Rise and shine
Shinta Kamdani, CEO of Sintesa Group, sits down with Indonesia Tatler to talk about her journey to become one of Indonesia’s most influential business leaders. Kevin Sjahrial writes
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The family business started as a rubber plantation in 1919 established by Shinta’s grandfather, Oey Kim Tjiang. It then shifted its focus to trading in 1959 when her father, Johnny Widjaja, took over. At that point, it was only a matter of time before Shinta would be handed over the reins. Shinta remembers the times during her primary school years when she would help out at her father’s office, even if it was in the smallest capacity. It was when she was 13 that Shinta got her first experience of trading: selling books doorto-door. Through the successes and failures of the experience, Shinta was determined to push on and gather as much knowledge and experience as possible. No school vacation since then went by without Shinta doing some form of work. The trend continued to her university days, where she would intern at various companies during term breaks.
Having garnered experience at various companies, Shinta immediately began her career at the family business, as a promotion and marketing staff at one of the subsidiaries focusing on consumer products. Despite being the owner’s daughter, she did not receive any form of special treatment. It took years of hard work and putting in plenty of extra effort before she got her first promotion. Shinta was extremely proud of this promotion as years of hard work had finally paid off. No one could take it away from her as she had done it all by her own two hands.
The biggest breakthrough for Shinta came a few years later when she proposed the concept of unifying the numerous
The journey to get to where she is has been a long and arduous one. Knowing all along that she would one day be handed the reins of the family business started by her grandfather, Shinta Kamdani had to do everything in her power and more to prove to herself and her parents that she had what it took to lead the company. Despite being born into a family of entrepreneurs, the thirdgeneration heir of the family business started her illustrious career at the very bottom. Today, Shinta is the CEO of Sintesa Group, a conglomerate of 16 distinct companies unified under one banner by Shinta herself.
is met with particularly difficult challenges, Shinta likes to take time off alone. It is during this personal time free from distractions that she is able to find solutions, even to the toughest trials. When asked what it is specifically that she does during this time, Shinta has a succinct answer that needed no further explanation: “I dance.”
Outside of the family’s business, Shinta cares a great deal about the environment, women empowerment and the future of entrepreneurs in Indonesia. She is an ardent supporter of the country’s thriving startup scene, and is always looking to help young and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their goals. She is the founder ANGIN, IBCWE, and IBCSD, and is the Board Member of WWF International. ANGIN has become Indonesia’s largest network of angel investors, with a focus on funding and mentoring startups in Indonesia, while IBCWE pushes for women economic empowerment and gender equality in the workplace. The IBCSD is an association of companies committed to promoting sustainable development through sustainable economic growth, ecological balance and social progress.
Shinta is also the Vice Chairman of KADIN Indonesia and Apindo—positions that are very strategic to promote foreign trade and investment. For her hard work, she was awarded the Commander of the Polar Star by the King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, and the Commander of the Order of Leopold by the Belgian government.
With her multitude of responsibilities, Shinta sees success as being able to achieve a balancing act and to have all aspects of her life exist in harmony. With so much on her plate, Shinta believes that the best way to find balance is to bring others along and share in the success. “An individual can only do so much, but together we can do so much more,” says Shinta.
While there is so much more that Shinta could share, it would be impossible to fit them all within these pages. In closing, Shinta emphasises once again the significance of never giving up, and to never be afraid of failure. “In all that I do, if I never give up, if I continue fighting, then I will definitely make it. It pays to be daring, and to never give up. I have failed many times, and it is only because I choose to keep fighting that I am where I am today.”