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- What are your main responsibilities at Sumitomo Corporation?
- My primary responsibilities are to identify promising business opportunities in Kazakhstan and develop them into successful enterprises, so I scour the country for promising businesses. I spend the bulk of my time doing research to gather valuable market information, through discussions with my business contacts working at local companies or investment firms. At the same time I am managing the import and sale of Japanese automobiles and spare parts in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan, with a population of 16 million, has close links with other neighboring Central Asian republics, collectively referred to as Central Asia with a total population of more than 61 million. Sumitomo has already established a toehold in this enormous market by launching in Uzbekistan a wireless communications service called Super iMAX, which is growing steadily. Building on this and other achievements together with other members of Sumitomo, I am keen to develop new business and contribute to the growth of the company.
I visited the Imperial Palace during my trip to Japan in December 2009. It was exciting to visit the historic construction as I’m interested in traditional Japanese culture.
- What are your future goals?
- One of my main goals is to develop new businesses, make the Almaty office successful, and enhance its corporate reputation in Kazakhstan. I will continue to establish the good name and reputation of Sumitomo Corporation as the most trusted and popular company in the country. The company globally operates a broad range of businesses including car trade, mineral resources, metal products and telecommunications, and its diverse activities will give it multiple opportunities to enter markets and reach people in Kazakhstan. I enjoy this challenge as a member of Sumitomo.
I moved to Almaty with my family around two years ago. This photo shows my daughter, Ayaulym, meaning “sweet,” and me in front of a restaurant where we dined.
- Will you tell us something special about Kazakhstan?
- We have a saying: “Kazakhs are the world’s second greatest meat lovers, only after wolves!” This common joke reflects how much we love cooking and eating meat. For example, almost every household consumes the meat of at least a whole horse every winter. Our favorite meat is mutton; after stripping the coat we cook the entire animal, including the head, to create a variety of dishes. I recommend trying the diverse cuisine of our region. I hope many people will come and give it a try.
