Microsoft and Mars Snacking Appoint New General Managers for Indonesia

Within less than a week, two multinational companies from different sectors announced new general managers for the Indonesian market: Microsoft through an official announcement on 15 June, and Mars Snacking via a direct statement from its new GM in the same week. The two appointments arose from different circumstances. At Microsoft, the leadership change occurs amidst an ongoing US$1.7 billion investment commitment for cloud and AI infrastructure in Indonesia. Meanwhile at Mars Snacking, the newly created role emerged from the post-acquisition integration of Kellanova, which was completed in December 2025.

Gunawan Susanto has been appointed Country General Manager for Indonesia, replacing Dharma Simorangkur who had led the local operations since 2022. Gunawan is not an internal appointment; he joins from Amazon Web Services Indonesia, a direct competitor of Microsoft in the cloud market, where he spent a decade leading the cloud giant’s business in the country. Prior to AWS, IBM appointed him as President Director of Indonesia in 2014, when he was around 35 years old, reportedly making him one of the youngest leaders to hold that position. In 2016, he moved to AWS, building the company’s cloud business in Indonesia from the ground up. Before joining Microsoft, he invested in the healthcare sector through a private equity fund and served as an Independent Commissioner at PT Dayamitra Telekomunikasi (Mitratel). Microsoft’s Elevate programme, a key AI talent development initiative in Indonesia, has reached more than two million participants, with over 1.2 million earning company-recognised credentials. As Country General Manager, Gunawan will lead Microsoft’s business and partnerships across the public sector, large enterprises, startups, and small and medium businesses. “I am inspired by the potential to leverage Microsoft’s capabilities to support Indonesia’s digital transformation, while advancing my personal mission to improve healthcare access for every Indonesian citizen,” Gunawan said. Mayank Wadhwa, President of Microsoft ASEAN, described Indonesia as one of the most influential digital economies in Asia, with the scale, talent, and ambition to lead in the AI era.

Sanjib Bose’s new role did not previously exist in its current form. After Mars completed its acquisition of Kellanova in December 2025, the company merged two previously standalone organisations into a single entity called Mars Snacking, with a portfolio that now includes Snickers, M&M’s, Twix, Skittles, and Pringles. The General Manager Indonesia & Vietnam position is one of the roles created from this restructuring. Sanjib brings a decade of experience at Kellogg before joining Mars four years ago. An INSEAD graduate, he built Digital Commerce capabilities across Asia from scratch and led the turnaround of the Philippines business during his tenure. “We have a unique opportunity to unlock the full potential of this portfolio in two of the world’s most dynamic and exciting consumer markets,” Sanjib wrote in the announcement via LinkedIn.