Pegadaian Director Invites Youth to 'Buy the Future at Today's Price' Through CEO Talks

Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Pegadaian (Persero) Director of Risk Management, Legal, and Compliance Ismail Ilyas encouraged students and prospective graduates to strengthen three main pillars for the future: financial literacy, competency development, and adaptability, during a CEO Talks event at Andalas University on Monday (29/6). The event, themed ‘Digital Financial Innovation and Financial Inclusion: Pegadaian’s Strategic Role in Community Empowerment’, was designed as an interactive collaborative space between industry and higher education. It aimed to provide a comprehensive view of the financial services industry’s transformation and the readiness required for the younger generation to succeed in the competitive job market. In his presentation, Ismail emphasised that long-term success does not rely solely on academic achievement on paper, but also on character building and the wisdom to make financial decisions from an early age. ‘The world of work will continue to transform alongside rapid technological advancements. Therefore, the younger generation must become lifelong learners who are adaptive and wise in managing finances. The principle is to buy the future at today’s price. This means young people must be bold in investing and building a measurable, sustainable future plan starting now,’ Ismail stated. He also urged students to immediately adopt healthy financial habits once they receive their first income. Concrete steps can begin with allocating emergency funds, setting priorities, and choosing safe investment instruments aligned with long-term life goals. According to him, financial literacy is a crucial anchor to prevent the younger generation from falling into consumerist behaviour. Pegadaian is consistently expanding the reach of financial education and inclusion through digital innovation. The collaboration with Andalas University serves as tangible proof of how literacy can be directly integrated with digital action. The enthusiasm of the participants, predominantly prospective graduates, was massive. During the event, more than 1,000 participants downloaded the Tring application and immediately opened a Tabungan Emas Pegadaian (Gold Savings) account. Through this CEO Talks programme, Pegadaian hopes to continue inspiring and cultivating a golden generation of Indonesians who are not only technologically adaptive but also financially mature, ready to actively contribute to driving the national economy.