Headed to Mongolia

Hi to all - family, friends and mentors:

Spring is "springing" here in New Jersey, and a new opportunity is budding for me as well - one that I find so interesting, compelling and with the potential for such lasting impact that am heading to Mongolia in order to pursue it. Wanted to share the news with you!

Next Monday (4/16), I will travel to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to begin working on a capacity building project for a mining company, with operations in the Gobi Desert. I'll be based in UB, for several months (with intermittent trips back to the US). I decided to move on from my current role at Mercer (was has been a great one) in order to take on this new challenge, and am looking forward to experiencing a new culture (the great and the challenging things), working with and learn from an incredibly diverse and smart group of people (expats and Mongolians), and hopefully creating something that makes a difference at this unique moment in Mongolia's history. (One of the major influencers in this decision, was this blog post, which I read 2 years ago and never forgot.)

The goal of the project is to yield direct benefit on the company's operations as well as a sustainable positive impact on Mongolia and Mongolian people. Shared value for is the name of the game, and I've become a big believer that corporations are capable of very powerful positive change, when the right initiatives are in place. This will be my biggest step into international development and sustainable change work so far.

Global demand for minerals, historical political tensions between Mongolia and China, and the struggle to modernize and develop while maintaining cultural roots in a nomadic lifestyle suggest that Mongolia is at an important and very interesting economic and cultural crossroads. And the success of this mine will play a key role in shaping the socio-economic development of the country. To illustrate - The mine is expected to contain 25% of earth's copper resources could be in operation for >50 years. Mongolia's per capita is currently USD ~$3,000; after a few years in operation, it is expected to account for more than 30% of Mongolia's GDP.

My initial work will concern workforce planning and leadership development - understanding existing workforce capacity and development needed (from primary schools to corporate training) to sustainably run the operation. Other focus areas will unfold as the operation stands up, and we identify additional needs as a team. In fact, the "open-endedness" of this project is part of what makes it most exciting to me!

Of course I have a mix of emotions now that I'm one week away, but overall I'm very excited about this next step, and feel confident that this is a great direction for me to be heading right now. I'll have a pretty steady online presence over the next 4 months, so will certainly be in touch and would love to hear from you as well!

Thank you for your support over the years....I'm ready to spread my wings on this one!! :)

Taylor

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PS. If my note peaks your interest in Mongolia, here's some basic info to get you started: 

Mongolia is located between China and Russia and is the largest landlocked country in the world. Archaeological findings of uncovered human remains in the region date back nearly 500,000 years; dinosaur fossils are frequently found in the Gobi desert in the southern part of the country. Mongolia gained fame in the 13th century when Genghis Khan conquered a huge Eurasian empire. The country eventually fell under Chinese and then Soviet rule before becoming one of the only democracies in Asia. The traditional way of life in Mongolia is one of nomadic herding (the movie Babies features Mongolia), which typically requires a family to move 2-4 moves per year, with a ger (felt/canvas shelter) and a livestock herd of between 300-1000 animals. As the nomadic lifestyle is closely dependent on nature, Mongolians have a spiritual reverence for the natural world. The country experiences its fair share of extreme weather, including more than 260 days of clear blue skies per year. Tourism is steadily increasing, as Mongolia becomes regarded as one of the last untouched places on earth where wild horses roam grasslands and reindeer herders roam the taiga. For an article in The Economist about mining in Mongolia, see The Economist