Umirzak Shukeyev
Umirzak Shukeyev (, Өмірзақ Естайұлы Шөкеев) (born 12 March 1964) is a Kazakh politician who's serving as the akim of Turkistan Region since 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Minister of Agriculture from 2017 to 2019, chairman of Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund from 2011 to 2017, First Deputy Prime Minister from 2009 to 2011, and prior to that, Deputy Prime Minister from 2007, akim of South Kazakhstan from 2006 to 2007, akim of Astana from 2004 to 2006, akim of Kostanay Region from 1998 to 2004, Minister of Economy and Trade from 1995 to 1997 while serving as Deputy Prime Minister. Biography Early life and career Shukeyev was born in Turkistan. He graduated from the Moscow Economics and Statistics Institute in 1986, after having studied economics and mathematics. After graduating, he was employed as junior and leading research fellow in a number of research facilities in Almaty. From 1992, Shukeyev on to work as a consultant with the Supreme Economic Council under the President; as an advisor to the President for economic issues; vice head of the Finance, Labor and Social Protection of the Population Department in the Presidential Service and in the Cabinet. In 1993, he