring, which is very important to me, assumed a new incarnation.This year I was also awarded the status of Vice-President of the Eurasian Economic Club of Scientists, which is a great honour for me, as well as a manifestation of trust.I am currently very closely involved with organizing the World Singapore Business Forum and representing Kazakhstan there, for which I hope I will get support from the government of Kazakhstan. We want to talk about the investment potential of our country for the whole world, in the appropriate format.
Thank you for the interview, and what do you wish our readers?
Dream and do not lose the faith to achieve your goals!
Source: Aktyubinsk regional magazine "Bilezik"
