The PetroCouncil has prepared a Review ‘TOP 20 Kazakhstanis working abroad in leadership positions in O&G in 2024.’
The review presents 20 Kazakhstanis working in Europe, Americas, Asia and Africa.
This Review demonstrates that over the years of Kazakh independence, a number of Kazakhstaniz have achieved high positions in international oil and gas projects and transnational companies.
This is a result of the Independence of Kazakhstan as well as the operations of large companies – oil TNCs in the country and their development of such fields as Tengiz, Kashagan, Karachaganak and Dunga.
National personnel have gained extensive experience working on these projects and now they work in responsible positions abroad in the oil and gas industry as well as in large oil and gas TNCs.
It should be noted that almost half of the nominees are Women-Leaders.
In this regard, PetroCouncil congratulates nominees fratured in the Review and wishes them further career growth in international oil and gas projects and in TNCs.
Mansur Zhakupov, Country Chair, TotalEnergies, Qatar
Mansur graduated from Moscow State Technical University as well as Texas A&M university. He also studied in France in Ecole Polytechnique, IFP school and HEC Paris.
In TotalEnergies he works more than 19 years where he started in petroleum and reservoir engineering.
Mansur was country manager of TotalEnergies in Tunisia and Australia. Currently, he served as VP Hydrogen, Paris, France.
Madina Crabb, VP Finance Shell, Qatar
Madina is Vice President CFO and General Manager with more than 23 years of international experience in oil and gas exploration, production, manufacturing and service sectors managing multi-billion-dollar finance / treasury and investments, deals valuations, value, risk and reserves management, developing strategies, planning, performance management and implementing change programs. Building effective relationships and balancing expectations of stakeholders, partners, customers, and governments.
Madina also serves as Board Director of QatarEnergy LNG NFE2, NFS1
Maksot Dyusekenov, Production Operations Head at Pascagoula Refinery at Chevron, Mississippi, USA
Aigul Bashtibayeva, Country Chair at Schlumberger, Brunei
Aigul graduated from Aktobe Regional University with a degree in applied mathematics, in 2018 from KAZGUU University with a degree in law, in 2020 from the Yessenov University in Aktau.
In 2003, she began working at Schlumberger in the well testing and completion department as an ordinary field employee. Subsequently, she held various positions in the well testing and OFS department, sales engineer, sales manager, head of the tender department and business systems. Since 2022, she has been appointed to the position of customer relations manager for exploration projects and KMG.
Karlygash Imanbayeva, North America LNG Assets Manager, TotalEnergies, Houston, USA
Karlygash holds MBA from Oxford Brookes University, a Global Executive MBA and an International Directors Programme certificate from INSEAD.
With over 25 years of international experience in the energy sector, Karlygash is a technical and business development leader who is passionate about driving the energy transition with LNG and renewables. As the LNG Assets Manager for North America at TotalEnergies, she oversees the optimization and expansion of our LNG portfolio in the region, leveraging expertise in gas infrastructure, power generation, and ESG.
Previously, Karlygash led a series of projects for the construction of new LNG and gas facilities in emerging markets, securing strategic partnerships and contracts with governments and international companies.
Nurlan Kazymbet, Head of Commercial, Eni Abu Dhabi B.V. Abu Dhabi, UAE
Nurlan graduated from Robert Gorden University. He has over 25 years of professional work experience in the petroleum industry, including 18 years in senior managerial positions and 10 years in international energy company.
He started his career in KMG. He was director of Karachaganak project department, managing director in KazTransGas, KazRosGas. For 5 years he worked for Eni in Milan, Italy. His last position was the General Director of Isatay Operating Company. Since January 2023 he is Head of Commercial at Eni Abu Dhabi.
Nurlan has a broad experience in the upstream sector of petroleum industry, including:
– direct involvement in the development of super giant Kashagan and Karachaganak fields working alongside international consortia of oil & gas majors.
– track record in Kazakhstan’s energy policy advocacy work as a lead of a working team under the auspices of the Foreign Investors’ Council chaired by President of Kazakhstan tasked with recommending changes to national fiscal, regulatory, and contractual framework to stimulate investments in hydrocarbon exploration.
– work experience in important business support functions: Commercial Negotiations, Transportation & Marketing, Contracts & Procurement, Mergers & Acquisitions.
– projects and transactions in Trinidad & Tobago, Ecuador, Mexico, Norway, Turkmenistan, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Indonesia.
– Zhanar Dreisig, Director of Developments, TotalEnergies Renewables, Copenhagen, Denmark
Zhanar has been working for TotalEnergies for more than 8 years.
In TotalEnergies she was special advisor to Total in Paris, France, Senior Business Development and Tender Director in Offshore Wind. Previously, she worked for Maersk Oil for more than 14 years where she worked in project teams in relation to Kazakhstan, Greenland, Norway, Iraqi Kurdistan, Lebanon, Kenya and Qatar.
Zhuldyz Galiakbar, Social performance and social investment manager, QATAR SHELL GTL LIMITED CO., Doha, Qatar
Zhuldyz is a social performance professional. Zhuldyz graduated from Eurasian National University and International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam where she holds MA in Development Studies.
She has practical experience in socio-economic analysis and policy formulation and successful experience in project management and strategy development. In addition, Zhuldyz is skilled in community engagement and needs assessment, impact management and capacity building as well as in stakeholder relations and management.
Over the years, Zhuldyz worked in private sector, embassy of Belgium to Kazakhstan, OSCE in Kazakhstan, BG Kazakhstan. For more than 7 years she worked as as social performance advisor at Shell Kazakhstan.
Aslan Bulekbayev, Operations Advisor, ADNOC Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Aslan Bulekbayev graduated from Texas MCCombs Schol of Business and Robert Gordon University. He holds PhD in Petroleum Engineering and has some publications related to O&G.
He has extensive experience working in various O&G projects in the Middle East. During various years he was senior specialist in Petroleum Operations, Co-Founder of XploreLink mining company, Chief Operations Officer at Kazatomprom, Chairman of the Board of Volkovgeology JSC, Technical Advisor at Aramco and others.
Bibigul Akhmetova, Head of Commercial and Negotiations, Eni, Basra, Iraq
Bibigul graduated from West Kazakhstan State University as well as Heriot-Watt University. She started her career in 2003 as Technical Translator at Aksai. For more than 10 years she worked at KPO in marketing department. She was also Caspian Sea Transportation and Marketing Manager at Agip Karachaganak B.V. and Equity Production Negotiations Analyst at Eni Milan.
Since 2020, Bibinul has been working as Gas Manager at Eni Ghana E&P Ltd.
Yevgeniy Khon, Reservoir & Petroleum engineering manager, ENI, Congo
Yevgeniy graduated from Atyrau University of Oil&Gas and Astrakhan State Technical University. He has been working more than 20 years for ENI where he started to work in Agip KCO as petroleum engineer. He worked in different locations in Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, Croatia. Since 2020 Yevgeniy was appointed as Reservoir & Petroleum manager in ENI Congo, location Pointe-Noire.
Kentay Zharmanov, Project Services Manager, Eni, Milan, Italy
Kentay graduated from Yessenov University in Aktau as well as International Academy of Business. He started his career in MMG, Aktau as maintenance specialist. For 8 years he worked for Agip KCO as Risk Engineer and Mechanical Supervisor. For last 12 years Kentay has been working for Eni.
Abay Alimbayev, Maintenance and Integrity Lead at Petroleum Development Oman
Abat is an experienced Maintenance Lead with a demonstrated history of working in the oil & energy industry. He is skilled in Petroleum, Gas, Pipelines, HAZOP Study, and Field Development. Abat is operations professional with a Mechanical Engineer focused in Oil And Gas.
Abat graduated from KazNTU. He started his career in TCO SGI project in maintenance group. In various years Abat worked at NCOC, Shell Development Kazakhstan, KazMunaiTeniz. Since 2012 he has been working for PDO in Muscat, Oman.
Eldar Khamiyev, Drilling Supervisor at Saudi Aramco, Eastern Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Eldar graduated from KBTU. He started his career in Zhaikmunai as drilling engineer. Later, he joined TCO as Drilling Operations Engineer, Senior Well Site Manager. For 5 years he worked for ADNOC Group in Abu Dhabi as Drilling and Workover Engineer. Since 2019, Eldar has been working as drilling supervisor at Saudi Aramco.
Raushan Bayetova, Drilling Engineer Tea Lead at North Oil Company, Doha, Qatar
Raushan graduated from KBTU and Imperial College London (MSc in Petroleum Engineering). She started her career in Maerk Oil where she worked in various positions (wellsite engineer, drilling engineer, etc.) for 6 years.
Since 2017 Raushan has been working for North Oil Company in Qatar as Drilling Engineer Team Lead.
Timur Nurmukhanov, Head of Contracts, Qatar Shipyards, Doha, Qatar
Timur is an experienced specialist in contact and procurement activities in the oil and gas and marine industries.
He is graduate of the Kazakh National University (KazNU) and has a master’s degree from Eni Corporate University.
Timur worked in the KPO procurement structure for more than 10 years. He held various positions – from specialist, sector head, expert. In addition, he worked in various areas of procurement, such as service contracts for infrastructure departments, well operations, procurement of industrial and industrial materials for the production department. He currently leads the Contracts Department at Qatar Shipyard Technology Solution, a leader in the offshore and maritime industry in the Middle East.
Zarina Dyussengulova, Supply Chain Team Lead, Corporate and Logistics at QATAR SHELL GTL LIMITED CO.
Zarina graduated from the University of Manchester (law). She started her career at Denton Wilde Sapte as Junior Attorney. She worked for Shell in Australia, Russia and Canada for more than 5 years (contracts and logistics).
Since 2016, Zarina has been working at QATAR SHELL GTL LIMITED CO.
Assylbek Sarsengaliyev, Construction Superintendent, Saipem Indonesia
Assylbek is a Piping Mechanical Superintendent/Construction Manager, he has extensive experience with leadership skills and extensive knowledge of field engineering and piping fabrication/installation in the oil & gas industry.
He graduated from West Kazakhstan Technical University. For more than 11 years, he worked at Ersai in Mangistau region in construction field (construction area manager, superintendent, etc.). Since 2020, Assylbek has been working for PT Saipem Indonesia.
Damir Dostanov, TCO Advisor, Chevron Technical Center, Houston, USA
Damir is an oil and gas professional with more than 10 years of experience in Facilities engineering and Plant Operations. He has
experience of supporting low-complexity and complex plant turnarounds in both engineering and operations roles.
Damir is a liaison between Business Unit (BU) and Technical Center in asset performance and technical support to operations. He ensures BU focus areas are prioritized in Technical Center and strengthens the relationship between BU and the Center as well as between Chevron Business Units.
He graduated from KBTU and UCL (Chemical Process Engineering). Over the years, Damir was Design Engineer at Chevron. For 11 years, he worked from TCO in various positions (mechanical and process engineer, production operations senior consultant, etc.)
Rafael Bekshentayev, Digital and Integration Division Account Manager, Schlumberger, Beijing, China
Rafael graduated from Chinese Universities – Sogang University and Renmin University of China. He worked for private sector and various companies. Since 2017, he has been working for Schlumberger.