Umut Shayakhmetova
Umut Shayakhmetova | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969 |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, banker |
| Known for | Chair of the management board at Halyk Bank |
Umut Shayakhmetova (, born in 1969) is a prominent Kazakh entrepreneur who serves as the chair of the management board at Halyk Bank, which is publicly traded on both the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.
Early life
Shayakhmetova completed her undergraduate studies in Economic Sciences at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in 1993. She later obtained an MBA degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA, in 1996.
Career
Her professional journey commenced between 1997 and 1998, where she worked as a structural finance specialist at ZAO SB ABN AMRO Bank Kazakhstan. Subsequently, from 1998 until 2000, she led the management board of PAMC “ABN AMRO Asset Management” and then acted as deputy chair of ZAO's board from 2000 to 2004, managing corporate lending operations within the Kazakhstan branch of the Dutch banking institution.
In 2001, Shayakhmetova became a member of the Expert Council under Kazakhstan’s National Securities Commission. From November 2004 through January 2009, she held the position of deputy chair responsible for lending at Halyk Bank. On January 22, 2009, she advanced to chairperson of Halyk’s management board, taking over from Grigori Marchenko. Later that year, on May 7, she was appointed to the Halyk Board.
In May 2011, Shayakhmetova assumed the presidency of Kazakhstan’s Gymnastics Federation and joined the executive committee of the National Olympic Committee. By November 2012, she secured election to the UnionPay International Council.
By June 2015, she was leading the Council of Businesswomen within Almaty’s National Chamber of Entrepreneurs «Atameken». The following year, in June 2016, she was named Chair of UnionPay International’s Regional Council covering Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia, and the Caucasus. Additionally, she chaired the Financial Sector Committee within «Atameken»’s Presidium.
Awards
- Medal for Distinguished Labor (Eren enbegi Ushin) (2006)
- Order of Parasat (2011)
- Order of Barys, third class (2016)
Personal life
Her father, Bolatkhan Kulzhanuly Tayzhan (1941–2007), occupied significant diplomatic and economic roles such as Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry of the Kazakh SSR and ambassadorial posts to several nations in North Africa and the Middle East. He also represented Kazakhstan at the Organization of Islamic Conference and served as ambassador to Malaysia.
Her mother is Alla Sadvokasovna Tayzhanova (born 1944).