My name is Almassadam Satkaliyev.

I am an EMBA student at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Business (Class of 2014).

Currently I work as a CEO at “Samruk-Energy” JSC. Samruk-Energy is a holding company with a mandate of implementing government policy in the energy sector. The company’s main spheres of activity are generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, and coal production. Samruk-Energy is represented almost in every region of the country, employing around 24 thousand people. The Company accounts for around 47% of Kazakhstan’s total electric capacity, almost 40% of the country’s electricity generation and coal production.

Today, in the era of globalization, the most important source of a company’s competitive advantage is its internal capabilities. Therefore, successful management of an organization requires a top manager to effectively mobilize a company’s resources in a way that both maximizes internal efficiency and meets external challenges.

Nazarbayev University, which was created on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, today is one of the most successful educational and scientific projects in the region.

NU GSB’s strategic partnership with the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, one of the leading business schools globally, ensures unique learning methods and approaches. Together with the university’s extraordinary faculty and advanced research base, this makes NU GSB a desired destination for gaining international knowledge and expertise required to meet today’s challenges of globalization and integration, while taking into account specifics of Kazakhstan. It is a great opportunity to meet my educational objectives, and to gain skills to adopt and implement new ideas and strategies in the management of my company.

The EMBA program at NU GSB provides me with an opportunity to acquire world-class knowledge from distinguished staff from around the world, while staying in Kazakhstan, allowing me to continue to work full-time.

I highly appreciate that here in Kazakhstan we have such a highlevel educational institution with international academic standards, whose graduates possess the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to make contributions to the development and prosperity of the economy of Kazakhstan. Therefore, as an employer I encourage and support the education of our top-managers through participation in NUGSB’s degree and non-degree programs.

When I learned that Nazarbayev University partnered with the Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and launched the Executive MBA (EMBA) program, I saw this as an opportunity to advance my knowledge in areas critical for my professional growth as a leader. Although this EMBA program has been intense and demanding, I find it to be one of the best educational experiences I have ever had. First and foremost, I benefit from learning from top notch professors and interacting with other executive level peers from diverse backgrounds. We definitely push each other to think critically and creatively. For example, we often share our experiences by working in teams on challenging business cases and through lively discussions on different exciting business topics.

In addition, this program offers a convenient class schedule (weekend residencies) for busy professionals like myself. And its modular structure allows me to apply at work immediately what I learn in class. No doubt, NU’s Executive MBA program is a great and rewarding experience that is worth the time and money invested! I am grateful to the TCO management and my family for supporting me through this program.

My Executive MBA experience at the Nazarbayev University was very remarkable. Busy weekends over 2 years spent in classes, many half sleepless nights working on group assignments with my team, eye opening lectures by Duke faculty and the enjoyable winter residence at the Fuqua School of Business did equip me, not only with very useful knowledge and skills required for my daily management work, but also helped me to make so many professional network contacts with my peer students who are working professionals in different fields, true leaders and very positive, genuine individuals.

I work as the CEO of the government-owned company which administers the Bolashak Scholarship of the President of Kazakhstan. We have almost 3000 scholars studying in world-class universities in over 30 countries on an annual basis, and we monitor contract commitments of over 7000 Bolashak alumni, with an annual operating budget of about 100 mln. USD. My EMBA education significantly and effectively contributed to the way I approached the work of the company where I focused on issues of financial efficiency, business processes optimization, corporate culture and management improvement, making effective use of knowledge and information I received right from the classes as I returned to work the next day following each weekend residency.

As a professional manager, prior to enrolling in the NUGSB EMBA program, I lacked MBA and finance knowledge and skills. The NUGSB EMBA helped me to become a better manager in every aspect of this profession.