Story
I’m a capitalist, and I believe in social income redistribution. That’s what inspired me to start my career in microfinance, which provides financial access to people who don’t have access to banking services.
As CEO of Mongolia’s first microfinance company in 1999, I was invited to teach students about microfinance at the University of Finance and Economics in Mongolia. My goal was to make microfinance look appealing to students as a career option. I wanted to show them that microfinance isn’t for money or prestige – it’s about giving people an equal chance at a prosperous life. I found many of the students wanted to work for large banks when they graduated, and hadn’t considered microfinance as an option.
But as XacBank became more successful, people started talking about us nationally and internationally. I was often quoted in financial publications and articles, where I spoke about microfinance. As I spread the word about XacBank, more people wanted to work with us. As we gained more international attention, I was invited abroad to give speeches about microfinance at financial events. I was often the first Mongolian that some audience members had ever met.
At one event, I was asked if I would be interested in lecturing at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management’s MFI Management Summer Academy. In 2004 I started lecturing there, and in 2005, I was invited to speak at the Harvard Business School. It was quite an honour, because as far as I’m aware, I was the first Mongolian to give a speech at the business school.
I feel that I can be a role model through teaching, and that’s why I am also involved in global initiatives.
In 2009, I became a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative on Social Entrepreneurship, and that same year, I was nominated to the World Economic Forum’s Forum of Young Global Leaders. This experience led me to create the Ulaanbaatar Global Shapers community in 2011.
I am also passionate about the Global Dignity organization, and have been the country chair of the Global Dignity Day movement for Mongolia since 2010.
Impact
At the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management’s MFI Management Summer Academy, I always taught my students that they can make a difference in someone’s life. I taught them to look at finance as a means of helping a person find faith in themselves, so that person can change their mindset and ultimately lead a happy and full life.
Many of my students also wanted to know, what is the key to success? What is the secret ingredient to becoming successful, happy, and rich?
My message to them was to always start with finding themselves, and finding their purpose. I also taught my students that they don’t have to work a lot, or work a little bit – they just have to work every day. Throughout all of my lectures, I always told my students to have a purpose, have courage, and never stop. I’m very passionate about educating youth because they are the future.
Through my teaching and my work in various global initiatives, I am making the same impact as I do in business: helping people in the present, so we can have positive ripple effects into the future.
My ultimate dream is to not become the richest person in my country, but to become a regular citizen of a very rich nation.