Around the world - and Kazakhstan is no exception - facility management has traditionally been a male-dominated field. Tenders, large contracts, and complex facilities ranging from banks and business centers to oil production plants often follow unwritten rules shaped by rapid deals and, at times, grey schemes and kickbacks. Akmaral Imasheva chose a different path.
At the age of 30, after a decade of corporate employment, already a mother of two and facing a glass ceiling, she left a stable job and began her business with private apartment cleaning orders. In 2007, Almaty experienced a boom in new residential complexes, making post-renovation cleaning services highly demanded. However, orders remained seasonal and unstable. A year later, she realized the need to shift strategy and enter the corporate sector.
Today, Top Service Group is a stable company operating across Kazakhstan with 19 years of experience, a professional team, and clear goals. Years were devoted to product development, building processes, and scaling the business. In 2024, Akmaral became the EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner in the Social Impact Entrepreneurship category. The jury unanimously highlighted her approach: strong market reputation, management of several thousand employees, resilience, and her role as a female leader and role model.
“I come from a small village. My mother is a teacher, my father a doctor. I studied well at school and helped around the house. In high school, I struggled to choose a profession, but I knew I wanted to study in Almaty. At the time, economists and lawyers were in demand. I enrolled in a paid program and had to work to cover tuition. In the 1990s many families survived like this - salaries were delayed and often paid in barter. I am grateful to my parents for teaching us hard work and resilience. They gave everything they could.”
Her first major client was Aport Mall.
“I still remember coming to their tender, presenting my vision, and explaining why they should choose me. Fortunately, they believed in me and my company. That marked the start of my journey into the corporate world. We grew alongside them - they were the country’s first major mall. Then came Alliance Bank. From there, momentum built. Clients appreciated our responsible approach, and we expanded. But ambition alone wasn’t enough - I needed knowledge in management, finance, marketing, and team building. In 2010, I enrolled in an MBA program for entrepreneurs. I defended my five-year development strategy, achieving 99 percent of the plan. That was my first big victory.”
Today, the company serves facilities nationwide: banks, shopping centers, business complexes, and industrial sites.
“Industrial facilities are especially important to us - they require strict standards and enhanced safety. We value being part of our clients’ success by ensuring sanitary safety for their core operations.”
The company offers a wide range of services: professional cleaning, laundry and repair of workwear, plumbing and electrical services, staff transportation, reception and administrative support, and technical maintenance of engineering systems.
The company has a principled stance against participating in tenders involving corruption.
“Such offers have been made repeatedly. But I always refuse. It’s not even about risk. I believe women tend to be more principled and less willing to step over others to achieve goals at any cost. I create and genuinely enjoy my work. The best advertising is satisfied clients - word of mouth works perfectly. We focus on quality, responsibility, and trust. Clients value a stable partner with a clean reputation. More than 50 percent of our clients represent long-term partnerships, and we deeply appreciate that trust.”
Akmaral considers people the foundation of success.
“Our employees - from cleaners, janitors, plumbers, electricians to managers - are at the heart of the company. We are proud that many have worked with us for 5, 10, or more years. Our responsibility is not only to organize business processes but also to fulfill employer obligations: pay salaries on time, provide social benefits, training, emotional stability, financial literacy, and self-confidence. Stability for them is not a privilege but a necessity. We want working professions to be respected in Kazakhstan, and we start with ourselves.”
Most of the team are women, including mothers of many children and retirees.
“Unfortunately, the cleaning profession is still not prestigious or highly paid. We constantly look for ways to raise its value and ease physically demanding tasks without compromising quality. Recently, everyone has been talking about robotics. Perhaps robots will replace us one day - it’s both fascinating and uncertain.”
Akmaral is also an active entrepreneur. Since 2016, she has participated in the EBRD Women in Business program.
“When you gain knowledge and grow, you naturally want to share it. I do so with pleasure.”
Next year, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary - a significant milestone that requires flexibility and new ambitions.
Among facility management companies, Akmaral Imasheva is one of the few female founders.
“Competing with men isn’t easy - they have tough rules. But women can run large businesses just as successfully. We have the same brains and responsibility, if not greater.”
“Our mission is simple: to be a reliable partner and provide services with heart and high responsibility. We want Kazakhstani businesses and investors to receive facility management services at international standards - with no compromises on cleanliness, safety, and order.”
In a challenging industry where it is easy to give up, Akmaral proves that business can be built sustainably, transparently, and professionally. Years of contracts, a strong team, and market trust stand as clear evidence of that.
