Category: Leaders

“At his heart lies building long-lasting relationships with customers through quality offerings,which reflects upon his unwavering commitment to build every project better than what has been offered before”

In this cut-throat business of real-estate, Mr. Krishnan, a great inspirational and an innovative leader and a Chartered Accountant, has created a highly respectful place for himself through his dedicated efforts and commitment towards his objectives to provide his clients with their desired accommodations and return on investments

Man of Many Roles

Mr. Krishnan joined the Appaswamy Group two decades ago as a Group Financial Controller and rose to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the real-estate group through his discipline, professionalism and passion towards the job.

In this profile he has gained the trust of his team and the clients alike. During his long 30-year tenure of professional life he has gained a vast experience in the fields of hospitality, pharma, and IT apart from real-estate. During his dynamic leadership, the Appaswamy group has expanded its horizon and diversified its business from real estate development to include hospitality and non-conventional/renewable energy.

expanding HoRizons

Though the Appaswamy Group already has a vast experience of more than 50 years, as Mr. Krishnan joined it under his charismatic leadership the Group has seen a meteoric rise in its infrastructure and development business in various parts of Chennai. Using his extraordinary foresight, Mr. Krishnan has focused on those areas of Chennai which were in dire need of development. This has led to overall growth of the city fulfilling the residential dreams of lakhs of residents in and around Chennai.

His influential leadership has inspired the Appaswamy group to expand its loyal customer base to more than 10,000. Mr. Krishnan’s sustainable strategy and planning has inspired the group to develop properties of impeccable quality, modernity and excellence aimed at fostering an ever-lasting bond of customer relationship built on trust, confidence and customer delight while adhering to principles of ethics and professionalism. His untiring efforts towards taking Appaswamy group to further heights has made it possible for the group to set and surpass new benchmarks through conscious, consistent and concerted display of dynamism, unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and excelling in all its purposeful pursuits through quality, efficiency and integrity – on time, every time.

Of late, Mr. Krishnan has established himself as a pioneer and visionary in the fieldofreal-estaterendering his invaluable advice through various columns of magazines and newspapers. His opinion is sought on various policy matters pertaining to the field of real estate. His powerful insights and guidance have led the way for Appaswamy group as it has built the concept of creating townships in key suburban locations through the urban development model that is now being emulated by others in the industry. He        is        resolute           on        building establishments with innovation, quality and timely delivery of the projects to its customers, which will lead to the penultimate objective of profitability, following customer goodwill and trust.

CReating long-lasting RelationsHips

At his heart lies building and nurturing long-lasting relationships with customers through its quality offerings and robust structures, which reflects upon his unwavering commitment to build every project better than what has been offered before. He is adept at negotiating for land acquisition, building strong and world- class infrastructure and  conforming  to customer requirements through delightful customer service.

“Bahwan would drop by fellow shop owners, introducing himself & trying to sniff out opportunities. He attended gatherings & befriended government officials, building a list of contacts”

From humble beginnings, Suhail Bahwan became a billionaire in Oman, as he first went into business with his brother Saud in 1965, selling fishing nets and building materials, before scoring the Toyota dealership in 1975, and then became the Founder and Chairman of Suhail Bahwan Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Oman

A Born EntrEprEnEur

Bahwan was born in Sur, a small seaport along a barren stretch of coast one hundred miles southeast of Muscat. It’s near where the Strait of Hormuz widens into the Indian Ocean, which made it for centuries a convenient waypoint for ships sailing between India, Iraq, Zanzibar and beyond.

Bahwan was born into a large family, and along with his brother, he used to accompany his father on sailing trips to sell dried dates and fish in exchange for rice, sugar and other sundries.

Bahwan attended primary school in India, but dropped out after sixth grade. His father put him in charge of a dhow. On voyages, he haggled with merchants from different corners of the world, picking up early lessons in spotting good deals.

trAnsforming LocAL chALLEngEs into gLoBAL opportunitiEs

Bahwan never made  much  money  as  a trader in Sur, but he was creative, and most importantly, business was  in  his blood. He took loans from Indian merchants, which he used to buy gold that he would then sell in Oman. Still, after paying back lenders, profit margins were slim. By the 1960s, he often made the sea voyage from Sur to Muscat,  where there were more opportunities to sell his wares. In 1965, Bahwan and his brother decided to move to the capital permanently. They  opened  a  shop  in  the labyrinthine Muttrah Souq, selling fishing nets and later building materials and tools.

The  brothers  immersed  themselves   in Muscat’s small business community. Suhail Bahwan would drop by fellow shop owners and businesses around town, introducing himself and trying to sniff  out opportunities. He attended social gatherings and befriended government officials, building a list of contacts. His efforts would serve him well.

However, in 2002, he split with his brother, who kept the Toyota dealership and passed it along after his death to his son Mohammed.

crEAting A roBust nEtwork

Not content with fishing nets, the Bahwans were  eager  to  obtain  foreign licenses. It was with Japanese watchmaker Seiko that they scored their first major license in 1968, followed by electronics maker Toshiba. It proved to be a very good timing, and Bahwans were quite successful in their business endeavours.

In 1970, Sultan Qaboos ousted his father in a coup. Once in power, the new ruler opened Oman to the outside world, initiating a program of  modernization and economic liberalization, which created demand for consumer goods and industrial projects.

Another Japanese  company,  Toyota,  was looking for partners in the Gulf, an opportunity too good to pass up for the brothers. They were not the only ones competing for the tender. But royal intervention helped seal the deal for the Bahwans and they got the coveted license in 1975. That year ships began offloading brand new Toyotas on the quays of  Muscat. Within three years, they became the automotive market leaders in Oman. The Bahwan brothers had wind in their sails. Suhail Bahwan however dedicates  his success to his over 15,000 employees and most importantly, his customers.

“His zeal & commitment to education; his farsighted vision & leadership qualities; & his immense contribution to nation building has been acknowledged by the President of India”

Aiming to provide value-based global business knowledge with holistic perspective and innovative thinking, Shailesh Dalmia has brilliantly handled and has successfully led the N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research through many dynamic changes to help it become one of the best management schools in the city

A VISIONARY STRATEGIST

Taking the legacy further by rendering unmatched guidance and  leadership to run N. L. Dalmia High School and

1. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research, established by the Late Shri Niranjanlalji Dalmia with a vision to create world-class schools, Shailesh Dalmia has, in the last several years, pushed the limits and has created two of the finest and the most admired institutes in their areas of operations, as both have become increasingly popular among students and teachers for their outstanding facilities, right ambience and quality teaching.

Firmly believing that every human being has infinite potential, and the role of an educator is to bring out the best in every individual, Shailesh Dalmia has helped his management school move up the rankings for India’s finest B-Schools. He takes an active interest in helping his students explore their own potential, and in making them realize that education, hard work and commitment to the nation are the only means to get themselves employable and overcome poverty. In his pursuit of excellence, he has evolved into an exceptional gentleman whose profound qualities of enthusiasm, perseverance, vision and live networking have motivated innumerable students to do good and fashion enviable careers for themselves.

Taking the cue from Shailesh Dalmia’s profound philosophies, N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research not only strives to teach its students management lessons but also endeavors to make them better human beings. Having created a perfect blend of academics and extra-curricular activities at the Institute, Shailesh Dalmia has taken special care to create a superlative team of teachers selected for their superior quality teaching skills, which is quite evident in their productive sessions. He has also offered to his students whatever they could demand from a management institute of international standards, namely a state-of-the-art infrastructure, far-reaching learning possibilities through student diversity where everyone learns from everyone, a fun- filled learning experience, and of course, one of the most important things that any student looks for in a management college – excellent placements.

PROGRESSIVE & INTELLEcTuAL

Leading the very prestigious Niranjanlal Dalmia Educational Society as its Hon. Secretary, Shailesh Dalmia has been outstandingly    running    two  schools of excellence – N. L. Dalmia High School and N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies & Research – with an aim to provide holistic education to every student. His deep involvement, zeal and commitment to education;  his farsighted vision and leadership qualities; and his immense contribution to society and nation building has been acknowledged by the President of India.

With 25 years of rich work experience, Shailesh Dalmia has drafted ambitious plans for his Educational Society and has raised its status to a level that has left an indelible imprint on education in the community and businesses at large. Impelled by his innate aesthetics and attention to details, he has revamped the technological  infrastructure  of  his schools in line with international standards with revolutionary ideas opening fresh avenues for his aspiring students in the process.

“Samprada is the oldest entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry and has spearheaded Alkem to become the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India in terms of domestic sales”

A spearhead of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, Samprada Singh has transformed Alkem Laboratories to reach as many as 55 countries worldwide through his dynamism, vision and leadership. Under his leadership, it is poised for greater times ahead with spectacular growth & production of high-quality branded generics, generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and neutraceuticals

Founder   with   a   Vision

Founded on 8 August 1973 with a meagre capital of Rs 5 lakh, Alkem Labs under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Singh has spread its wings overseas and has become a name to be reckoned with in the pharmaceutical industry. One of the most respected and successful entrepreneurs of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, he is Chairman Emeritus since April 1, 2015, of Alkem Laboratories Limited.

Having started the company from scratch, he has been able to put the company on the consistent growth path through tremendous dynamism, vision and leadership. The credit for making the company sail through its various stages of progress from the beginning goes to him.

Having started his career as a retail chemist in 1953, Mr. Singh developed excellent rapport with a large number of pharmaceutical companies. Because of his hard work, honest behaviour and cordial nature, this relation resulted in the offer for sole distributorship of many pharma companies for the state of Bihar, which he started by the name ‘Magadh Pharma’. However, he did realize the limitations of expanding the distribution business, and, in the year 1972, became the founder director of a Bombay-based pharmaceutical company and selected healthcare and pharmaceuticals as his focus area as an entrepreneur. A focus on excellence in products, personnel, quality and service has been the driving force of the company since early days of Alkem Laboratories Ltd.

achieVements Galore

Mr. Samprada was honoured with the ‘Life Time Contribution Award’ in 2004 by the Express Pharma Excellence Awards, a prestigious award also known as the Oscar of the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

One  of  the  most  distinguished  and respected entrepreneurs of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, he has been bestowed with a number of notable accomplishments such as EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Life Sciences for the year 2016, the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Pharmaceutical Leadership Summit in 2009, ‘Asian Grid Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award 2006’, ‘Medicine Update Lifetime Achievement – Health Care Award’ for his achievement in the pharmaceutical industry (2002) and the ‘Life Time Achievement  Award’  by Pharma Business and Technology (2000).

a dynamic Personality with social resPonsibility

Born in a Bhumihar Bramhin family in Jehanabad, Bihar, Mr. Singh wanted to be a doctor. However, as his dream of being a doctor could not be fulfilled, he set out to explore other options. He did his B.Com. honours from Gaya College, Patna University, and demonstrated dynamism through various student activities during the years at college.

He is a self-made entrepreneur and as a result of his strenuous efforts throughout, Alkem now has a portfolio of more than 700 branded generic drugs and commands market leadership in select key therapeutic areas in the Indian pharmaceutical market.

Mr. Singh is the oldest entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry and has spearheaded Alkem to become the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India in terms of domestic sales.

“Having mastered the art of tea & all its processes, Saman Upasena ensures to attend every single  tea auction in Colombo, tastes his own tea factory samples & knows the difference in the flavours”

Having ventured into the family business of tea manufacturing, Mr. Saman Upasena has used his high intellect and sharp business acumen to great effect in establishing his empire as the foremost tea producer in Asia. He leads by example when it comes to automation, teamwork, open communication, forward thinking and management of resources

Transforming ideas inTo realiTy

After graduating from St. Benedict’s College, Saman Upasena began his professional journey at a young age of 22 by joining the family business. Since the very beginning, he demonstrated his ability to lead the business well by adopting         a         proactive         approach                      and has been the driving factor towards its transformation and success throughout. Seeking       inspiration                   from     his       late father, he showed incredible power and grit to take his company to fresh heights through his vision and ingenuity. His    initial         move    towards     achieving this objective was to automate the tea production process at the Galpaditenne Tea Factory, leading to incomparable high product quality, increased volumes, highest hygienic standards and increased productivity.

He, along with his company, has won a series of national and international awards as a result of his state-of-the- art thinking and razor-sharp business insight. This includes the prestigious award for Outstanding Entrepreneur at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards successively in 2013 and  2014, which he was conferred for his sustainable business model.

diverse global successes

Saman Upasena, along with his brother Thusan Upasena, has been immensely popular among the KDU Group employees – over 4500 people – as with continuous innovation he keeps the family-spirit intact and applies a proactive approach. A disciplined leader and an outstanding decision-maker, he has equipped the hi- tech factory with ISO 22000, HACCP certified finest machinery in the tea manufacturing industry, and as a result the company has made remarkable progress under him to emerge as one of the leading tea producers in not only Sri Lanka but all of Asia since 2003.

The KDU Group under his leadership has emerged as the world’s largest black orthodox tea manufacturer, as it owns eight factories in the Sabaragamuwa Province and produces 12 million kilograms of tea annually, contributing to four percent of Sri Lanka’s entire tea production.

Having mastered the art of tea and all its processes, Saman Upasena ensures to attend every single tea auction in Colombo, tastes his own tea factory samples and knows the difference in the flavours. He has also devised an excellent monetary policy ensuring monetary self- sufficiency for the company; hence, the company meets all its finances solely from its own funds and does not rely on banks, thus having no liabilities to anybody.

conTribuTion To social cause

He has diversified the KDU group to tackle the growing electricity costs and has established the KDU Mini-Hydro power plant in Pelmadulla, meeting not only his manufacturing power needs but also contributing 1.4 Megawatts to the national grid. Saman Upasena maintains a direct dealing with the 20,000 small holders who provide the green leaf from a 60 km radius without involving any middleman.

He associates his company well with the local villagers, politicians at regional and district level and also social organisations in the area, even building roads in the regions difficult to approach.

“As a young man, Robert Kuok thought there was no substitute for hard work and thinking up good, honest business plans and, without respite, pushing them along”

Among the most successful Asians and self-made industrialists who rule the business-world, Robert Kuok, the Malaysian billionaire, is a living legend. His is an inspiring rags-to-riches story and a dream for all young entrepreneurs, where he has become one of Malaysia’s most successful entrepreneurs and has successfully turned his business into a huge empire

AN INSPIRING STORY

Robert Kuok’s story is one of immense motivation, as his up-hill climb started as an office-boy, after which he became the clerk of a rice trading department in Singapore. He started from a humble beginning in Johore Baru and over the years with the right attitude and sweat, blood and tears, he moved ahead as he was a quick learner. Three years in the rice trading department helped him learn the trading business. He founded the Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Co., which quickly gained popularity. It went on to become a monopoly in sugar production space of Malaysia producing 80% of Malaysia’s sugar and 10% of world’s sugar. That’s precisely how Kuok got his nick name, ‘the sugar king of Asia’, and became the richest man of Malaysia. As a young man, he believed that there was no substitute for hard work and thinking up good, honest business plans and, without respite, he pushing along. With so many businesses in so many countries, this incredible business man always believed that he is the “little string that ties the rings together”. Experts would often say that his speed and cleverness led to that near- impossible success. Also, he was never afraid to collaborate with the rest of the world unlike the eastern businessmen of the early 20th century and that was one more thing that led to him being one of the most successful businessmen of the east. Believing that there will always be business on earth, he makes relentless endeavours to maintain and practice the values of integrity and honesty, and eschew and reject greed and arrogance. He always advises to be humble, be straight, don’t be crooked, and don’t take advantage of people.

EXECUTING CHALLENGES

Kuok Group is one of Asia’s most diversified and dynamic multi-national conglomerates with investments in commodities, hospitality, logistics, real estate and shipping & shipping related businesses, amongst others. Kuok (Singapore) Limited shares common heritagewithtwootherholdingcompanies, namely Kerry Holdings Limited in Hong Kong and Kuok Brothers in Malaysia, in that they were all founded by the Kuok family. Together, the collective group of companies is commonly referred to as the “Kuok Group” in Southeast Asia and “Kerry Group” in Northeast Asia. Behind its success is a commitment to serving its customers and a determination to evolve with the times. The Kuok Group believes that success is measured not only by profits, but also by the contributions made to people’s lives and to society as a whole. As it grows, the Kuok Group’s attitudes and actions continue to be guided by the core values of loyalty, integrity and unity.

Today, the Kuok Group has diverse operations in all five continents, with specialisations in Properties, Hospitality, Logistics, Media, Maritime, Commodities, Environment and Philanthropy.

Robert Kuok always believed that a good leader will lead the organization to a better future and also provide benefits to society, and the characteristic of a leader is also important because it may affect the society when the leader becomes the role model of the world, and people will practice what the leader has done to achieve extraordinary success. His talent in business is unparalleled and his story continues to awe and inspire a lot of businessmen throughout the globe.

“Pankaj Patel has been named the “Best Pharma Man of the year” by the Foundation of Indian Industry and Economists in recognition of the growth of Cadila under his leadership”

Born in 1951, Pankaj Ramanbhai Patel holds Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Pharmacy degrees from Gujarat University, as well as a BA in Science and Law from the University of Mumbai and is an Indian billionaire businessman as the Chairman and Managing Director of Cadila Healthcare, the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India

Wearing Several HatS

Pankaj Patel, Chairman and Managing Director, Zydus Cadila has over 35 years of experience in the Indian Pharmaceutical industry.

In 2017, Pankaj became the President of FICCI, and is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, IISER, Kolkata and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, in addition to being a Member of the Board of Governors and also the Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

He also holds responsibility of Chairman of IIM Udaipur, Member Governing Board of The Ahmedabad University, Chairman of School of Life Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Member of the Board of Management of the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and Executive Chairman, Vice President and Trustee of the Gujarat Cancer Society and Chairman of the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute.

Pankaj has been named the “Best Pharma Man of the year 2003” by the Foundation of Indian Industry and Economists in recognition of the growth of Cadila under his leadership.

A long time back he had predicted that Zydus Cadila would become the third-largest pharmaceutical company in India; however, his company saw ups and downs and its fortunes were reversed and Pankaj even fell out of the list of richest Indians in 2005.

Known for facing challenges head on, Pankaj not only bounced back, but expanded his business further. From a turnover of Rs. 250 crore in 1995, the group posted revenues of over Rs. 6300 crore in FY2013.

With 20 discovery research programmes under various stages of clinical development, the Group invests over 7% of its turnover in research. At the group’s state-of-the-art research arm, the Zydus Research Centre, over 400 research scientists are engaged in NCE research alone.

Future PerFect

Pankaj is targeting Lipaglyn sales of 100 crore in the next 3-5 years, wants to launch 2 New Chemical Entities (NCE) products by 2020, and would invest 6-7% of revenues on research and development.

Planning to invest Rs. 500 crore every year, Zydus under his dynamic leadership is aiming to be a research- based pharmaceutical company by 2020. He is guiding Zydus to offer a dedicated Lipaglyn support programme to patients and        caregivers.      The      programme shall provide important support and information regarding access, adherence, education, thereby helping patients to start and appropriately manage their disease and therapy over time.

He has already developed Zydus Cadila under his insightful leadership as an innovative, global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies.

Under his leadership, Zydus Cadila has evolved into a fully integrated, global healthcare provider, with strengths all along the pharmaceutical value chain. With a core competence  in  the  field of healthcare, Zydus Cadila provides total healthcare solutions ranging from formulations, active pharmaceutical ingredients and animal healthcare products to wellness products.

“Through hard work & an unwavering spirit of an entrepreneur, Riady grew the company into one of Asia’s leading diversified conglomerates and also transformed Indonesia’s banking landscape”

A renowned philanthropist and business tycoon who is widely regarded as a pioneer in Asia’s banking and real estate sectors, Mochtar Riady has built a cradle- to-grave business empire that permeates every corner of life in Indonesia. Riady is certainly a giant among self-made men – counting over 100 companies and more than a few billion dollars in value – yet his countenance is down to earth

A LIFE TIME OF SUCCESS

Through hard work, determination and an unwavering spirit of an entrepreneur, Mochtar Riady grew  his  company into one of Asia’s leading diversified conglomerates. Riady also transformed Indonesia’s banking landscape and became widely acknowledged as a master in turning around the fortunes of financial institutions, making his mark in creating the country’s top banks – Bank Buana, Bank Panin, Bank Central Asia and then Lippo Bank.

As one of Asia’s largest and most diversified conglomerates, Lippo Group’s investments in real estate, retail, hospitality and leisure, healthcare, education, media and news, telecommunications, digital technologies and financial services have been driven by his responsibility to the community. Lippo Group is now the largest listed property company in Indonesia by total assets and revenue, with a unique and integrated business model.

Riady operates Indonesia’s premier private hospital group, the only one achieving world class standards, and is an undisputed retail property industry leader, and his vision is to impact lives, particularly through environment friendly, high quality and sustainable business activities. The Group builds the foundation through the implementation of  Corporate  Governance  (CG)   in  all aspects of the business as well as at every level of the organization. By implementing the Corporate Governance Principles expectedly, it enables more transparency and the most recent development information regarding the performance  and  the  prospects  of the Group. Riady always prioritizes environmental sustainability on property development.

TOWERING ACHIEVEMENTS

Riady likes to integrate eco-friendly concepts, and align green space with the best amenities. His CSR activities focus on three main pillars, namely education, public health, and environmental awareness, with special focus on critical situations that arise in the country, such as natural disasters that impact many lives. These pillars are interrelated with the objective to improve the quality of life and prosperity of the nation in general.

Understanding that people are increasingly looking for potential areas for property investment, the Lippo Group’s commitment continues to develop five pillars of development, namely Innovative Infrastructure & Transportation, High Tech CBD & Research Hub, Business & Commercial Hub, Green Sustainable Living and Center of Art, Culture & Education.

Riady recalls that he started from what he calls sandang, pangan, papan, jalan, which respectively means clothing, food, housing, roads, but today his business empire permeates every corner of life in Indonesia.

With a mix of listed and private entities both at home and abroad, Mr Riady’s empire is difficult to value, but the value he has created in the lives of Indonesians is unparalleled.

He is committed towards actively participating in sustainable economic development to improve the quality of life and environment for the collective benefit of the company, local community, and society at large. Riady’s main focus now is the next big shift: moving more business online, as is evident from the launch of MatahariMall.com ecommerce platform.

“His ability to spot opportunities promptly even in an adverse economic scenario has brought him to the fore in the comity of business tycoons & helped him set up Vallible One PLC”

Over the last couple of decades, Mr. Kulappu Arachchige Don Dhammika Perera, one of the richest businessmen in Sri Lanka, has proved himself a great inspiration for the Sri Lankan corporates. With a high risk appetite passably complemented by dexterity, business acumen and strategic excellence, he has been converting unprofitable enterprises into profit-making ventures

EDUCATION & EARLY BUSINESS VENTURES

Born as the grandson of the then richest man in Payagala, owner of a large number of paddy fields, Mr. Perera rose to build an economic empire in his country, hoping to transform an economy of mediocre size into a gigantic one in a span of a few decades.

Beginning his career from a miniature platform as provider of slot machines on rent, he was quick to move on to manufacture slot machines after having undergone technical training in the manufacturing technology in Taiwan.

Earlier, Mr. Perera had joined Texla Central College, Horana for studies from where he moved on to the University of Moratuwa to continue his studies but it was not to be, as he dropped out of the institute of technology where he was pursuing his Diploma in Technology to pursue his business dreams.

THE 20-YEAR PLAN

Beginning   with   investing   in  share market, Mr. Perera came up with an enterprising 20-year plan in 1999. Through his arduous efforts, knowledge and unparalleled confidence, he swiftly rose to the rank of the greatest investor in Sri Lanka’s banking sector, share market and other financial institutions. Being a man of clear vision and quick judgement, Mr. Perera has made some unwavering business decisions.

His ability to spot opportunities promptly even in an adverse economic scenario has brought him to the fore  in the comity of business tycoons and helped him set up Vallible One PLC enterprise. By dint of his unusual skill in entrepreneurship and foresight as the founding Chairman and Managing Director of the company, he has diversified portfolio of the company’s business and has magnified them to include varied sectors such as consumer, finance, leisure and ceramics.

His depth in understanding and judgement of financial and administrative riddles has earned him the coveted chairmanship and membership of the board of directors of many banks, financial companies and other manufacturing and trading corporations. His generosity lies in sharing his knowledge and expertise with other professionals with regard to solving some of the perplexed business problems. His thirst for more and more knowledge and experience evidently appears to be unquenchable, which has helped him attain stunning success in the field.

SERVING THE NATION

Apart from developing his own business empire, Mr. Perera has  taken  pride in serving the nation through some important positions he has held  in  the government. He has  served  as  the Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Board of Investments for 3 years, as Sri Lanka’s Secretary of transport and also as a Member of the Strategic Enterprise Management  Agency.  Mr.   Perera has been Deputy Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka since September 2012.

A man of rare commitment, brilliance and kind heart, Mr. Perera’s greatness lies in the very fact that he is not a mere trader but a great innovator and investor. He is a wealth creator who believes in buying more and more ailing and loss- making companies and transforms them into profit-making ones within a short span.

“Boenjamin Setiawan started his pharmaceutical business in his garage back in 1966 and has turned it into a major force in the regional pharmaceutical industry”

Holding a doctorate in pharmacology, Boenjamin Setiawan founded Kalbe Farma in a garage in 1966, and made it the largest pharmaceutical company in Indonesia. Boenjamin Setiawan is nicknamed as Dr. Boen, and he also controls Mitra Keluarga, which operates 12 hospitals

From GaraGe to Globe

Boenjamin started his pharmaceutical business in his garage back in 1966 and has turned it not only into a major force in the regional pharmaceutical industry but has also branched out into consumer goods, where it competes head-on-head with industry giants, and in hospitals, under the Mitra Keluarga brand.

Boenjamin’s main interest is stem-cell research and he has set up the Indonesia International Institute of Life Science (i3L) in collaboration with Swedish institutions and offering programs in healthcare, marine science and forestry. The institute’s mission is to be a leading and globally connected interdisciplinary institution that impacts society through science and innovation.

CreatinG a Giant

There are almost no Indonesians that don’t use products from PT Kalbe Farma, the Indonesian pharmacy giant that produces a lot of popular medicines and nutrition products. The person behind this company is Boenjamin Setiawan, a pharmacy graduate from Universitas Indonesia and University of California who developed PT Kalbe Farma from a small pharmacy store in a small garage in Jakarta to a multinational pharmacy company.

After graduating from the University of California with a pharmacy degree, Boenjamin Setiawan started with a stable, decent job as a pharmacy lecturer. However, his business instincts urged him to open his own pharmacy business. Together with six partners, he started a pharmacy business startup in a small garage in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, and Kalbe Farma was launched on September 10, 1966 as a small pharmacy business.

transForminG & expandinG

The company enjoyed small profits and grew gradually, until the monetary crisis in year 1998 sent many companies in Indonesia to bankruptcy. Even after applying for loan from foreign banks, Boenjamin was unable to keep the company running as well  as  before, so he decided to sell many of the company assets except those that were related to pharmacy, and started new business branches while also keeping Kalbe Farma as a pharmacy company. During the difficult times, Boenjamin kept his company from crumbling by expanding the company’s business to other fields like property and logistic, but still strengthening the main business in pharmacy.

Finally, he managed to keep PT Kalbe Farma from bankruptcy, and later even managed to increase its business expansions and profits. In 2012, Kalbe Farma even managed to acquire a health beverage company, Hale International. In the same year, the company also went into joint venture with Milko Beverage and built Kalbe Milko Indonesia. This company later made popular health beverages in Indonesia such as Sakatonik, Extra Joss and Fatigon.

The key of Kalbe Farma’s success is strong business base, which focuses  on pharmacy despite various business branches expanded by the company. Currently, about 17.4% of its profits come from medicine products, and 20% come from nutritional or health products such as baby and toddler milk, pregnant mother supplement and extra calcium milk.

Boenjamin, who is now 80 years old, has now retired and decided to move his business to younger generation. Currently, his niece Bernadette Ruth Setiady holds the position as Director.