Doug McGay: ‘We are lucky that Mongolians have been very quick adopters of modern technology’

Doug McGay has been in UB for so long he’s practically a local. This well-known Western Australian has been here for a total of 16 years, first coming to Mongolia, “looking to partake in the development of a cadastral system.” This never eventuated, but McGay realized very early on that the mineral potential of Mongolia was enormous. He quickly saw the similarities between Mongolia in the late 90s and the early mining days of Western Australia. He decided to stay and take part in the development of this country which he describes as, “sure would happen.”

“For the first 10 years I did various, extremely interesting things in the mineral industry. For instance I was the Country Manager for Ivanhoe Mines at the time of the discovery of Oyu Tolgoi and the co-founder and Executive Director of the Mongolian Minerals Development Foundation. In about 2005 I became excited about the possibilities of the Mongolian petroleum sector and so started an oil exploration company with my own money, along with some Australian friends and investors. By coincidence, Dr. Oyungerel of Petrovis was doing the same thing at the same time with another oil license. We had previously completed successful businesses together and had become friends, so we decided to amalgamate our two companies and list the resultant entity on the London Stock Exchange,” McGay tells me.

It was a difficult time for him – he spent four months in London trying to get the company listed, “but we finally succeeded and became the first publicly listed Mongolian company (Petro Matad Limited) on an international stock exchange. We are very proud of that achievement. I am still one of the major private investors in Petro Matad and have faith in its future and that of the oil industry in Mongolia.”
McGay recently retired from Petro Matad and is having a temporary break after 48 years of solid work with very few holidays. His intention is to continue his life in Mongolia and it’s easy to see why he’s decided to base himself permanently in the land of eternal blue skies. Quite simply he’s “happy” here. I ask him what he’s passionate about and he beams, “Mongolia, my family and my extended family.”

Today McGay remains involved in society and commerce “as there are still many things to do and opportunities to pursue.”

Q&A Time

-What were your first impressions of UB?

-As I looked out my hotel window in the early morning of my first day here in the middle of the 96/97 winter, my very first reaction was “Wow – who would want to live here!?!” People rugged up in early morning mist waiting for trolley buses that crabbed along Peace Avenue with sparks coming from the overhead lines. Opposite there were banks of grey Russian-style apartments that just looked lonely, dark, and inhospitable. But after a week or so, my overwhelming impression of Ulaanbaatar and Mongolia was of a city and country on the verge of something great. There was an underlying energy and belief just emerging from the difficult times days of the early and mid-90s.

The people that I met impressed me with their openness, honesty, and keenness to develop Mongolia. I made some very good friends in those early days and am grateful we have remained close ever since.

-What is the best thing about living in Mongolia?

-Firstly, my background is small towns in Australia, so I am at home with the relative intimacy of Mongolian society where you can get to know a lot of people from all walks of life. More specifically, it is exhilarating to be a part of a fast developing society that retains its cultural traditions. I have been closely engaged with many young Mongolian accountants, engineers, geologists, lawyers, etc .and even artists. It has been a joy to have been involved and witness their development from fresh out of school into world class professionals. Yet with all of them, as with my other Mongolian friends who have had modern successes, the traditions and culture of the Mongolian way of life have not been forgotten.

-How has UB changed since you first arrived?

-In lots of very obvious ways: From a few Ladas to lots of Mercedes; from a handful of restaurants to a multitude of good choices; from “tuuts” and open markets to supermarkets; from open roads to constant traffic jams; from clear sunny winter days to days where the sun struggles to be seen through the smog; from not even one escalator in town to multi-story steel towers with both escalators and fast lifts; from undeveloped, desperately poor ger suburbs to even larger undeveloped, desperately poor ger suburbs.
-Describe a perfect weekend in Mongolia.

-Spending time at our country log cabin.Ideally, one day reading and walking and then a day with friends and family.

-What’s your advice to UB newcomers?

-Make friends, both business and personal with as many Mongolians as quickly as possible. Learn about their culture and sensitivities. Don’t be too judgemental in the early stages, and work through the times you may get discouraged. You will need to develop a true and balanced understanding of this wonderful country in order to be a productive part of society and be happy while doing that.

-Is there anything you can’t live without in UB?

-When I first arrived, the biggest challenge was a reliable internet connection. These days it is totally different, and a lack of Internet access would make life more difficult, especially in business. We are lucky that Mongolians have been very quick adopters of modern technology. There are tremendously talented young Mongolians contributing to the world-class development of Mongolia’s digital framework.

-Have you managed to learn any Mongolian?

-Despite my best efforts and intentions in the first few years of being here, my language skills have not progressed much more than what I call “street Mongolian.” I think I own every Mongolian language textbook that has ever been printed and spent a lot of time and money at schools and with tutors. Unfortunately I think I may have come to Mongolia a little too late in life for my brain to process a new language, particularly one as difficult as Mongolian! I have tried to compensate for my disappointing linguistic progress by studying Mongolian history, both ancient and modern.

-What’s your favourite UB restaurant/s?

-My all-time favourite is called “Time Out.” It is in a relatively obscure location near the new “Japanese” bridge and has original home-style Mongolian cooking with some Russian dishes. Incidentally, an American friend and myself used to write a column called “Obscure Restaurants of Ulaanbaatar” in the late 90s, early 2000s. I think we could safely say we were the first restaurant reviewers of Ulaanbaatar and we had great fun. On looking at the archives recently, I realised that virtually none of the places we visited and reviewed were still operating.

-What’s your favourite pastime or something you like to do to relax?

-Read, go to the gym, or trying to do some creative writing. I also put aside a bit of time once a week to relax with my son and best mate at a bar and of late I have taken to renewing my bagpipe skills, as well as dabbling – once more – in Mongolian language lessons.

-Picture Ulaanbaatar 20 years from now and tell me what you see.

-The ger suburbs sensibly re-developed, a major business park, along with a large mall or two on the outskirts of the city, and the remaining historical buildings and character of the inner city preserved and enhanced.

A better street and traffic system, although I think that restricted vehicle access, as in London and Singapore will eventually have to be introduced in the central city.

An efficient backbone of a public transport system, such as an underground or overhead railway along the entire length of Peace Avenue with one branch off to the south and the new airport. This would be fed by network of smart mini-buses that service the outskirts and feed into the main system.

-What is your favourite Mongolian food?

-Being Australian, I should be at home in meat-eating Mongolia. But strangely, since coming here I have discarded my Australian heritage and tended towards vegetarian and fish. But the Mongolian cutlets at “Time Out” restaurant have no trouble into dragging me back to carnivore land.

-Who inspires you?

-Many people, both contemporary and historical. In Australia, a prospector called Mark Creasey came from humble beginnings and with hard work and instinct has discovered many huge mineral deposits and been very successful. Through all of that he has remained unpretentious and true to his core principles.

Contemporarily, there are several modern Mongolians who have done the same thing in business, government, and the community while still maintaining their original values and ethics. I have watched their political or commercial or personal lives develop over my time here and am full of admiration for their drive, energy, honesty, and far-sightedness. Stories and examples such as these still inspire me to be a better person. On a more general basis, I am inspired by the life and achievements of Winston Churchill.

-What was the last book you read?

-“About This Life” by Barry Lopez. He is my favourite contemporary writer. His prose fills me with awe and pleasure.

-What is your favourite book/s of all time?

-“Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand had a great influence on me when I was a teenager.

-Do you have a favourite quote or motto?

-Winston Churchill: “Never give up”.

-If you could have dinner with 5 people who would they be?

-I have already broken bread with many, many associates, friends and family over the years and immensely enjoyed those times. I would happily invite them every single one of them, five at a time to join me again. That may take a few years, so people such as Aung San Suu Kyi, S.Oyun, the new Pope, George Clooney, and Keith Richards will just have to take a ticket and wait a while.

Short URL: http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=3227