Once the incumbent country manager and chief executive of Oyu Tolgoi LLC Cameron McRae exits his post in Rio Tinto's copper and gold mine in Mongolia this October, sources speculate that a Mongolian is the most likely replacement. While the Melbourne-based company has not named anyone for the post, two people familiar with the appointment process said the vote is most likely going to Bold Baatar. The Mongolian businessman and former chairman of the Mongolian Stock Exchange currently heads Rio Tinto's international copper operations.

The move would help patch up ties with the Mongolian government over complaints that the locals are underrepresented in Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia's largest project to date. "Picking a Mongolian to run such a big Mongolian business project will go a long way in bridging the gap between Rio, the Mongolian government, and its people," said Badral Munkhdul of Cover Mongolia, a marketing intelligence company. He added that it will be "a big vote of confidence for Rio to entrust the top position of the most important development project to a local Mongolian."