Kazakhstan | 2024 – Madina Olzhabayeva, Global Head of Procurement at inDrive, has made a significant impact by leveraging her engineering background in her role. She joined the ride-hailing unicorn in November 2022 as a procurement manager, quickly rising to her current position.
Like many senior executives in the supply chain sector, Olzhabayeva’s journey began with a foundation in engineering. She studied Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at Almaty University in Kazakhstan and later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Moscow Power Engineering Institute. In 2013, she pursued a Master’s degree in Wireless Communication Systems at Brunel University in the UK.
Her early career saw her join Kazakhstan’s cellular operator Kcell, a subsidiary of Telia, as a procurement specialist. She handled various responsibilities, including procurement project management, strategic sourcing, vendor negotiations with major suppliers like Ericsson and Huawei, e-procurement, and category management.
Following brief stints with Japan Tobacco International and confectionery giant Ferrero Group as a procurement manager, Olzhabayeva joined inDrive. In just a year, she built a world-class procurement department from scratch.
Olzhabayeva credits several key executives at inDrive for their pivotal support in her success, including Egor Fedorov (Chief of Staff), Dmitry Sedov (Chief Financial Officer), and Sardana Mikheeva (Vice President of Operations).
“They provided immense support, not only helping me establish the department but shaping the entire structure along the way,” Olzhabayeva shared. “Everyone told me that nothing is impossible—it just takes more time.”
She added, “Their visionary enthusiasm for the company motivated me to pursue new achievements. I am incredibly fortunate to have gained such valuable experience from this strong team.”
Olzhabayeva now leads a team of 10, managing multiple procurement categories for inDrive’s global operations.
When asked about the greatest challenge in her current role, Olzhabayeva responded, “Dealing with too many priorities.”
She explained, “The procurement department is centralized in Kazakhstan, so the main challenge is balancing multiple priorities. We manage diverse supplier relationships, navigate complex supply chains, ensure regulatory compliance across various regions, and drive cost savings while maintaining quality standards.”
She added, “Our motto is ‘Trends are our friends.’ This means we must stay on top of market trends and technological advancements to succeed. Effective communication and strategic decision-making are critical to overcoming these challenges and achieving success.”
Olzhabayeva is passionate about procurement, describing it as a constantly evolving field that requires mastering new processes, adopting best practices across the company, and optimizing systems quickly to get the job done efficiently.
Translation source: Madina Olzhabayeva | EV Magazine