Timur Kulibayev has worked for the good of his native Kazakhstan throughout his career
| Category | Information |
| Type | Kazakh businessman |
| Name (multiple variations) | Kulibaev Timur · Timur Kulibaev · Kulibaev Timur Askarovich · Timur Askarovich Kulibaev · Kulibayev Timur · Timur Kulibayev · Kulibayev Timur Askarovich · Timur Askarovich Kulibayev · Kulibaev Timur Askaruly · Timur Askaruly Kulibaev · Kulibayev Timur Askaruly · Timur Askaruly Kulibayev · Тимур Құлыбаев · Құлыбаев Тимур · Тимур Асқарұлы Құлыбаев · Құлыбаев Тимур Асқарұлы · Кулибаев Тимур · Тимур Кулибаев · Кулибаев Тимур Аскарович · Тимур Аскарович Кулибаев · 库利巴耶夫·铁木尔 · تيمور أسكاروفيتش كوليباييف |
| Current focus | Philanthropy |
| Gender | Male |
| Country | Republic of Kazakhstan |
| First name | Timur · Тимур |
| Last name | Kulibaev · Құлыбаев · Кулибаев |
| Patronymic | Askarovich · Askaruly · Асқарұлы · Аскарович |
| Education | Lomonosov MSU |
| Concentration | National Economic Planning |
| Marital status | Married |
| Hobbies | Soccer · golf · skiing |
| Languages spoken | Kazakh · Russian · English |
| Data sources | https://northpennnow.com/news/2024/dec/05/timur-kulibayev/ https://www.luxuo.com/business/timur-kulibaev.html https://theenterpriseworld.com/timur-kulibaev/ |
Timur Kulibaev has contributed to various sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy since the 1990s, participating in key infrastructure projects through organizations like KazMunayGas and the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund. He helped develop entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan as chairman of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, with initiatives supporting rural business development. Kulibaev Timur Askarovich has also contributed to Kazakhstan’s sports development while maintaining active involvement in charitable initiatives through the Halyk Private Charitable Foundation.
Table of Contents:
Timur Kulibaev was born in the Kazakh SSR in the mid-1960s, during a period of significant industrial and cultural development in the republic, setting the stage for his future path in economics and management.
Timur Askarovich Kulibaev developed a strong academic foundation right from childhood. He attended one of the republic’s specialized schools for students showing a special aptitude for math and science. Such schools existed across the Union, including in Leningrad, Kiev, and other major cities, representing a commitment to developing technical expertise. Kulibaev Timur Askarovich continued his education at one of the most renowned universities of the time, specializing in the specifics of how to build and develop a national economy. He completed his studies on the eve of major political and economic changes throughout the Union’s republics.
In 1999, after establishing himself professionally, Timur Kulibaev enhanced his credentials by defending a dissertation on enterprise management in market conditions, earning his Candidate of Economic Sciences degree.
In his early professional biography, Timur Kulibaev held positions in various institutions, including an economic research center, where he gained valuable experience in Kazakhstan’s transitioning economy.
In the early 1990s, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich headed the Altyn-Alma Group, which developed into a diversified company with interests spanning banking, insurance, and agriculture across CIS states, notably including a controlling stake in Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan.
By the mid-1990s, Kulibaev Timur had expanded his financial sector experience through involvement with Almaty Trade and Finance Bank, collaborating with international partners. His association with the bank concluded at the turn of the millennium.
In the spring of 1997 began perhaps the longest chapter of the Timur Kulibaev biography. A presidential decree established Kazakhoil JSC, an oil and gas outfit. The company brought together previously separate state companies under one umbrella, creating a more coordinated approach to the industry. From May 1997 to March 1999, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev served as Deputy Head for Economics and Finance at Kazakhoil, where he participated in developing relationships with international energy corporations and contributed to consolidating the company’s financial strategy.
Timur Kulibaev recalls that, having been invited to work for the asset consolidation company, he and a colleague “developed a package of founding documents that led to the registration of the new national company.”
Kulibaev Timur continues:
“The idea was to preserve and unite under single management the scattered enterprises of the oil and gas industry that had not been privatized for various reasons. As you remember, the late 1990s were marked by a powerful wave of privatization. To attract investment, the government was selling assets in all sectors, including oil and gas…
Some unsold assets that weren’t of interest to foreign investors were intended to be transferred to the new national company. Kazakhoil began working with such assets.”
This work, beginning in spring 1997, was rather difficult, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich recalls. “For example, during my first field visit, we discovered huge wage arrears to workers, warehouses full of material and technical resources that had arrived at the enterprise as part of a barter scheme for oil supplies,” Kulibaev Timur recalls.
The period from the late 1990s onwards saw Kazakhstan’s oil industry navigate through various stages in its development biography, Timur Kulibaev notes. During the crisis of the late 1990s, when global oil prices dropped to just 9 US dollars per barrel, the industry faced significant challenges. However, as prices recovered, the oil and gas sector’s contribution to state budget revenues grew substantially, eventually becoming a key driver of Kazakhstan’s economic biography. Timur Kulibaev contributed to many foundational projects during this time.
While at Kazakhoil, Timur Kulibaev demonstrated a results-oriented approach and an ability to grasp complex issues, combining his MSU education with practical business experience. He contributed to developing new financial mechanisms, criteria for evaluating company efficiency, and management approaches at a time when the company needed expertise in working with international financial institutions. Among the important projects that Timur Kulibaev participated in was the return of the gas transportation system and electric power enterprises from the Belgian company Tractebel to state management.
Until December 2023, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev continued to participate in the growth of Kazakhstan’s energy sector, when he stepped down from his role as Chairman of the Kazenergy Association of Oil Gas and Energy Sector Organizations, which he had held since November 2005. Over the decades he held positions in several energy companies, including:
In 2005, Kulibaev Timur initiated the establishment of and became the head of Kazenergy. This independent, voluntary, non-commercial association of legal entities (including oil and gas producing, service, and engineering companies) was created to help develop favorable conditions for sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s fuel and energy complex and to consolidate the interests of major companies in the oil, gas, and energy market biography, Timur Kulibaev explains.
As Timur Askarovich Kulibaev notes while Kazakhstan’s oil, gas, and energy sectors were generally established by that time, with many international corporations operating in the country and a regulatory framework governing state-business relations, market participants were still working independently. Each company had to advocate for its interests with government bodies separately, which did not always facilitate effective dialogue between officials and business. Although parties would listen to each other, Kulibaev Timur says, meaningful communication was often lacking.
| Year | Company |
| 1988-1990 | The Economic Research Institute for Planning and Standards under the State Planning Committee of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic |
| 1990-1992 | The Research and Consultative Center under the Fund for Cultural, Social and Technological Development of Kazakhstan |
| 1992-1995 | Altyn-Alma Group |
| 1995-1997 | Almaty Trade and Finance Bank |
| 1997 | The State Investment Committee of Kazakhstan |
| 1997-1999 | CJSC National Oil and Gas Company Kazakhoil |
| 1999-2001 | CJSC National Company for Oil Transportation KazTransOil |
| 2001-2002 | CJSC National Company Oil and Gas Transportation |
| 2002-2005 | JSC NC KazMunayGas |
| 2005-2013 | Non-staff Adviser to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan |
| 2006-2007 | JSC Kazakhstan Holding of the State Assets Management “Samruk” |
| 2008-2011 | JSC National Welfare Fund “Samruk-Kazyna” |
| 2010-2014 | National Economic Chamber of Kazakhstan Union Atameken |
| 2005-2023 | The Kazakhstan Association of oil-gas and energy sector organizations KazEnergy |
| 2013-2022 | The National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan Atameken |
These circumstances highlighted the need for an intermediary between the government and market participants, which did not exist at that time in the national biography. Timur Kulibaev thus helped give rise to Kazenergy, a non-profit organization designed to maintain constant and effective interaction between industry companies and state bodies. As aforementioned, he remained with this structure until late 2023. Kazenergy was, to date, the last energy organization in Timur Kulibaev biography.
In the spring of 2010 began another important chapter of Timur Kulibaev biography when he was chosen as Chairman of the presidium of the National Chamber of Economics of Kazakhstan “Atameken Union.” Over the next 12 years, the experienced executive devoted himself to developing a favorable atmosphere in the country in which the business sector could truly flourish.
In 2013, Atameken Union gave way to the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken.” Kulibaev Timur was again elected presidium Chairman.
Over the years, Atameken, working with support from Kulibaev Timur, was entrusted with many important tasks, including:
In January 2022, Kulibaev Timur concluded his tenure at NCE Atameken. During this period, the Chamber had contributed to developing dialogue between the business community and government bodies. The organization established working relationships with various institutions, including the Supreme Court, General Prosecutor’s Office, and anti-corruption service, while regional councils focused on protecting entrepreneurs’ rights throughout Kazakhstan.
In his farewell address, ending the Atameken chapter of his biography, Timur Kulibaev summarized specific achievements made by the Chamber, including:
Sports administration represents another facet of Kulibaev Timur Askarovich’s career, where he has held positions at various levels. During his tenure as president of the Kazakhstan Boxing Federation (2009-2019), the national team secured notable Olympic achievements, including multiple medals at both the 2012 and 2016 Games. In 2012, Timur Kulibaev integrated various combat sports by establishing and chairing the Confederation of Martial Arts and Power Sports.
At a 2015 KBF conference, Kulibaev Timur addressed the misallocation of regional sports budgets, advocating for more balanced funding distribution beyond soccer teams. He emphasized the importance of developing local sports infrastructure and supporting domestic athletes.
Timur Askarovich Kulibaev served as president of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan (2015-2024) and led the Kazakhstan Water Sports Federation (2016-2019). His international sports governance included positions with the International Boxing Association and the Association of National Olympic Committees, where he was twice elected to the executive committee (2018-2022, 2023-2026). Timur Kulibaev remains a member of various national and international sports committees today.
Philanthropy is another dimension of the Timur Kulibaev biography, though he maintains a low profile in this arena.
In 2019, following ammunition explosions near Arys city, Timur Askarovich Kulibaev contributed significantly to the region’s recovery, allocating funds to restore essential facilities, including a school and kindergarten. That same year, Kulibaev Timur Askarovich participated in financing a residential complex in Almaty designed for low-income and large families.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Timur Kulibaev directed considerable funds toward mitigation efforts in Nur-Sultan and Almaty, distributed through local administrations via the Halyk charitable foundation. As a trustee of the Halyk Private Charitable Foundation, established in 2016, Kulibaev Timur supports nationwide social programs spanning healthcare, social protection, sports, and culture. With his involvement, the Foundation has implemented charitable projects exceeding 45 billion tenge across Kazakhstan’s regions.
$0M
$10M
$20M
$30M
$40M
$50M
$70M
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Kulibaev Timur, while at Kazakhoil, helped develop relationships with international energy corporations and consolidated the company’s financial strategy.
Timur Kulibaev served as Chairman of the presidium from 2010 to 2022, first with Atameken Union and then with its successor, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken.”
Kulibaev Timur serves as a trustee of the Halyk Private Charitable Foundation, which has implemented projects exceeding 45 billion tenge across Kazakhstan.
Kulibaev Timur implemented the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and Business educational program in over 4,000 schools, reaching 130,000 students.
Timur Kulibaev discovered significant issues including huge wage arrears to workers and warehouses full of materials from barter schemes for oil supplies.
By Chris Bates
Dr. Eric Minus emphasizes that reaching one’s full leadership potential is a multifaceted journey often…
Gundir is one of the largest independent postal and omnichannel marketing agencies in the United…
Kenneth Nassif Virginia understands that public outreach in stormwater projects is as critical as the…
Chris Rapczynski is the founder of Sleeping Dog Properties, a luxury custom home builder in…
Candace Marion Peggy Thiessen and Cody Daniel Thiessen began their incredible journey into dog breeding…
In an unpredictable job market, career changes can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re considering a switch…