Unilever Indonesia appoints new president

The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Leading consumer product company PT Unilever Indonesia will have an Indonesian national as its new president next year as the company continues to post strong growth.

Starting Jan. 1, Maurits Lalisang will replace Nihal Kaviratne, who will assume a new role as senior vice president for development and environmental affairs of Unilever Asia Business Group based in Singapore.

"It is an honor for me to be trusted to lead Unilever Indonesia. I will definitely make every effort to develop the company further in this challenging market," Lalisang said in a press release provided to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Lalisang has been working for Unilever Indonesia for 23 years and has held various senior positions. He was appointed as a member of the board of directors in 1991.

Lalisang said Unilever Indonesia would focus on developing long-term plans and strategies to ensure the business had a strong footing after it survived the economic crisis that hit the country in 1997.

"Crisis management and short-term planning for our business is second nature to us. But what we seek now is a period of stability and security, one that will allow new business opportunities to emerge, create employment and attract investment to this country as a choice for key production sites," Lalisang remarked.

He said the company was aiming not only as a regional sourcing but also a global sourcing center for toothpaste and soap. Indonesia is Unilever's most important business center in Asia.

According to Lalisang, export sales now account for approximately 6 percent of the company's total sales, up from a mere 2 percent three years ago.

The outgoing Unilever's president Kaviratne said the company planned to double its size and profit by 2010. In the first half of this year, the company's total sales stood at Rp 4 trillion, or 15 percent higher than the same period last year. Net profit stood at Rp 662 billion, an increase of 21 percent compared to the same period last year.

In 2002, the company's total sales were Rp 7.2 trillion with a net profit of Rp 978.2 billion.

Kaviratne said the company was planning to have more Indonesians working for Unilever abroad, including in several key senior positions. The company employs some 3,000 people in Indonesia.