MAY 2018 FORBES ASIA | 51Arini Saraswaty
Subianto 47
PRESIDENT DIRECTOR
PERSADA CAPITAL INVESTAMA
INDONESIA
It’s been a little over a year since tycoon Benny Subianto died, leaving his daughter Arini at the
head of the family holding company. Her company has interests in wood processing, palm oil,
rubber, property and healthcare, as well as a 12% stake in coal giant Adaro Energy, where she
sits on the board, and a 5% stake in conglomerate Astra International.
Subianto, whose wealth stands at $870 million, had known since 2010 that she would succeed
her father, thanks to discussions he had at the time with all three of his daughters (Arini is the
eldest). The mentoring started early, when she was about 13, she says, but with the emphasis
less on business and more on values and mindset. “He taught me the importance of having a
vision, setting a target for myself and to never give up.”
When not on the job, Subianto can be found traveling with her two sons or cheering at their
basketball games and soccer matches. As to whether they will succeed her, she says she will
adopt her father’s relaxed approach: “He let us follow our hearts and pursue our own passion. I
think how my dad taught us and led us had left a great impression in our lives.”
Nurhayati
Subakat 67
COFOUNDER AND CEO
PARAGON TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
INDONESIA
Subakat’s journey began in 1985 when she
founded a company called Pusaka Tradisi
Ibu with her husband, a trained chemical
engineer. They made hair-care products,
before launching an afordable makeup line
called Putri in 1993.
A devout Muslim, this trained pharmacist
became aware of rising demand for halal
makeup and skincare products, and in 1995
her Wardah (which means “rose” in Arabic)
flagship halal beauty brand was born. Subakat
introduced her products in pesantren (Islamic
boarding schools) and sold them door-to-
door using a multilevel marketing plan. In 2011
she renamed the privately owned company
Paragon Technology & Innovation. As of 2017
PTI had 8,300 employees and, according to
market research firm ecommerceIQ, held 30%
of the beauty-products market in Indonesia.
Subakat now plans to expand overseas; at
the moment her products are available only
in Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh. All
three of Subakat’s children are involved in
the business (she also has seven grandkids).
Son Salman is marketing director while her
other son, Harman, focuses on operations. Her
daughter, Sari Chairunnisa, works in R&D.Jane Jie Sun 49
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CTRIP.COM INTERNATIONAL
CHINA
Sun joined Ctrip in 2005 as chief financial
oicer and served in other senior executive
positions before rising to CEO in 2016. With
300 million members and a $24 billion
market capitalization, the largest online
travel agency in China had a 39% rise in
revenue last year, showing hefty growth in
international bookings. Under Sun, Ctrip has
increased railway ticketing to cover more than
30 countries in Asia and Europe; in March it
launched car-rental services in 6,000 cities
internationally; in 2016 it upped its stake
in China’s brick-and-mortar agency chain
Traveling Bestone, adding 1,000 new stores to
Bestone’s existing 5,500 and bolstering oine
sales by a third; and in 2015 it absorbed
heavyweight competitor Qunar.
However, it’s not all plain sailing. Ctrip
lowered its revenue forecast for the first
quarter of 2018 to 9% to 11% growth from
15% to 20%, hit by customer complaints on
social media about hidden charges and leaked
footage of abuse at its day-care center run
by a third party. Ctrip has vowed to hold the
operator’s staf responsible and increase
supervising eforts.
In her free time Sun pursues travel of a
diferent kind: running marathons.