32 THE PEAK THE PEAK INTERVIEW AN UNEXPECTED PaTH sutanto hartono never envisioned that he would find success working within creative industries, but a change of heart early on in his career saw the president director of elang Mahkota Teknologi take a leap of faith to follow an unknown path. TexT Sandra Siagian PhoTos Suhadi THE PEAK 33 Sutanto discovered the aspect that he loved So he decided to take on a Hartono the most was leading the project. position at a consulting company. could go With that in mind, he quit his The industry was booming at the back in time job, packed up his bags and returned time and Indonesian companies and give his to the United States to take up a were keen to take on American younger self Masters of Business Administration graduates. one piece of in California. When Sutanto stopped Although he wasn’t initially advice, he would let himself know to really think about what he wanted interested in the role, the move that, “plans don’t always work out”. to do upon finishing his MBA, it was ultimately opened up several doors Growing up, his sights were set a conversation between himself and answered his career aspirations. on a path of science to become a and one of the directors at P&G that “The offer was very attractive, chemical engineer, just like his older stuck in his memory. so I thought why not?” brother. “Before I left, a director came up It was here that a career curve After graduating from high to me and said ‘what’s your career ball was thrown at Sutanto. An offer school in Yogyakarta, Sutanto aspiration?’” Sutanto recalls. came along for him to help set up undertook a science degree in the His response was simple: “I Sony Music in Indonesia — a job United States, before he picked want to be the boss. I want to be the that Sutanto didn’t really think up his first job working in product general manager of a company.” much of. development at Procter and Gamble While the director motioned “When I first heard the offer, Indonesia. that it was a good goal, he reiterated I kind of dismissed the idea as I But during his three-year stint that Sutanto, who majored in considered myself to be more of the with the company, Sutanto realised marketing and finance at the serious type,” he says. that life as a chemical engineer University of California, Berkeley, But he soon found out that it was wasn’t all that he had hoped for. needed to be more specific and had in fact a “serious” job. Instead of thriving on the technical to start with a discipline that he After meeting with the president side of product development, he would be interested to pursue. of Sony Music International in New ON ToP A desire to lead took sutanto hartono’s career from science to entertainment “AS PART OF MY PERSONAL CAREER ASPIRATIONS AND SATISFACTION, WITH MY NEXT CHALLENGE, I HOPE TO COMBINE THIS TRADITIONAL MEDIA WHICH IS VERY DOMINANT IN INDONESIA, WITHIN NEW MEDIA.” 34 THE PEAK FAMILY MATTERS York City for his final interview, When in Rome. Sutanto was impressed with the sutanto spent his Christmas director’s background — he was an holidays in Italy ex-partner of Price Waterhouse with his wife Tina, son evan and (before the company merged with daughter Christie. Coopers and Lybrand) — and figured that this was the kind of environment that he could see himself in. “I decided to take the role claims will “never bore you”. simply because my goal was to “Something always changes in become the number one person these industries, it’s always new,” and because I was the first person says Sutanto, who went on to take to be recruited,” Sutanto explains. executive roles at Rajawali Citra “I had the opportunity to stand up Televisi Indonesia (RCTI), Media in this company. It was completely Nusantara Citra and Microsoft, unplanned.” following his stint at Sony where And so a new career path was he started as the managing director laid out for Sutanto. before he was promoted to senior vice president for Southeast Asia. AN ALTERED PLAN “It’s always based on trends, so Since Sutanto made the move to help there’s always something different establish Sony Music in Indonesia in going on. I would have had a tough 1996, the father-of-two has dabbled time sticking with just one thing.” in the worlds of music, IT and the While the 47-year-old media — three industries that he has managed to carve out a successful career in the world of entertainment, Sutanto is quick to emphasise that his initial work as a management consultant shaped the path he followed. “That [management consultant] is what defines me as a professional today,” Sutanto explains, adding that When sutanto isn’t at the office , working out at the he finds it very useful to have the gym or dining out at his favourite Italian restaurant skills of a consultant as it makes it in Jakarta — pasta is his guilty pleasure, he says — easy to step into any industry. the emtek chief spends his free time with his family. The father-of-two — he has a 17-year-old daughter Despite jumping into three and a 15-year-old son — says when it comes to different industries, Sutanto says the their career choices, he doesn’t mind what they do, commonality of all three being in the as long as whatever they choose to focus on will be creative field helped him transition. practical. “At Sony I was proud to be “I really thought I knew what I was going to do, I part of the team who helped them picked out a major to study and picked out my career transition into the new era of digital path to follow and at the end of the day it didn’t work downloads, and then moving into out,” sutanto says of his personal experiences. broadcast with RCTI helped me learn the business side of advertising “so I’m pretty relaxed with whatever path my son and daughter choose. so long as it fits with them, I from a different perspective,” says don’t mind.” Sutanto, who also played a pivotal role in introducing the Microsoft sutanto, who likes to unwind with some action flicks technology to Indonesia when he at home when he’s not watching a show on one of his was the IT company’s president own networks, says he tries to squeeze in a holiday at least twice a year with his family — over Lebaran director. and Christmas. his most recent trip last December Being exposed to these varied saw him take his wife and two kids to the country roles over the years is what helped where he loves the food the most, Italy. prepare Sutanto for his current position today. As the president director at Elang Mahkota Teknologi, a first-generation THE PEAK 35 TIMELINE Indonesian technology firm — favourite category to watch. owned by Eddy Sariaatmadja and With Indonesia’s legislative his brother Fofo — Sutanto has and presidential elections fast been tasked with the role to lead the approaching, Sutanto acknowledges company’s media, technology and that the media plays a crucial role telecommunication divisions. in influencing first-time voters, but As the CEO of Emtek, Sutanto says their networks already have an led the integration process after edge. the acquisition of Indosiar by “2014 will be an interesting the conglomerate in 2011, and year for the media as for the first restructured the organisation to time, media owners will be political With Mariah Carey deliver the management synergy candidates as well,” he says, across SCTV and Indosiar. referring to Hary Tanoesoedibjo, 1967 sutanto hartono was born in February in who owns the Media Nusantara Yogyakarta. THE DIGITAL CHALLENGE Citra Group and is also the chief With the rise of the digital multi- patron of the People’s Conscience 1985 - 1989 tasker — where people consume Party (Hanura). Bachelor of science, Chemical engineering, University of Notre Dame, Indiana media on a variety of mobile devices “But it is still too early to decide such as their smartphone, tablet or how this will pan out. Whether this 1991 - 1993 on a computer — Sutanto is well will actually change the landscape or Master of Business Administration, Marketing & Finance, University aware of the digital obstacles whether the traditional players will of California, Berkeley standing in the way of remain to be dominant.” boosting television ratings. While Sutanto says Hary — who 1989 - 1991 “The challenge now has declared his bid to run as a vice Assistant brand manager, product development for television media is to presidential candidate this year — program, Procter and determine how we can has an advantage going into the race Gamble Indonesia (P&G) integrate what’s on the with his own network for publicity, television screen with the head of Emtek says they will 1993 - 1996 senior associate, Booz Allan the online component,” also be able to bank on Hary’s media hamilton explains Sutanto, adding strategy. that there was still a bit “We are the only media who are 1996 - 2003 With shakira Managing director, sony Music of work to be done to help independent of political parties. Indonesia; senior vice president, sony boost the ratings for Indosiar — We don’t have any colour with the Music entertainment southeast Asia a network geared more towards political affiliation so our news families. will be more credible,” he says, 2003 - 2010 Managing director and then CEO of Rajawali Citra “A lot of people think this means explaining why their positioning Televisi Indonesia (RCTI) we will have to transform the content won’t be affected during the from TV to online.