FUTURE
PORTS
PT PELABUHAN INDONESIA III HAS BECOME ONE OF
INDONESIA’S LARGEST STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES,
WITH GROWING ASSETS. CEO ARI ASKHARA S AY S
ITS PORT SERVICES LEAD THE MARKET THANKS TO A
FOCUS ON PEOPLE, PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGY.WORDS MAYBELLE LIN • IMAGES PT PELABUHAN INDONESIA IIIT
here’s no question that leading a major company is an exacting role, but
Ari Askhara makes it look easy. In the midst of meetings, papers, travel and
projects, Ari ensures he always has time to go running. He loves the simple
exercise. It’s easily accessible and cost-efficient, two aspects that he also
loves about his company, PT Pelabuhan Indonesia III (Pelindo III).
Ari holds a Bachelor of Economics from Gadjah Mada University
and a Master of International Finance from the University of Indonesia. With an
impressive history of executive positions, including Director of Finance and Risk
Management at Garuda Indonesia, and Head of Natural Resources at ANZ Bank
Indonesia, it is no surprise that Ari rose to become CEO of Pelindo III in May 2017.
As a port operator, Pelindo III manages 43 ports with 16 branches throughout
seven provinces in Indonesia, including Central Java, East Java, Bali, West Nusa
Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan. Pelindo III
fills a need specific in the Indonesian archipelago, from Sabang to Merauke. As a
connecting bridge between islands and countries, the company’s ports play a vital role
across Indonesia.
But while Pelindo III currently focuses on port services, it’s also wading into other
industries such as property, tourism, energy, logistics and marine services. Ari centres
his company strategy around cost efficiency, which has manifested in Pelindo III’s
centralised procurement. Before centralisation, Pelindo III had to negotiate for the »INVEST | Interview