Karim Massimov

On 24 September 2012, Massimov's premiership ended when President Nazarbayev dismissed him as from the position, appointing him chief of staff of the presidential office in order to readjust the power balance between various factions within the government. Since September 2016, he has been the incumbent was the head of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) of Kazakhstan.

He served as the Prime Minister until 24 September 2012, but was reappointed again on 2 April 2014 after Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov was jailed after being accused of corruption. Massimov served as a Prime Minister until he was succeeded by Bakhytzhan Sagintayev.

In 2012, Massimov was unanimously re-elected for another four-year term to head the Asian federation, which is recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia. He showed his support for the sport in an interview in which he stated that the sport "brings together athletes from across the world to train and compete with honour and in the spirit of cultural exchange and understanding."

Massimov was the President of Federation of Amateur Muaythai of Asia (FAMA) in 2010. The FAMA and the Continental Federation of International Federation of Muaythai Amateurs (IFMA) in Asia is the first Continental Federation since 1991, supporting the work and efforts of the IFMA. He then was nominated and went on to assume the position of Vice President of the IFMA, President of Muaythai federation in Kazakhstan and Vice-President of World Muaythai Council (WMC).

President Nazarbayev nominated Massimov to succeed Daniyal Akhmetov as Prime Minister on 9 January 2007. Akhmetov resigned on 8 January without explanation. Analysts attributed Akhmetov's political downfall to the President's criticism of his administrative oversight of the economy. The Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the nomination on 10 January with 37 out of 39 Senators and 66 of 77 Assemblymen from the Majilis voting for Massimov. Akhmetov became the Defense Minister, replacing Mukhtar Altynbayev.

Massimov served as Deputy Prime Minister from 19 January 2006 to 9 January 2007 and as Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, Minister of Transport and Communications in 2001. President Nursultan Äbishuly Nazarbayev nominated Massimov to succeed Daniyal Akhmetov as Prime Minister on 9 January 2007. The Nur Otan party endorsed Massimov's candidacy and Parliament confirmed the nomination on 10 January.

Massimov is considered a China expert. China has become an important strategic partner for Kazakhstan in recent years and the two countries are working closely together to develop Kazakhstan's energy resources. Massimov visited Beijing, China with Finance Minister Natalya Korzhova, Transport and Communications Minister Serik Akhmetov, and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Baktykozha Izmukhambetov from 16–17 November 2006. Massimov co-chaired the third meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi. Several accords between agencies of the two governments were signed. Massimov later met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Meanwhile, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Liu Qi, secretary of the Beijing Party Committee, in Astana. Secretary Liu said was "very nice for me to visit your beautiful country at Otan's invitation. The goal of the visit is to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding between our countries."

Massimov and Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres announced from Jerusalem on 29 October 2006 that the state-owned National Innovation Fund of Kazakhstan would begin investing in the Peace Valley project and other projects in the Middle East. Massimov said, "I came to Israel with a clear message to the nation in Zion from the president, that Kazakhstan is a moderate Muslim state which is interested in being involved in the Middle East. Kazakhstan intends to found political and economic ties with Israel and its neighbors." Massimov mentioned the Dead Sea canal and expressed desire to create a free trade zone. Vice Premier Peres and Massimov agreed to establish an agriculture-school in each country. The NIF has given US$10 million to Israeli VC fund Vertex.

On 28 March 2002 in an article in Izvestia, Massimov announced that the Government of Kazakhstan planned to increase wheat exports to Iran from 100,000 to two million tons.

In 1991, Massimov became the head of the Department of the Ministry of Labor. On 7 August 2000, Massimov was appointed as the Minister of Transport and Communications. On 27 November 2001, he became the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. In June 2003, he was appointed as an Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan. Massimov once again became the Deputy Prime Minister on 18 January 2006, and was simultaneously as the Minister of Economy from 20 April to 13 October. On 10 January 2007, he was appointed as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. On 24 September 2012, he became the Head of the Presidential Administration and at the same time served as an Acting State Secretary of Kazakhstan from 21 January to 2 April 2014, where that day, he became the Prime Minister. On 8 September 2016, Massimov was appointed as the chairman of the National Security Committee.

From 1992 to 1995, he worked at Kazakhstan's commercial structures in China and Hong Kong. From 1995 to 1997 he was the chairman of the Board of the Almaty Trade and Financial Bank. In 1996, Massimov became an acting Chairman of the Board of Turanbank From 1997 to 2000, he served as the chairman of the Board of the People's Savings Bank of Kazakhstan.

From 1988 to 1989, Massimov studied Chinese at the Beijing Institute of Language, taught at Wuhan University School of Law from 1989 to 1991, and then the Columbia University in New York City. In 1998, he graduated from the graduate school of Kazakh State Academy of Management, and in 1999, Massimov earned a doctoral degree from the Moscow State University of Technologies and Management named after K.G. Razumovskiy. That same year, he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic "Problems of the formation of industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan and ways to solve them (theory and practice)."

From 1985 to 1988, he studied at the People's Friendship University of Russia where he learned Arabic, then the Alma-Ata Institute of National Economy.

In 1982, Massimov graduated from the Republican Physics and Mathematics Boarding School in Alma-Ata.

Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov (Kazakh: Kárim Qajymqanuly Másimov , [kæɾɪm qɑʑəmqɑˈnʊlə mæsɪmof] ; born 15 June 1965) is a Kazakh politician who served as a Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 10 January 2007 to 24 September 2012 and again from 2 April 2014 to 8 September 2016.