POWER PLAYER

In places full of friction and competition, Dewinta Pringgodani is the voice of reason and the presence of power

Photography by Mario ardi styling by adi Surantha make-up by Bennu Sorumba hair by rangga Yusuf wardrobe by Monica ivena Jewellery by wanda ponika location intercontinental pondok indah

President Joko Widodo; Lilik Oetama, CEO of Kompas Gramedia; William Tanuwijaya, co-founder and CEO of Tokopedia; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance; Warih Andang Tjahjono, president director of Indofood Sukses Makmur; and Diajeng Lestari, founder and CEO of Hijup: these are just a handful of notable speakers and attendees from across many industries whom we spotted alongside this month’s cover star, Dewinta Pringgodani, during the 2019 Kompas100 CEO Forum.

For those in the know, her name carries clout where business and politics intersect, especially when it comes to legal and national security affairs. As the director of a family business in mining, Dewinta is no stranger to the cutthroat competition for precious natural resources in this country. She then combined this family legacy with her own passion for all things legal by studying law. “I started studying law because its presence can be felt in almost all aspects of our lives as a legal subject, which is why I decided to further study about business law for my master’s degree, and then the criminal law for my doctorate,” she said.

Combining these different yet intertwined circles, Dewinta became the trusted friend of many figures who later on rose to Indonesia’s higher police echelon, and herself earned a name as a keen observer of political, legal, and security affairs. With these figures Dewinta often discussed national security and learned even more than she could imagine. “We have admired Tito Karnavian ever since he was in the police force and now that he’s the Minister of Home Affairs,” she said. “He’s a smart person and a leader who takes in many ideas and opinions into consideration before making a sound decision.” Besides Tito Karnavian, Dewinta is also friends with the current Police General Idham Azis. “He’s one of my discussion partners. We talk a lot about politics and national security, especially during the last presidential election period where there was a lot of fake news circulating around.” From her hours spent within these circles, Dewinta then realised that although the police force in Indonesia has earned many accolades and is continuously improving, the general public often has no idea about its positive changes. Thus, she built Kabarpolisi Media Group to run several news websites, one of which is kabarpolisi.com, with its vision to inform the public about the accomplishments of Indonesia’s police force at all levels. “To know that Indonesia is a safe country is important for foreign investors who wish to come here,” she said. “The president has already eased up the regulations for doing business here, so national safety is important to ensure that these investors stay here.” Dewinta then shared the good news about the recent signing of import contracts from the Indonesia–china Business Forum and the China Coal Summit. She was privileged to attend this event alongside HE Djauhari Oratmangun, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia, while the 2nd China International Import Expo was also ongoing.

Her own family’s coal-mining operation included, the company has always been active in import activities ever since its beginning 20 years ago, and another of its most active partner countries is Vietnam, which started when Dewinta took over as its director five years ago.

Taking the business reins surely and steadily, she attributed her success to a family principle: “My father always told me to do business in all seriousness,” Dewinta said. “Having been raised in a military family, I also learned about discipline in all I do, including the way I dress, which not only boosts my confidence, but is also show a sign of respect to whoever I meet.” Having witnessed her charm and poise throughout our session, it is of no surprise to see Dewinta shining bright both on the business and political stages and to continue to do so as the country grows.