GOING THE DISTANCE

Finna Huang

FASHION DIRECTION PETER ZEWET PHOTOGRAPHY MARIO ARDI STYLING KOKO NAMARA

“When I want something, I go for it,” says Finna Huang. “I’m not afraid to work hard. I will pursue a goal relentlessly and I don’t give up until I have achieved it. You could say that I am an ‘alpha woman’.

“I have always been passionate about entrepreneurship and I’m a very business-oriented person. I am very much a perfectionist, which some people see as me being a demanding person, but in actual fact is more of a fierce determination to succeed. I like the people I work with to share the same drive and I constantly try to motivate and push my people beyond their limits and make them be the best they can. I feel that I’m empowering them to become a better version of themselves. At the same time, I believe in taking good care of my people and I reward them well for successes.”

Born in Surabaya in 1976, Finna went on to study in Singapore and United States, gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Babson College in Massachusetts, where she graduated with Magna Cum Laude honours. This show of excellence was demonstrated further when she then completed her MBA at Boston University, again with honours, at the age of 21. Finna says that she is the youngest graduate ever to complete BU’s MBA programme.

Finna is the eldest of the two daughters of Harry Susilo, founder of the Sekar Group and the Harry Susilo Institute for Ethics in the Global Economy. Sekar is primarily in the food business, particularly seafood, aquaculture and agriculture, though the group’s portfolio also extends to mining, property and tourism. Sekar through its subsidiary Pangan Lestari also has one of the most extensive logistic networks in Indonesia.

Sekar’s Finna brand needs little introduction to most Indonesians. This iconic Indonesian brand is named after Finna herself. The Finna brand’s products include crackers, chips, seasoning, chili and tomato sauces, cooking sauces and traditional sambals. “I feel it’s such a privilege to have a lot of our products named after me,” says Finna, “especially as they are known as pioneering and adventurous and set the industry benchmarking standards. I feel this represents both myself and my father, the company founder.

“I admire my father for his discipline and perseverance. He set me the right example and I followed it. A determined, hardworking and charismatic individual, he has a lot of vision. He always looks forward and is never stuck dwelling on the past. Continually ahead of the curve and creative, he is the person I shaped myself after as an entrepreneur. ”

Harry Susilo founded Sekar to support the family when his father suffered a stroke leaving him the sole breadwinner at a relatively young age. The eldest of 12 children, he sponsored the education and marriages of each of his siblings while growing the business from buying and selling small fish in Sidoarjo into a multinational conglomerate.

In 2016, Sekar reached its milestone 50th year, an achievement widely recognised as exceptional by numerous global organisations. The group now has around 20,000 employees and through its work with fishermen and farmers’ cooperatives and incentives within the communities around its operational bases, Sekar has improved the livelihoods of an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people.

Finna is the President Commissioner of Sekar Bumi, the group’s frozen food division, whose brands include Bumifood, Mitraku and SKB. Finna explains, “With Sekar Bumi, we pioneered frozen shrimp and other seafood production in Indonesia. We now have a wide range of high quality products including fish ball and tofu, breaded shrimp, wonton, spring rolls and frogs’ legs. We hold FDA Green Ticket and BAP 2-star certification, allowing us to supply retail customers directly in the United States such as Wal-Mart and Sysco.”

Finna remains in buoyant mood over future prospects adding, “Sekar Bumi’s recent rights issue strengthens the company’s ambitions for greater integration of the business providing a strong competitive edge. A key philosophy of the group has been ‘ integration before expansion’, we control as much of the supply and distribution chain as possible to limit the risks of uncontrollable outside influences. We are well on track with this at SKB.”

While actively involved in the family business, Finna is an accomplished businesswoman in her own right. She is the founder of the highly successful Jakarta Women and Children’s Clinic in Kebayoran Baru. “I started the clinic from zero 12 years ago,” she says. “Nobody in the family came from a medical background, but I was not deterred. There was a market for high quality medical care for women and children and I was determined to fill the gap. It’s a very successful clinic and I’m proud of it. I believe it to be the best women and children’s clinic in Indonesia.