Umut Shayakhmetova on Leadership, AI and Women in Business - Voices of Change inVision U

“In business, there is no gender — there is only professionalism” — the story of UmutShayakhmetova

‍

Some leaders manage. Others change the very logic of management. The hero of this issue belongs to the second group. Chairwoman of the Board of Halyk Bank JSC, one of the most influential bankers in Kazakhstan — behind this title lies not just a career, but a distinct way of thinking: professionalism as the only currency that never loses its value.

‍

Where It All Began

‍

Umut graduated from the Economics Faculty of RUDN University in Moscow — at a time when planned Soviet-style economics was still being taught. Gosplan, regulations,predictability. Then came an MBA in America. And everything changed.

‍

“There was a real revolution in my understanding. Different approaches, everything based on business cases,everything grounded in specific, applied situations,” she recalls.

‍

Consumer psychology, marketing,real stories of corporate successes and failures. Not theory for theory’s sake— but knowledge that could be applied immediately. That was when she understood: education is not a diploma. It is a tool that either works or itdoesn’t.

‍

January 2009. The Decision That Changed Everything

‍

When she was offered the position of leading Halyk Bank, the bank was on the verge of bankruptcy. Afinancial crisis, market instability, enormous personal risk. And one more detail she mentions without drama: her daughter was not yet a year old.

‍

Most would have declined. Umut accepted.

“I was confident in my knowledge, I understood the market and the bank from the inside, and most importantly — I knew the value of my own professionalism. I could not afford to miss such an opportunity,” she says.

‍

This was not recklessness. It was the precise calculation of someone who had spent years building expertise —and knew it would hold. It is in moments like these that education either proves itself or reveals its emptiness. Hers proved itself.

‍

Professionalism as the Only Argument

‍

Behind that phrase is the observation of someone who has traveled the path from student to the head of the country’s largest bank — and at every stage saw the same thing: people follow those whose words are backed by competence.

‍

“To become a leader people listen to, you must constantly work on your professionalism. People only start following you when there is a foundation behind your words,” she believes.

‍

On the Technologies You Cannot Ignore

‍

Umut is direct: today it is not enough to simply manage. You need to understand technology — well enough to sit down and work through the algorithms yourself.

‍

Halyk Bank today is looking for people with three profiles. Data Scientists and Data Engineers — those who can work with large datasets and turn them into decisions. Artificial intelligence specialists — AI is already being integrated across every area of the bank,from analytics to marketing. And cybersecurity experts — those who can detect deepfakes and protect systems from threats that did not even exist a few year sago.

‍

“The world is changing. And those who do not change with it risk being left behind,” — the position of someone who makes decisions in the midst of those changes every single day.

‍

Glass Ceilings Don’t Exist — Unless You Build Them Yourself

‍

Her advice to young women is delivered without condescension and without unnecessary softness:

‍

“A woman should not think that being a woman puts her at a disadvantage. Get an education. And after that— don’t hold yourself back. Maintain balance: work, grow professionally, have a family. And don’t set glass ceilings for yourself.”

‍

She herself is proof that balance is possible. A daughter, a career, the crisis of 2009, and a place at the top of the industry. Not in spite of it all, but because of it — a clear sense of purpose and a competence built over years of work.

‍

On Education in a New Format

‍

“inVision U is an example of modern education where, instead of dry theory, students get pure practice.Exactly the format needed today: where learning keeps pace with the market and prepares not just executors, but creators and industry leaders,” says Umut.

‍

This is not a compliment. It is an assessment from someone who has personally traveled the road from Soviet-style theoretical economics to an MBA built on real cases — and knows which format actually works.

‍

A Message to Those Who Are Just Starting Out

‍

Umut does not talk about secrets to success. She talks about work.

‍

Every day. Building competence.Understanding technology. Maintaining balance between what matters in a careerand what matters in life. Without any illusion that someone will come along and grant you permission to act.

‍

The story of Umut Shayakhmetova is part of the Voices of Change series by inVision U. These areconversations with people who haven’t just achieved results, but reimagined how those results are achieved.

‍

Who will be next? Stay tuned for new stories.

‍