Gordon Haskins is an experienced banking professional. For the last ten years he has been working in Kazakhstan. We learned what attracts him to the country and why he stays here.
About myself
My home country is Canada. I was born and raised in Vancouver. Went to school here. Graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations. After I continued my studies at the University of Toronto in the field of law.
I began my professional career as a lawyer in a Vancouver company. In 1999 I moved to London with my wife to work for Clifford Chance, the largest law firm in the world at the time. A few years later, I moved to a Canadian real estate company, worked in the field of business support. It soon closed, but I realized that I like to interact more with financial matters.
In 2003 I was invited to work for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Here I was engaged in structuring financial transactions. A few years later I changed my position: first became the head of the department, and then the managing director.
After my graduate degree, I went backpacking around Europe. I visited many countries during the year. Traveled to India, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia. In total, I saw about 50 countries. Now, many years later, I still have the desire to travel the world.
About moving
At the end of 2012, I was discussing new job opportunities within Royal Bank of Scotland. I was offered the position of a regional manager in Kazakhstan. My wife and I agreed that this is a great option to learn more about Central Asia.
At the beginning of 2013, we visited Kazakhstan for the first time. During a short trip, the man who at that time held the position of regional manager showed us the city. By that time, his family had lived here for four years, and he spoke well of Kazakhstan.
Over the next few months, I periodically flew into the country to sort out visa and job issues, to find a house where we would live. In June 2013 we moved permanently. This summer my friends and I started hiking to the mountains. That was the first time I saw how beautiful nature is here.
About activities
I worked with Royal Bank of Scotland for about three years. In 2016, the organization changed its global strategy and left many countries. The last thing I did for RBS was to sell their business in Kazakhstan.
My wife and I briefly returned to Canada, but a few months later I received an invitation from Al Hilal Bank. They started their activity in Kazakhstan, and they needed a chairman of the board. I liked life in Almaty, so I agreed.
Kazakhstan has repeatedly surprised me during the time that I live here, and continues to do so until now
Today, my responsibilities include managing employees and administering all aspects of business in the country. I monitor the work of the corporate and individual banking sector, help in risk management, and participate in the construction of IT infrastructure. In addition, I am responsible for communication with financial regulators and the National Bank.
My work is a challenge. It’s interesting and I love doing it.
Al Hilal Bank is part of the larger Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Group. We are the first Islamic bank in Kazakhstan. Our work makes it possible to use the service that many people in the country need.
In addition, we bring international standards and the best world practices to the banking sector in Kazakhstan.
About Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has repeatedly surprised me during the time that I live here, and continues to do so until now. My wife and I love to travel, we have been to almost all parts of the country. Every time we are amazed by the beauty of nature.
It suddenly turned out that Kazakhstan is similar to Canada. It has the same climate and terrain. Once upon a time I had photographs of the mountains of Almaty and the steppes of Astana and similar shots from Alberta, where my wife is from. Residents of both countries could not say exactly where these images were taken.
But there are many places in Kazakhstan that are like nothing else. We love Almaty. It is a beautiful city in which it is convenient to live. We traveled a lot around the region, saw the Singing Dunes, Kapchagay, Charyn Canyon. We also remember Mangystau. Every day of our trip through this region surprised us with fantastic views.
About people and traditions
Kazakhstanis are incredibly hospitable people. Recently, my wife and friends drove from Akbulak. On the way we met a woman who was selling brooms by the road. We stopped and started talking, after which she invited us to dinner. We had a great time. This is far from the first time that the locals have invited us for tea or dinner. All this makes the country pleasant.
I like traditional cuisine. We tried almost all the dishes. A few years ago I went to Western Mongolia to attend the Eagle Hunting Festival. There he met ethnic Kazakhs, who still hunt with the help of eagles. We met the family of a young hunter girl, the heroine of the film Eagle huntress. It was an incredible experience.
About plans
We plan to continue working with Al Hilal Bank. We have a good business record. We are working on expanding our activities.
Together with my wife we want to visit places where we have not yet been. Many advise to go to East Kazakhstan. We are also thinking of going to other countries of Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
In Kazakhstan, I became interested in cycling. Recently, over the weekend, my friends and I made a trip from Almaty to Bishkek: about 235 kilometers. I also participate in races and plan to continue this activity.
