Cindy Leo

Wearing two hats

ONE CHALLENGING JOB is enough for most people, but not for 29-year-old Cindy Leo. She is a Director of Nozomi Otomotif Indonesia, which produces three-wheeled vehicles, and also a founder of Cold Press Indonesia, a healthy juice business. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and also in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Rochester in New York. Cindy is a member of the Indonesia Chapter of the global Entrepreneurs’ Organization ( EO).

“When my dad ( Leo Zahar) decided to expand the family business into the automotive industry, it was good timing for me,” says Cindy, “because I was able to learn about establishing a new business from scratch, including building a factory and recruiting a management team. My mom ( Djuariah Juliana) gave me the important job of managing quality assurance for the company just one year after joining. Managing a team of experienced executives is definitely challenging, especially in such a maledominated industry.

“As for Cold Press Indonesia, in 2014, my brother ( Horlix Leo) and I were inspired by a cold pressed juice craze we witnesses in the United States when we were on our family holiday. Since we are pretty health conscious, we decided to give the cold pressed juice and detox business a shot in Indonesia. Juggling between Nozomi and Cold Press is not always easy. Most of the employees at Cold Press are below 30, whereas the majority at Nozomi are above 35. I have to switch hats constantly, talking different jargon and solving problems from different perspectives.”