I was delighted and proud to welcome on February 1 the participants of the second International conference “Consulting without Borders,” which is named after Gabriel Al-Salem. The conference was held in Byshkek, the Kyrgyz Republic. February 1 is Gabriel’s birthday, and we as his family are proud that although we lost Gabriel in an accident more than two years ago, this day is not forgotten but, on the contrary, has become a significant day for management consultants around the world.
This year’s theme of the conference was how to make a business effective. I and my counterparts in Bishkek wanted for the conference to become a unique forum, where consultants could meet their potential clients, discuss vital business issues, look for and find solutions – and all of this far beyond the frames of only the Kyrgyz Republic and Central Asia. This year our borders significantly expanded, and we were proud to welcome guests from Hungary, Moldova, Mongolia, the Ukraine, and Great Britain.
I have already received many letters from the participants, and based on these feedbacks I can say that we have reached our goal. Once again we have managed to increase visibility and raise awareness of the “Management Consultant” profession not only with potential clients but also with the government and donor organizations, i.e., key stakeholders involved in the development of private business and the entire economy. Moreover, we believe we have been successful in demonstrating the potential of management consulting as a service and of local consultants as professionals, who can render this service.
The conference’s guests of honor were Rosa Otunbaeva, Ex-President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sanzhar Mukambetov, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic; Remy Duiven, Deputy Country Director, the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic; Calvert Markham, Board Member of the ICMCI – International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (UK); Charlotte Ruhe, Director of the Small Business Support team at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); and Alexey Tsekhovoy, President of the Union of Project Managers of Kazakhstan and Executive Secretary of the Kazakhstan Consortium of Consulting and Research Organizations.
These guests announced the names and presented the awards “For Excellence in Consulting-2012” to twelve best consultants from the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Hungary and Morocco. This year the Award International Committee has evaluated 35 applications from 12 countries.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues from the Institute of Management Consultants of the Kyrgyz Republic for their help with organizing this event, as well as to the Business Advisory Services (BAS) Programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic and the USAID Local Development Program – for partnership and sponsorship.
We have gladly accepted the invitation from the Ukrainian Institute of Management Consultants to hold the next conference “Consulting without Borders” and the ceremony for the winners of the International Award for Excellence in Consulting in Kyiv, the Ukraine. Look forward to seeing everybody next year!
Sincerely yours,
Viktoria Olskaia
President
Gabriel Al-Salem Foundation
www.ga-foundation.org
Announcement for the Conference 2013
