Felicia Kawilarang
Fluidly moving in striking red, Felicia Kawilarang needs little direction and even less make-up in front of the camera. For once, the 27-yearold businesswoman is taking a break from her hectic schedule to make her debut as part of the Generation T 2019 List (Gen.t).
As the Vice President of Marketing at Halodoc, Felicia aids the start-up in building the brand image and meeting the needs of its users. In the three years that it has existed, Halodoc has become the prime app for digital health consultations and medicine deliveries in Indonesia, and has even raised US$65 million in funding this year.
Though there’s no shortage of tasks, Felicia wouldn’t have it any other way: “I love the rush,” she grins, “I get to be part of a lifechanging movement. I hope we continue to ease the burdens on the healthcare system and make it more transparent to the public.”
Admittedly, taking up this role was daunting at first. With no prior background in the healthcare industry, the finance major had to adapt to strict regulations. She recalls: “I was shocked; I didn’t know what to expect. From learning how to market medicines to figuring out what’s legal and not, it’s a very sensitive field that I knew nothing about.”
Now, she expertly weaves through such obstacles and confesses that her biggest fear is becoming comfortable or complacent. For forces for change such as herself, seeing early success don’t normally deter their desire to grow. For her Halodoc team to flourish, Felicia has even adopted a lucrative managerial approach: “I don’t berate my team and say, ‘I’m your boss.’ I would say, ‘Hey, I’m your friend and I’m here to oversee tasks because I have a certain skillset.’ When your co-workers are comfortable enough around you to criticise you, the company will continue to grow.
Ideas can’t just come from you, it truly takes a village, and for that to happen everyone needs to know they have a place in your team.”
With her hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, Felicia looks to be the wise woman she is. But on a daily basis you would often find her more casually dressed, especially when the travel enthusiast is embarking
on another adventure with husband Kevin Aluwi. Last year, the two tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in Lake Como in Italy. Ever since, Felicia and Kevin have been living their charmed lives as smitten spouses while balancing their roles as VP Marketing of Halodoc and Co-founder of GO-JEK, respectively.
When she’s joined by fellow Gen.t honourees Andini Effendi, Dayu Dara Permata, and Santi Alaysius beneath the sun, the four women stand side by side in front of the camera, and in a way, in arms. You could almost hear them patting each other on the back, proud to represent an identity that was once overlooked. These are just some of the inspirational young women looking to change the world.
“If you ask a 4-year-old girl what she wants to be when she grows up, she would usually reply, ‘dancer’, ‘artist’, or anything other than CEO,” Felicia points out when asked about female representation in the entrepreneurial world. She has seen first-hand how these gender-specific expectations may lead to the lack of women taking a seat at the table. Since entering the workforce, the astute leader hasn’t missed the occasional double-takes, dismissals, or doubt that others express when she herself enters a male-dominated work environment.
Though it might be getting better, there’s always room for improvement and this young leader has taken it upon herself to help pave a better future: “We have the exact same power as men do, but what’s the use if society renders us less capable? As women, it’s part of our responsibility to encourage young girls to dream beyond what they’re expected”
While her vision for the future couldn’t be achieved alone, she finds kindred altruistic spirits in her circle of friends: “Once you get to a certain level, when you can pay for all your necessities, you have more responsibility to think about the big things—to think about how to change the world. Not a lot of people have the privilege or time, there are those whose prime priority is to survive. My friends and I are blessed enough to be able to think about how we can help advance society. We’re committed to do our part, however small that may be.”