arya pradana setiadharma & ardi dwinanta setiadharma
A Strong Bond
Twin brothers Arya Pradana Setiadharma and Ardi Dwinanta Setiadharma started their career in the telecommunication infrastructure industry back in 2008, specifically in the construction of telecommunication towers. Arya was the one who ran the business for the first year, until Ardi joined after he finished his graduate studies. Since then, they grew the business to encompass other services within the industry.
Currently, Ardi holds the position of Chief Finance Officer of Prasetia Dwidharma, while Arya acts as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. When they say that identical twins often share a particularly intense bond that might seem unexplainable, this clearly applies to this brother duo. This year marks the 15th year that they’ve run this business together. Arya recently graduated with an MBA from Chicago Booth School of Business and he admitted that would not have been able to do it without his brother’s constant support at work. There were months when Arya had to travel constantly for his studies, and every time, Ardi backed him up. To Arya, Ardi is not only a brother but also a solid partner. “I got through many difficult challenges by relying on Ardi as my business partner, and I think it’s something that many entrepreneurs should do as well.”
Their father, Budi Setiadharma, is their role model. He was the CEO and later Chairman of Astra International. Although their father’s style of leadership is quite different, the brothers have learned a lot about how to manage, run and lead a company from him. For them, he is also a champion of integrity and accountability. Moreover, their parents also taught them how to live life in a humble way and to help others in need. These two lessons have had a marked effect in how they’ve led their lives since childhood. From the beginning of Arya and Ardi’s journey in business, they learned that they simply cannot run the business by themselves; they need great people to build a great company.
It’s easy to see that family is everything to Arya and Ardi. Both have their own families; both have two children. And both agree that it’s the achievement they’re most proud of. Family keeps them motivated in other aspects of life. It’s the foundation of Arya’s life, the core of everything he does. Realizing this fact also helped him maintain a good work/life balance. Sometimes it’s as simple as trying his best to not conduct any business meetings on the weekends, instead reserving the time for his wife and children. It’s also his way to distress.
Ardi feels that the changes the world is going through at the moment has become the driving force of our dynamic way of life – even if things aren’t always pretty. He feels tha the pandemic, especially throughout 2020 and 2021, has forced us to see health in a different life. “We have taken our health for granted. There is no instant way to get a healthy life, you have to be committed,” he points out.
As a family man, Arya hopes that his children will be able to do whatever they dream of, in a world where they are safe. He is also an active member of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and he would like to see Indonesia reach its full potential by reaping the benefit of having such a huge demography. As an active member of the network, Arya strives to create positive impact for Indonesia. And for him, it all starts by making positive impacts within the circles of his family, friends and business. As for Ardi, his ultimate goal in life is to grow old with his wife, be as healthy as possible and see their daughters achieve their dreams in life.