Expertise
Faces of Kazakhstan❜s GR
Today, we introduce you to GR experts in the Republic of Kazakhstan’s oil, gas, and energy companies. They serve as a unique communication bridge between the companies, the government, and the public. Aizhan Khamitova, the head of the GR HUB expert community, which unites professionals in the field of interaction with state authorities and other key stakeholders of companies, asked GR specialists to talk about their work. The questions were all the same, making the answers all the more interesting to read.
– How long have you been involved in GR matters?
– Are there any difficulties in the work of a GR expert? Would you like to improve anything in interacting with key stakeholders?
– Why do you enjoy working in this field, and what should a GR specialist consider in their work? So…
AIGUL BARMENKULOVA Head of Corporate Relations Shell Kazakhstan
AIGUL BARMENKULOVA Head of Corporate Relations Shell KazakhstanI t’s been almost 15 years that I’ve been working for Shell. This tenure includes my involvement with a range of such issues, as taxation, financial planning and management, and commercial projects support. Since 2021, I have been the Head of Corporate Affairs at Shell Kazakhstan. Whilst it is assumed that my direct engagement with Government Relations started upon taking up this role, I have been dealing with such issues almost from day one at Shell. There are several factors that contribute to this. First, our company jointly with other international oil corporations is a major investor in Kazakhstan. Accordingly, both the level of responsibility of the company and the interest of the Government in our activities are always high. Second, our projects in the Republic, such as Kashagan and Karachaganak, (and earlier the Pearls PSA), are unique in their own way and technologically intensive facing a few associated challenges and risks. Effective and safe management of such projects requires concerted actions from all project participants and the Government. Thus, we closely interact with the government authorities on all issues.
The hardest part for me is to keep abreast of everything that takes place politically, economically, and socially both in an out of the country concurrently tracking the progress of our activities.
My day-in and day-out routine includes processing of a wealth of information seeking to identify key elements, monitor trends and shape an opinion on how the above can impact our Company’s operations. We should be able to spot weak signals and try to anticipate the impact on our business.
In terms of interaction with key stakeholders, the ability to build relationships based on mutual trust, respect, and openness is the signature success driver. Also, knowledge and thorough understanding of their interests, values and KPIs are our must-haves. We always adhere to the principles of strategic partnership, that imply playing «the long game». It is the long-term mutually beneficial co-operation based on the principles of respect, responsibility, honesty, and openness that we are striving for.
As an outcome-driven person, the best thing about my job is that I can do my part and contribute to addressing critical issues related to Company’s activities. We find ourselves to be frontliners when it comes to engaging directly with stakeholders serving as a «face of the Company» .
The creative part of our work is a value held dear for me. Our department is the Company’s creativity hub, in terms of developing new business areas and hosting events both internally and externally. I take pride in our social projects aimed at supporting the country’s young people and other community groups. These projects are very creative, and we are passionately engaged into their implementation. The most rewarding from our work is making a difference in development of schoolchildren, students or young entrepreneurs of our countryparticipants of our social projects.
ASSEL IBRAYEVA Corporate Relations Adviser Shell Kazakhstan
ASSEL IBRAYEVA Corporate Relations Adviser Shell KazakhstanI have been working for Shell in Kazakhstan, international energy company, for about eight years with more than six years being responsible for engagement with the governmental authorities.
In our company, GR specialists are essentially its «ears, eyes, and mouth.» Our main responsibility is not just to establish and maintain working relations with government bodies, industry associations and other stakeholders influencing our operations, but also to deeply understand their needs, interests and expectations in order to build mutually beneficial relationships.
In addition, an important part of our work is monitoring and analysis of the events taking place both in the country and abroad, with the ability to predict their impact on the company’s activities, identify risks and opportunities. I believe that this aspect of our work is the most challenging, and at the same time very interesting. We also play a key role in managing situations where a company’s reputation is under potential threat of government action or public discontent.
In conclusion, I would like to note that our work is not limited only to protecting interests of the company; We also strive to ensure that our company contributes to the development of the country by bringing international experience, introducing new technologies and developing human capital.
ASSELYA SYZDYKOVA NC KazMunayGas JSC
ASSELYA SYZDYKOVA NC KazMunayGas JSCI began my career as a senior specialist in the External Relations and Protocol Department at the national company KazMunayGas in 2003. The field of GR has emerged in recent years; previously, this sector was referred to as interaction with government agencies, including companies, partners, non-governmental organizations, and public associations.
The main function of my job is organizing and conducting business negotiations, maintaining protocol, ensuring interdepartmental correspondence with government bodies, the administration of the country’s president, and the office of the prime minister, and establishing relations and contacts with our company’s international partners.
In the work of a GR specialist, the most important link is the quality and timely completion of tasks. This, in turn, requires professional training, special communication skills, a good understanding of regulatory and legal aspects, and the ability to make prompt decisions considering the specifics of your company’s activities.
Complexity can arise from bureaucratic processes, such as approval processes. In such cases, demonstrating persistence in achieving goals is sometimes very important. And it is impossible without the ability to build long-term and comfortable relationships with key stakeholders.
I enjoy the constant challenges and the need for continuous selfimprovement. Maintaining friendly and business personal contacts (and there are many stakeholders in my work) helps me achieve the necessary results quickly. Therefore, it is important to develop and maintain personal communications. And I like everything related to the field of communications.
Nowadays, communication channels are becoming more diverse and fast, requiring greater openness from companies. However, a certain degree of bureaucracy remains, especially in large, regulated structures, and it’s needless to say that this often creates barriers to prompt decision-making. Our country’s president often discusses this issue. However, the work of a GR specialist precisely consists of the ability to see these risks and work in such an environment, taking into account the law, rules, and interests of all stakeholders.
In conclusion, I want to highlight that communication skills are beneficial not only in the workplace but also in life, during travels, when you can easily socialize, make friends, and grow personally. Therefore, I view this field as promising. It needs to be developed as it will become more significant in the future and will enable not only the individual employee but also the company as a whole to evolve.