Dennis Ruiter, a former KLM executive, shares his story of moving to Kazakhstan, falling in love with the country and its people, and starting his own business. From managing airline routes to launching an Internet marketing agency, his journey is a testament to embracing new opportunities and cultures.
Dennis Ruiter, city — Almaty, entrepreneur, linkedin
About myself
I was born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and graduated with a Master of Science in Change Management. Most of my career, I worked for KLM, the Royal Dutch Airlines, holding management positions abroad. Eventually, this brought me to Kazakhstan as General Manager.
About moving
It’s a funny story — let me take you through it. Back in 1996, I became responsible for Kazakhstan as Revenue Manager for the Royal Dutch Airlines. This was my first engagement with the country, though only remotely. My role was to optimize flights between Amsterdam and Almaty, but unfortunately, I didn’t visit Kazakhstan then. My interactions were limited to emails and phone calls with colleagues in Almaty.
Years later, I was sent to work for KLM in Sudan, then Ethiopia. After my African journey, KLM asked me to move to Almaty. I didn’t hesitate. In May 2011, I arrived for a three-day introduction trip, and by June, I had officially started my expat assignment based in Almaty.
I arrived in June. The weather was perfect — trees were blossoming, and it wasn’t too hot yet. The people were friendly and open-minded, always up for a chat, and their hospitality was heartwarming. I was impressed by the beautiful nature, fancy cars, excellent shopping opportunities, and the abundance of restaurants and bars. Cheap taxis were another pleasant surprise, and although I didn’t pay for it, I noticed how inexpensive gasoline was.
Overall, I was thrilled by my first experiences. The only challenge was the language barrier, but after a few Russian lessons, I managed to communicate a little.
About activities
Let me take you back to 2013 — that was the year I returned to The Netherlands, as my term ended earlier due to internal shifts. However, I made a life-changing decision to resign and stay in Almaty. Why? I had fallen in love. We got married, and now we have two beautiful daughters.
Work-wise, I joined Samruk-Kazyna, where I worked in the Oil and Gas sector, and later, until December 2023, in Logistics. Currently, I run my own company, KazNeth, which stands for Kazakhstan-Netherlands.
KazNeth is an Internet Marketing Agency specializing in AI SEO, SXO, and SERP services. In simple terms, we optimize websites to improve their rankings in traditional and AI-powered search engines. As the founder, I became an SEO expert and even earned the title of ChatGPT prompt engineer. We’re still in the early stages, offering free website audits to companies looking to boost their performance. While our focus is on SMEs in Kazakhstan, we also serve international clients.
When I was a child, airplanes fascinated me, and I dreamed of working in the airline industry. Joining KLM made that dream a reality, and working abroad was another milestone I achieved.
As for my current venture, starting an Internet Marketing Agency felt like a natural choice. After leaving my previous job, I became deeply interested in AI. While learning prompt engineering, I discovered SEO and found it fascinating. I took courses, built my own website, and gained hands-on experience. Now, I’m ready to market our services and help businesses grow.
About Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan surprised me in many ways! The biggest surprise is the people. I’ve always felt welcome here — the warmth, openness, and friendliness of Kazakh people are unmatched. Their strong family bonds are inspiring, and perhaps that’s why I fell in love with one and remain deeply in love.
I’ve also experienced Nauryz celebrations and the tradition of giving speeches — everywhere, anytime, and for any occasion! That was new for me, but now I’ve mastered the art of speaking like a Kazakh.
As for food, beshbarmak won me over from the start. It’s now a regular dish at our family table.
About plans
My goal is to stay in Almaty and grow my business into a successful agency. I aim to support Kazakh companies and communities by creating jobs. Ultimately, I want to prepare my daughters to take over and expand the business after their studies — if they choose to.
