I'm an entrepreneur by default: Sandi

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind, a Chinese proverb says.

For 36-year-old Sandiaga Salahudin Uno, the 1997 Asia financial crisis forced him not only to ride the dangerous wind, but also to change the course of his life.

"I'm an entrepreneur by default, by crisis," Sandiaga, or Sandi, told The Jakarta Post recently at his office in Central Jakarta.

Due to the crisis, Sandi, who received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in the United States, had to change careers from working as a financial and equity analyst abroad, to being a local entrepreneur.

Prior to the crisis, he was working as a financial analyst for an investment company in Singapore.

He also held the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer for an oil and gas company in Canada.

"Before the crisis, I always thought that being a professional was the most joyful job. Every thing you needed would be supported by the company you worked for."

"But when the crisis led many firms to bankruptcy, I knew I had to change direction and choose another path of life," said Sandi, who married his high school sweetheart, Nur Asia, 10 years ago.

He started his first business in Indonesia by establishing an investment company, PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya.

"While people were going out from Indonesia because of the crisis, I saw an opportunity to convince investors doing lucrative business in natural resources and telecommunications in Indonesia," said the father of two girls, Anneesha Atheera Uno, eight, and Amyra Atheefa Uno, six.

He then established a number of other companies.

At present, Sandi holds directorships of 15 companies, mostly operating in investment, telecommunications and mining.

Six years after the crisis, Sandi said all the hard work was starting to pay off.

"The companies are now enjoying the benefits," he said, referring to the good performance of some of his companies.

Sandi's success did not solely depend on the guts to choose his path of life, but also on the commitment to accomplish his ambitions.

"I give a 150 percent effort in everything I do," said Sandi, the son of a public figure and personality mentor, Mien Uno.

Sandi, who was born in an oil camp belonging to American oil company Caltex in Pekanbaru, Riau, has proven his commitment not only to business, family and education, but also to leading the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI).

After being with the organization for five years, Sandi felt called to replace Muhammad Luthfi, the man who invited him to join HIPMI and who was elected chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board earlier this year.

"I went to 30 provinces to campaign for the leadership of HIPMI," said Sandi, who graduated summa cum laude in accounting from George Washington University.

In total, the 30-year-old organization has 2,500 members in 30 provinces and 228 regencies.

The effort was worth it. In the election in Medan, North Sumatra, in April, Sandi garnered 138 votes from 150 HIPMI representatives.

But promises are not enough. Now Sandi, who will serve as the organization's chief until 2008, has to transform his words into action.

Sandi said that under his leadership HIPMI's programs consisted of three main "ingredients": improving HIPMI members' access to markets, access to capital and their human capacity.

"Most of the members operate small and medium-sized enterprises. We are here to help them grow their businesses."

In the second week of August, Sandi signed an agreement with Jakarta Stock Exchange officials to encourage HIPMI members both to invest and list their companies on the capital market.

"We want the stock exchange no longer to be perceived as an alternative financial source, but as a primary capital source," he told the Post at the signing ceremony.

For Sandi, however, being big is not good enough if it is not combined with being beautiful.

To beautify the conduct of members, he has urged all HIPMI members to comply with business ethics.

"I asked (members) to stop paying bribes and illegal fees to bureaucrats," he said.

He said rampant corruption and illegal payments were hard to eliminate, especially as a majority of HIMPI members were contractors who often dealt with bureaucrats.

"It's difficult, but somebody has to start somewhere," he said. (006)