Chimediin Saikhanbileg

Chimed Saikhanbileg (Mongolian: Чимэдийн Сайханбилэг; born 17 February 1969) is a Mongolian politician, who served as the 28th Prime Minister of Mongolia from 2014 to 2016, and whose work and career are indispensably associated with political, economic and education reforms, youth organizations, information technology, democracy, investment, and mega-projects of Mongolia.

After his first election and service as a Member of Parliament, Saikhanbileg spent a year in Boulder, Colorado, at the University of Colorado Economics Institute from 2000 to 2001 and subsequently completed his master's degree at The George Washington University Law School in Washington DC, USA.

As a young student in Moscow, Saikhanbileg witnessed Gorbachev's Perestroika and Glasnost; shortly afterwards, the fall of the Berlin Wall.

His becoming a Cabinet Minister of Mongolia at the age of 29 marks the record of the youngest ministerial appointment in the new Mongolian history.

This project was an important contribution to the American-Mongolian relationship as well as introducing American teaching and pedagogical standards and curricula in Mongolia.

Saikhanbileg was appointed the Chairman of Information and Communication Technology Authority of the Mongolian Government after the 2004 Parliamentary Election where he served until 2008.

He oversaw and completed the construction of high-speed Internet access and fiber-optic cables in 1.5 million km2 area of Mongolia, connecting 21 aimags and 330 soums during those years.

His phenomenal transformations of Mongolia's IT industry won him the highest number of votes in 2008 Parliamentary Election in the Ulaanbaatar city constituency thus making him a second-term Member of Parliament.

In those challenging circumstances Saikhanbileg led the Democratic Party floor in the Parliament, one of the two largest factions, and boldly solved pressing political and economic issues in 2008–2012.

His leadership, management skills, problem-solving techniques and enabling attitude were constructive in overcoming the financial crisis, implementing the IMF program, subsequently attaining 14.5% economic growth and starting and advancing the complex Oyu Tolgoi project.

He established a permanent 11-11 Call Center for citizens to submit complaints and feedback, introduced government service electronic machines capable of providing 34 public services, implemented reforms in the professional inspectorate, and reformed government-issued permits for businesses and citizens, lowering the number from 900 to 300.

Collaborating with the Bank of Mongolia, he implemented "Good" programs with the intent to protect low-income segments of the population and support the middle class.

He visited the main capital markets: London, New York, Dubai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Singapore, met with the leaders, businesses, and investors from those countries, organized Investment conferences in each country he visited, presented Mongolian markets and mega projects and invited them to invest.

He also visited prominent television studios such as CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, BBC, and CCTV for live programs to speak about the political environment surrounding the Mongolian economy and investment.

He met with the World Bank, IMF, IFC, Credit Suisse, EBRD, ADB and ING, and their executives, and came up with specific solutions for investment and co-operation in Mongolia.

As a result, the two-year negotiation of Oyu Tolgoi Underground Mine was concluded and the decision to launch a $4.2 billion construction project was reached on 19 May 2015.

More than half of the 6 to 7 percent Mongolian economic growth of today can be directly attributed to this project, launched by the financing of 14 international banks.

But to this day, some authorities and parliament members continue to politicize the subject of OT and employ it as a topic for populism.

Prime Minister Saikhanbileg made timely decisions to seize the opportunity to purchase a 49% stake in Erdenet Copper Mine [which bears no less than OT at an economic value for Mongolia], held by Russia.

Just these two actions - securing the OT underground mine's US$4.2 billion investment and the Erdenet Copper Plant valued at MNT 4.9 trillion title transfer to Mongolia are the legacy of his Prime Ministership.

After her husband entered the political arena, she ended her acting career and fully devoted herself to the family as a loving wife and a caring mother.

Furthermore, she expanded her Baigal House company to souvenirs and accessories featuring ancient Mongolian arts and traditions.

The eldest son, Unubileg Saikhanbileg graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, USA and started as a pilot in Aero Mongolia aircompany.

The Oyu Tolgoi mine has been a major political issue during Saikhanbileg's term