Making a difference
SK Zainuddin | October 06, 2011

Never one to sit still, Shinta Kamdani juggles multiple tasks and roles with ease and panache. Although she has a company to run, she finds time to represent her country at international business forums and organize programs that benefit women entrepreneurs.
   
Shinta Kamdani learned business at a young age, 13 to be exact. While still at school, she began to sell books for one of her family businesses, going door to door. That early taste and the thrill of earning her first paycheck propelled her into a career that has seen her rise to the very top and taken her to the farthest corners of the country.

Although brought up in a comfortable environment, she knew even then that she had to make her own way in life and contribute both to the family business and to society at large.

“Business has been a big part of my family and my mother was a very disciplined person,” she recounts. “She was very tough on her kids and she wanted us to be involved in social work which is where I learned my organizational skills.”

Her first big test came when at 15 she was packed off to boarding school in Connecticut in the US. There she was forced to fend for herself in an alien environment, far from her family and close friends. That episode made her stronger and gave her the instincts to survive. It also gave her the fighting spirit that has come to be her trademark.

As the managing director, Shinta today manages the day-to-day operations of her family-owned Sintesa Group, which has more than 17 companies involved in industries as diverse as property, industrial, energy and consumer products. Formerly known as Tigaraksa, Shinta has “cleaned up” the company started by her father, Johnny Widjaja, by consolidating its various businesses and giving them a professional structure.

In many ways, Shinta was starting her own company as she created a holding company for the various businesses. In doing so she gave birth to the Sintesa Group. “In the past we were known as Tigaraksa so it was very daring for us to start a new identity,” she notes. “I feel that this company is mine although my father’s legacy has to be preserved.”

Although she has a younger sister, who is an artist, Shinta is very much in charge of the family business. Her father remains active although is semi-retired and her mother manages the hotel operations under the group.

Going beyond business

While she was getting to know how business is conducted in Indonesia, Shinta was pushed by her mother to get involved in social work, which she says helped her hone her organizational skills. She started by helping her mother organize charity events and at school she was active in the school council.

“My mom was very active in social work. I got involved in HIV Aids in 1993, for example, by establishing training programs for school children. I also became active in the environment movement as at that time there were very few young people who wanted to be involved in organizing events so here I was, a very young keen person.”

From those early years, Shinta has not only continued to be involved in numerous organizations, she has also represented Indonesia at international conferences and events.

This January, for example, she was one of 13 Indonesians chosen to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington to discuss the launch of a new initiative to promote entrepreneurship in developing countries.

Upon returning to Indonesia, she became one of the prime movers behind the establishment of Global Entrepreneurship Program Indonesia (GEPI), which aims to help young Indonesian entrepreneurs grow their companies. As the vice chair of GEPI, which is supported by the US State Department, Shinta has been entrusted to promote and strengthen entrepreneurship in the country.

Her latest initiative is to try and establish a women-only angel fund to help women entrepreneurs in the country access capital and know-how. Still in the early stages, the initiative will be the first that addresses the need of women entrepreneurs.

“I believe in building blocks to achieve a higher goal,” she says. “When we look at Indonesia, it is so big and rich but at the same time it has many limitations. What do we do to overcome these limitations?”

“You start by thinking how important is Indonesia to you,” she adds. “The question I always ask myself is, can I make a difference? This is where we live, breathe and make money so I always think of how I can improve the nation.”

She once contemplated standing for a seat in the House of Representatives, where she felt her voice could make a difference as part of her desire to contribute to the country. Her current positions include being vice chairman for Environment and Climate Change at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Kadin); chair of the Indonesian Employer’s Association (Apindo); a member of the regional executive board of ASEAN for the Young Presidents Organization (YPO); and of the executive board of the Indonesian World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Indonesia).

These multiple roles, she says, help her develop a broader perspective of the world around her and allow her to immerse herself in different aspects of society. “I believe businesspeople need to be engaged and be part of the bigger society. Indonesia has great potential but we need people to contribute even though sometimes it can be very frustrating.”

Role of women

Shinta has in many ways broken new ground for women in Indonesia. Her involvement in social organizations from a young age gave her both the skills in understanding of how large organizations operate as well as learning how to work with people and bringing out the best in them.
As well as her work in HIV/AIDS, she was the first woman president of the Young Presidents in Indonesia and she entered Kadin in 2004 and was given the task of handling international trade.

“That was my first entry into semi-politics as Kadin is a big institution but there are very few people who are really active,” she notes. “I felt that since I was spending so much time there, I wanted to go deep and it opened my eyes as to how government worked.”

Being a woman, it was not easy for her to make inroads. The same was true at YPO, which was a very male-dominated organization. “Proving myself was not easy but I felt that there needed to be a more womanly perspective and it was a lot of work to get people to notice you,” she says.

“For women in my generation, we have to show that women could occupy leadership positions and the challenge is great,” she adds. Perhaps because of her pioneering work, Indonesian women today have far greater support from both their families as well as society.

However some things have not changed and women still have to take the lead at home as the principle care-givers, she believes. “What I always tell myself is that I must be successful both in my career as well as in my primary role, which is being a wife and mother.”

Shinta admits that having a husband who supports her is critical for her success in public life. She also believes that having a family routine is crucial for a healthy and balanced life. Serving the Lord is also an important part of her life as it gives her spiritual strength.

“The time I spend with my family is very important so I need to be very self-disciplined,” she notes. “I believe in empowering people because if I have to do everything myself, I would not be able to do it.” GA

Post a comment
Please login to post comment

Comments

Be the first to write your opinion!