New PTPN I CEO Commits to Overhauling Corporate Governance

The change of leadership at PT Perkebunan Nusantara I (PTPN I) is being positioned as a catalyst to accelerate the company’s transformation into a more modern, efficient, and adaptive state-owned plantation enterprise. The move follows the appointment of Abdul Rivai Ras as President Director during the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (RUPS) on 29 June 2026. Abdul Rivai stated that his leadership will focus on strengthening governance and overhauling the business to enable the company to respond to challenges ranging from commodity price fluctuations and climate change to the demands of digitalisation and risk management. “The company requires leadership capable of orchestrating organisational change, strengthening governance, and uniting all business functions in a clear direction,” Abdul Rivai said in a statement on Thursday (2/7). He noted that this agenda aligns with the restructuring PTPN has undergone in recent years. Steps such as holding consolidation, subsidiary reorganisation, governance strengthening, efficiency improvements, and digitalisation are part of the effort to build a healthier, more competitive, and sustainable state plantation company. Abdul Rivai assessed that the company’s transformation can no longer rely on conventional business approaches. He argued that change requires leadership capable of building organisational discipline, integrating strategic functions, and ensuring consistent implementation of the transformation from the management level down to operations. He explained that the direction of the transformation is also reflected in the company’s new board structure. The establishment of a Finance and Risk Management Directorate signals a growing focus on risk management as part of business strategy, especially amid commodity price volatility and the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the merger of human resources and information technology functions underscores that digitalisation is no longer positioned merely as a technology project, but as an instrument to shape a more adaptive work culture, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate data-driven decision-making. Abdul Rivai also highlighted the creation of a Marketing and Asset Management Directorate as part of a strategic shift in managing company assets. He stated that assets such as land, factories, and supporting facilities must be optimised to generate greater economic value. He stressed, however, that the success of the transformation does not depend on a single leader, but on the solidarity of the board of directors, the professionalism of employees, shareholder support, and an adaptive work culture.