Affan helmy

Finger on the pulse

“Most entrepreneurs,” says Affan Helmy, Director of Pisma Putra Textile Spinning, “will do whatever it takes to do what they know needs doing, regardless of the political climate. But yes, being able to adapt and being agile in responding to change is necessary. Got to have your finger on the pulse at all times.”

The holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from Brunel University and an MBA in Global Management from Regents University, London, Helmy describes himself as “aiming to provide the most vibrant and inclusive working environment for our team and to be the best integrated spinning and garment factory in central Java.”

He took up his current position in 2017. “Being able to turn around one of our ailing business units, the yarn spinning plant, within the span of one year felt like quite an achievement,” Helmy says. “At the beginning it seemed daunting and frightening, but after weighing the options and the potential benefit that we could gain from it, if we at least tried was a huge motivation in undertaking the challenge.”

The young entrepreneur is sanguine about the future. “We’re definitely living in the best time there has ever been in history! Very excited for the future in general, all over the world. In Indonesia, I think people are prouder of local goods, traditions and culture. Because of that there are so many new creative products and services popping up. I believe that five to 10 years from now Indonesia will develop in leaps and bounds from where it is today.”