User:Kenges Rakishev/sandbox

Biography
Kenges Rakishev, a noted global business leader designated by Forbes as one of the 50 most influential people in Kazakhstan, serves on the board of directors of Net Element after acquiring $32 million in Net Element stock. The investment into Net Element is part of Kenges’ strategy to apply his expertise and access to capital to seize opportunities in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries by leveraging advanced technologies and partnerships abroad.

Kenges, an accomplished investor with multiple business interests worldwide, also is chairman of the board of directors for several large companies including SAT & Company (KASE: SATC), a diversified industrial holding. Benefitting from Kenges’ leadership, SAT & Co., which has interests in mechanical engineering, infrastructure projects and petrochemical operations as well as plants and projects in Turkey and China, has grown from its initial investment of $10K in 2000 to more than $500M today. Kenges also is chairman of the board for Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries, the lead operator constructing the first integrated gas chemical complex in Kazakhstan, as well as Vyborg Shipyard, one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the northwestern region of Russia. Throughout his career, Kenges has served in several top positions in both the public and private sector, ranging from head of marketing for KazTransGas and Intergas Central Asia to advisor for the Kazakhstan Interior Ministry and Department of Education.

Kenges earned a diploma from the Oxford Business School in Advanced Management in 2007 and a certificate from the London Business School in Developing Strategy for Value Creation in 2007. He earned degrees in economics from the T.Ryskulov’ Kazakh Economic University in 2002 and law from the Kazakh National Law Academy in 2000.

When he is not working, Kenges actively supports the initiatives of the Saby Foundation, the charitable organization headed by his wife, Asel Tasmagambetova, to help provide educational and advancement opportunities for underprivileged Kazakh youths. In his spare time, Kenges also enjoys equestrian and boxing.