Hardianto Atmadja shared Garudafood’s long journey as a national FMCG company that grew from an MSME-scale business in Pati, Central Java. With an educational background from ITB and the Faculty of Economics at Parahyangan Catholic University, he emphasized the importance of hard work and innovation in facing a constantly changing business world.

That hard work and innovation have enabled Garudafood to establish factories in Central Java, East Java, West Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi, and to collaborate with various global partners. In addition, adaptability is essential in business—for example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Garudafood implemented various innovations to continue progressing.

Hardianto also conveyed that the key to competing in the same industry lies in continuous innovation in products, brands, and collaboration models. He stressed that leadership aspects that should be prioritized early on include company culture, self-leadership, and the capacity for effective communication.

“In FMCG, that’s normal and the competition will be exciting. What’s interesting is that in Indonesia, eight multinational companies have lost to national companies. That can happen because Indonesian companies are much faster at launching products. Copying can be done quickly; therefore, we must keep innovating,” he said.

Meanwhile, Moh. Ikhsan Soemantoro discussed the dynamics of today’s media landscape. Content competition is extremely intense: 678 TV stations have transitioned to digital broadcasting, there are 34 million TikTok uploads per day, and more than 115 million YouTube channels worldwide.

He explained that the digital world often moves without fixed rules, making leadership a crucial factor for survival. He emphasized that creativity does not mean being free without boundaries. Instead, a certain thinking structure must be followed so the creative process can produce something relevant.

He outlined four main elements of creativity: originality, relevance, flexibility, and the courage to experiment. He cited the success of a television program inspired by the concept of “Arisan”. Elements of Indonesian pop culture were combined into a new format that ultimately became Indonesia’s number one non-drama program.

In leadership, Ikhsan explained that creative leaders must be able to inspire, guide their teams, create a safe space for ideas to emerge, and remain flexible in the face of change.

He also shared that working with heart matters. “In addition, we must not be arrogant while we are in the process. Because if we are arrogant, the process usually won’t go well or last,” he said.