ANUDARI Batjargal - From Mongolia to Hong Kong & USA, Overseeing Aircraft Retrofits at Safran
Interviewed by Batzul Gerelsaikhan. Photographed by Brynna Kathleen Photography
● Full Name: Anudari Batjargal
● Hobby Alumni: 2009
● Sector: Aviation
● Further Education: B.Sc. Aviation Management and Managerial Accounting (major) and Mathematics (minor) at Rocky Mountain College in Montana, USA
● Current Workplace: Program Manager at Zodiac Northwest Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (acquired by Safran in February 2018) in Seattle, USA
● Languages: Mongolian - native, English - fluent
● Countries lived in: Mongolia, USA, Hong Kong
● Frequented website: NYtimes.com, Reddit.com
● App to recommend: Mint (personal finance application)
● Books to recommend: Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand, Little Women - Louisa May Alcott, and Churchill and Orwell - Thomas E. Ricks
“My parents made me learn to read and write from four years old both in Mongolian and English...I resented my parents a bit for being so hard on me, but now I understand and I am very grateful they pushed me this hard.”
AT HOBBY SCHOOL
1. How many years have you studied at Hobby School?
Previously, Mongolia had 10 years of education before university, but this changed to 11 years in my time, so I studied at Hobby School from 9-11th grade (2007-2009).
2. Where have you studied before Hobby?
King’s Kids, which is an offshoot of Hobby School. I was one of the first kids to start studying there when King’s Kids got established. Actually, I have a pretty similar story to the previous alumni Laila Zulkaphil - I got the same “Hobby Scholarship” after winning the Hobby Olympiad. At King’s Kids, I studied until my ninth grade, but transferred to Hobby School as soon as I got the scholarship, which is a tuition fee waiver until graduation. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
3. How would you describe the difference between studying at King’s Kids and Hobby School?
Since I was in the first class to enroll at King’s Kids, there were no alumni to look up to and ask for help with school applications. Hobby School, on the other hand, already had alumni and it had more extracurricular and sports activities, but most importantly the teachers were fantastic.
4. What kind of a student were you in high school?
I was that student who sat in front row and did not let anyone copy off of me! That probably paints the right picture. But I still had my share of fun; our class used to play poker during breaks, wagering candies or trips to the cafeteria store. One time, Principal Oyuntsetseg Durvuljin walked in on our game and said to me sternly: “Anudari, this is not the person I thought you were!” I will never forget that moment.
5. You were also a straight-A student like Laila?
Yes (giggles). My parents were very strict with me, made me learn to read and write from four years old both in Mongolian and English, so I was always 1-2 years ahead of everyone. I was a “straight-A” student so much so that I had to maintain this record! (giggles). I resented my parents a bit for being so hard on me, but now I understand and I am very grateful they pushed me this hard.
6. Anything you would do differently if you went back to high school again?
I would have participated more in sports activities, because you learn about teamwork and work out of the classroom. I had access, but I didn’t use this opportunity. This is one of the regrets; I wish I picked up more sports in mid high school.
7. What was your fondest memory and who was your favorite teacher at Hobby School?
My english math teacher - Joe McIntyre! He left me with my fondest memory at Hobby when he gifted me this TI calculator (smart graphing calculator) that was not available in Mongolia. This calculator really helped me in my SATs and english math curriculum. He had boxes of these calculators for us to use in the classroom, but he personally gifted me one, which I am really grateful for.
I met up with Joe at Harvard University where he now teaches when I visited Boston a little over a year ago; he gave me a tour of the Harvard campus and we were able to catch up after a decade.
8. He was one of my favorite teachers too, but I wasn't gifted any special calculators in my time! (both of us giggle). I guess our school and teachers got better and better as time passed. Anyways, after Hobby School, why did you choose Rocky Mountain College for your undergraduate education?
To be honest, the scholarship! In Ulaanbaatar, there was Educational Advising and Resource Center (EARC), few blocks from Hobby, which helped students with scholarship information, SAT preparation and general school application process. Rocky Mountain College had the best scholarship opportunity. After talking to my mom, I found the aviation sector to be very interesting and picked Rocky Mountain College in Montana, USA.
9. Why Aviation?
I was looking for a major that was unique and would safely land me a job out of college. The Aviation Management major is a hybrid of Rocky Mountain College’s more technical aeronautical science and the traditional business management programs. It seemed niche enough to secure a job in the aviation industry and broad enough to be adapted to other fields. I did broaden my study with a second major in Managerial Accounting and a minor in Mathematics.
10. What was Montana like?
Montana is small with only 100,000 people. It is similar to Mongolia. Our college was small with only 14-16 students per class, so I got to know the professors more and worked with them closely. There were only a handful of Asian students on our campus, but everyone is really friendly and I never felt unwelcome. Montana was a really good place to call it a second home.
11. Were you the first Mongolian student there? If so, what was it like to be the first?
As far as I know, yes. It was easy to relate to Montanans, because Mongolia and Montana have similar climates with hot summers and cold winters, sparse population, and a culture traditionally based on farming. It was fun to share bits of Mongolia, like food, music, and stories. I did not attach a lot of weight to being different, and followed the old Mongolian proverb: “If you drink the water, you follow the rules.”
12. What other options did you have besides Rocky Mountain College?
Kansas State University in USA; National University of Mongolia, School of International Relations; and University of Finance and Economics in Mongolia
13. Do you have any plans to study for master’s degree in near future?
Yes, maybe in Germany in 2-3 years. Right now, I would like to keep on working to improve my managerial experience. If I study, I would like to study engineering to improve my technical education. With that being said, I am trying to learn German!
CAREER
14. What was your first ever paying job?
With my student visa in USA, I could only work on campus and I worked 30 hours a week during college to pay for my bills and food. I worked as an Office Associate at the Institute for Peace Studies, which was located on my school campus. I did everything from cutting paper letters, making posters, writing newsletters to even educating people about Mongolia since our mission was to reach students in Montana and promote diversity and alternatives to violence.
Also, I worked at Mongolian Eznis Airways LLC during my sophomore year in college for a summer internship. Although it was just a month, they shuffled me around different departments and I wish I stayed longer and learnt more in Mongolia.
15. Where do you work now?
I work at Zodiac Northwest Aerospace Technologies (“NAT”), which merged with a French multinational aerospace company called Safran in February 2018. This is my first job after graduation and I have been working here for almost five years as a Project Manager, but recently got promoted to Program Manager in December 2018.
16. Your starting position at NAT was a Project Manager?
No, I started out as a Supplier Data Coordinator, managing suppliers’ engineering drawings and certification documents. It was a full-time position and not an internship; and the pay was great after being in college for four years! After six months in this position, I was promoted to a Project Manager position. The flow of engineering drawings and documents is an essential part of our business, and with my experience from these six months, I am rewriting our company’s procedure on how to manage data.
“Our clients include American Airlines, Delta, Alaska, Lufthansa, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and most of the major airlines. However, we haven’t broken into the African airline market yet.”
17. What does your company do?
Safran is a big multinational aircraft engine, rocket engine, aerospace-component and defence military company, which employs around 2,000 people.
At NAT, we retrofit aircraft to change the interiors and equipment. Our clients include American Airlines, Delta, Alaska, Lufthansa, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and most of the major airlines. However, we haven’t broken into the African airline market yet. We do integration engineering, to make sure all equipments can be properly installed and in accordance with regulations, and obtain approval from the authorities.
18. So what does a Program Manager do?
My main goal is to lead the team and execute assigned projects on time and within budget. Basically, harass colleagues to get their job done and make sure we are staying on task (giggles), and then report to our company’s management.
19. How often do you travel per year?
4-5 times a year depending on our customers. Sometimes my clients come to us in Seattle, but other times I travel to them and stay 1-3 days tops at each country. Some of the meetings are just a few hours. A lot of overnight trips, where I just sleep at the hotel and hopefully have a successful meeting the next day and fly back.
20. Wow. Do you think a few hours of meeting is really worth the trip? Why not video-conference?
It may seem financially and time-wise inefficient and it may not make any sense to people, but face-to-face meetings do bring value and make people understand one another better, fix problems better and create a bond.
21. Interesting! How many countries have you been to? Business and Pleasure?
Business: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, UK and US; and
Pleasure: Philippines, Cambodia, China, Denmark, Netherlands and Mexico
22. Do you fly by business every time you fly?
Domestic flights - no. International - yes (giggles). One of the biggest perks of this job is to collect your points and use it on your holiday trips. For instance, I used my points to fly to Denmark and Netherlands from US for free last summer.
23. Traveling a lot is not easy though. How do you make it easy?
The biggest obstacle for me is the time difference and the jetlag. I mitigate this problem by changing my current schedule to the destination schedule few days before departing. Adjust your sleep and eating times to the destination time. This really helps.
24. What other travel tips can you share?
Travel with carry-on only (except when visiting Mongolia!) This cuts down wasteful time spent at check-in counters and baggage carousels and all the hassle of hauling a big suitcase everywhere.
Get a pair of noise canceling headphones. They are really life-changing, if I may say so. They will help you focus on reading or work on the go. Personally, my biggest use out of them is avoiding conversations with strangers… after a day or two of meetings, all I want is a little solitude.
25. How do you pack? You do not check any bags when you fly, so what is the best way to fit everything in your small carry-on luggage?
Pack light. All of us have a tendency to overpack. We go on a trip, come back and unpack our suitcases, to find outfits and shoes we never wore. Sound familiar? So pack light. Pack clothes that can be mixed and matched into different outfits.
Also, try the clothes rolling method; this may seem like a hoax, but it really works: rolling rather than folding takes up less space. Always make room for your tennis shoes, though!
Carry-on luggage from Away.
Makeup/skincare foldable bag from Target. You hang this bag from the towel rack or from the door in hotel’s tiny bathrooms, which is super convenient if there are limited shelves.
Mini sized makeups only.
26. How do you carry and use your makeup or skincare products in your small carry-on bag when you are travelling so much?
The limit on the amount of liquids in carry-on that the TSA places is of course the biggest hurdle. All liquids must fit into a quart sized bag. Thankfully last year I found all my L’Occitane products in travel size at the airport duty free shop; and I have been refilling the small containers since. I’ll also take a lot of samples L’Occitane gives, because they take up no room.
My most recent find has been to pack solid shampoo and conditioner bars. This frees up precious room from the quart sized bag and keeps me from using the terrible products you get at hotels. Next on the list is to try face mask in the airplane!
27. Thank you for the travel tips! Now, can you share what is the most common misconception about your work?
Program Managers are commonly blamed for calling a lot of ‘unnecessary’ meetings. Though I do try to minimize the number of meetings, there are times that call for putting everyone’s heads together to solve a problem. This is cliche, but bouncing ideas off of one other in real time really does produce great results.
“I came to Hong Kong, because of my US visa problem... so our management team decided to move me to a sister company in Hong Kong called Zodiac Services Asia and I lived and worked there for almost two years. My company has truly invested in me from training me on the job to going lengths to keep me like this, which I am super grateful for.”
28. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced at work?
Young age. I am 26 years old! I am younger than everyone I work with whether it is our sister company or our parent company. I sometimes think I am too young for my position. Overcoming this “I’m too inexperienced and too young” thinking was not easy. I learnt to ask for help and it is ok to be young. I realized that I can do anything, because age is not a problem.
29. What is the highlight of your career?
I came to Hong Kong, because of my US visa problem. There is a cap per year for H1B visa based on a lottery system. My application wasn’t picked in that year, so our management team decided to move me to a sister company in Hong Kong called Zodiac Services Asia and I lived and worked there for almost two years. My company has truly invested in me from training me on the job to going lengths to keep me like this, which I am super grateful for.
In Hong Kong, we were modifying a wide-body Boeing 777-200 airplane from nose to tail. It was a complex interior modification. Also it was September, which meant typhoon season in Hong Kong. We had to finish the modification on time. Our test flight date and time was extremely close to a typhoon coming fast to Hong Kong and if we missed our slot, we were going to be on the waiting list and wait for a long time - this really frustrated us. We were already stressed out with finishing the modification on time and this typhoon warning gave us even more stress. Thanks to our great efforts, we managed to do our test flight just before the typhoon came. We were all stuck at the Marriott Hotel room, because we couldn’t get out until the typhoon warning stopped and even the metro MTRs were closed down, so we were going over our flight test results while the typhoon was hitting Hong Kong hard. It was very eventful and stressful day with natural disasters and typhoon warnings, but despite all odds, we prevailed!
30. Wow, in Hong Kong, we would be told by our HR to stay indoors and home during the typhoon warnings, so I understand the danger and frustration. Despite the typhoons, would you say Hong Kong was your favorite city to work at?
Yes, Hong Kong! You cannot compare really. I also used to volunteer at the Mongolian Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong (“MonCham Hong Kong”) and I met wonderful Mongolians like you in Hong Kong. In Seattle, you do not have such access. There are not many Mongolians in Seattle although it has 3.9 million population. Actually, I just realized I have only met one or two Mongolians in Seattle.
31. I was so happy that you volunteered and it was a great decision to hire you at MonCham Hong Kong, because after I left the organization you played an instrumental role in keeping MonCham going and you successfully organized the annual Hong Kong-Mongolia Party! Can you tell us in your own words what you did at MonCham in Hong Kong though?
I volunteered as an Events Committee Officer at MonCham, organizing events and connecting members with incoming Mongolian representatives to Hong Kong. By that time, I had been away from Mongolia for five years and felt really disconnected, so I decided to volunteer and get exposure to the Mongolia-Hong Kong trade, politics and economy. We worked closely with the Mongolian Honorary Consulate in Hong Kong, and I really miss working at MonCham!
32. What is the biggest change you would like to see in Mongolia in the near future?
Work ethics. You would think Mongolians would work hard since we have a tough nomadic culture and history, but walk in to any store or office and you will see employees not invested and you can see it in their eyes that they all look like they want to be elsewhere. My friends and family talk about this also. How it is frustrating to motivate employees and peers. There seems to be so much partying and celebrations. I guess the change comes from one person, so we should help by setting an example and change this culture. I am sure with more Hobby Alumni interviews, people will be motivated and get inspired to do more.
33. Thank you for saying that. Now I have to ask this: What are your thoughts on the new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts crashing in Ethiopia and Indonesia? Mongolian MIAT bought this new Boeing aircraft also and what do you think Mongolia should do if you were in charge?
First of all, my heart goes out to the families and friends of those who were on board the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights. And this is a tough question. There is always a chain of events that lead to any aviation accident or incident, rather than just a single event. I am sure the regulatory authorities and Boeing are working hard to determine these chains of events in both crashes and if there were any common factors. But because these official investigations and the corrective actions take a long time and it is unusual for one aircraft model to be involved in fatal crashes in such a short time, I would do what virtually all airlines and governments have now done and remove the aircraft from service until the risk of another crash is infinitely close to nil. Compared to the cost of rescheduling flights and the loss of revenue, safety is invaluable.
34. In your opinion, what is the biggest difference you have observed between Mongolian and American aviation sectors?
There is a huge difference in regulations and internal company processes. It is really heavily regulated in the US as safety is a big factor and all aviation companies have multitudes of processes and procedures to comply with regulations. Mongolia is still new to the aviation industry, and its regulations and internal company procedures don’t seem as heavily established as in the US.
PERSONAL
35. With your busy professional life, how do you relax?
My work-life balance is good actually. At my age, maybe it is a bad thing, but I work from 07:30-17:30, sometimes I leave even earlier depending on my projects. Our programs have our downtimes and busy times. I am on call 24/7 though, anyone at work can call and email me and I’m expected to answer. When I have free time, I read, do yoga, some cleaning, go out and do some outdoor activities since the Seattle area is beautiful.
36. Do you have any mentors? How did you pick them as your mentors?
Yes, two great women actually! My director Cindy Kunz (second generation Italian American) from the Institute for Peace Studies. I was only 16 years old when I met her and she helped me develop as an adult. Also, Sue Williams (American) who hired me at my current company. Sue is retired now in Mexico, but I wanted to maintain our relationship and I officially asked her if she could be my mentor and she said yes.
It was actually more of a natural development. I worked for Cindy for four years at the Institute for Peace Studies. She was a big part of my life during this crucial time of coming into adulthood. I looked up to her work ethic, integrity, and understanding of others. We had conversations about religion and values, where she raised questions that I still don’t have good answers to. But that is what was great about Cindy as a mentor, she always kept me on my toes!
It was a fortune to then work for Sue at NAT, who really took me under her wings. I worked under her direction for two years on one of NAT’s biggest programs. During that time she trained me on all aspects of program management and also set an example of how to navigate this male-dominated industry.
37. Life advice that had helped you a lot?
Always ask; the worst that can happen is: They will say “No.” This can be applied to the smallest things, like asking to share a table with someone at a busy coffee shop, and the big things, like your next promotion.
38. A personal advice that you would like to extend to your fellow Hobby Alumni?
Enjoy the occasional solitude! These days, and maybe especially at Hobby, we’re all conditioned for a “Go, Go, Go!” attitude in our academic, professional and social lives. But it is wonderful to take a day here and there, spend some time with yourself, read a good book, listen to a podcast you’ve been putting off, and just sit around and reflect on the past and imagine the future.
39. And what are your good and bad habits?
Yoga in the morning. As soon as I wake up, I brush my teeth, have a glass of water and then do 5-10 minutes of yoga. Also, I am well-organized and I always try to finish what I started, but lately I am trying not to, because there are some things you just cannot control. For instance, at work you make a plan, but one of your teammates gets sick and there is nothing you can do but adjust the plan; and that is ok. This desire for perfection and lack of flexibility is sometimes a bad habit.
Another bad habit is binge-watching! Once I start a TV-show, I have to finish them all. This is why I try to avoid TV-shows, because I have a tendency to finish them all in one go.
40. Can you tell us a funny story or a humorous incident at work you can share with us?
I visited a supplier in Taiwan back in 2015 and we had a few hours left in the day before I had to fly back to Hong Kong. The Sales Manager graciously offered to give me a quick tour of Taipei. He was from Australia and fluent in Mandarin. So there we were: a Caucasian man easily navigating Taipei and an Asian woman with no clue. I really should learn Mandarin besides German!
41. Which books have benefited you greatly and influenced your worldview?
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - A controversial book in the US. I read it in junior year of college. My takeaway was about taking ownership of my own life and having integrity. But the novel is seen as extreme here, because the story is very pro-capitalist, even libertarian. Rand raises the question whether companies should be governed and overseen for the greater benefit of society, but at the expense of the proprietors. It was written when socialism was spreading. It is also Rand’s last book, which means she wrote it when her philosophy had matured.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. A sweet story, highlighting the importance of family and friends. A story about five sisters love and care for each other. Very heartwarming. Sometimes we all need this.
Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. Rick. A great historical book about Churchill, a conservative, and Orwell, a socialist. I read this book on a plane three years ago when I was travelling back to Mongolia for my friend’s wedding. Your wedding actually! (we both giggle) It is a long flight, you know, but this book was a great pick.
42. If you had a power to change one thing globally, what would it be?
Move away from fossil fuels. It is ironic coming from me because I work in the aviation industry which uses fossil fuel, but if someone like Elon Musk can figure out a way to make airplanes fossil fuel independent, then it would be amazing.
43. If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be? Why?
Elon Musk - for obvious reasons (giggles). There were times when I was really obsessed with him and his projects - Tesla and SpaceX! I guess I can say I had a big crush on him and I also want to own a Tesla, an electric car. I would ask: “What motivates you?”, “How did you start all these great companies?”, etc. Whether he is a genius or a fraud (as alleged), it is the right thing to do to invest in the renewable energy sector and move away from the fossil fuel.
44. Where do you see yourself in five years?
One tangible goal I have is to get a Master’s degree in engineering in the next five years; and see what doors a degree in a technical field in combination with my management experience open up. A less tangible hope is to get into the green technology industry. Also, I would definitely like to have a well-behaved and loving puppy five years from now!
45. Last, but not least, who would you recommend from Hobby Alumni to be interviewed next?
I would like to recommend you - Batzul Gerelsaikhan from Class 2006! You have a successful career in Mongolia, launched MonCham in Hong Kong and now you have founded the Hobby Alumni! If this is too biased, then I would recommend Batjin Boldbat, class of 2010 and founder of Tomujin Academy, which helps high school students with SAT and TOEFL preparations and does educational consulting and youth projects in Mongolia.
“Always ask; the worst that can happen is: They will say “No.” This can be applied to the smallest things, like asking to share a table with someone at a busy coffee shop, and the big things, like your next promotion. ”