Gita Wirjawan

Gita Irawan Wirjawan
Born	(1965-09-21) September 21, 1965 Jakarta, Indonesia
Occupation(s)	Business leader, investment banker, music and film producer, podcast host, politician
Years active	1989–present
Known for	Minister of Trade of Indonesia, founder of Ancora Group, chairman of Badminton Association of Indonesia (2012–2016)

Gita Irawan Wirjawan (born 21 September 1965) is an Indonesian business leader, former investment banker, producer in music and film industries, and podcast host. He held the position of Minister of Trade during President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu II administration. As the founder of Ancora Group and Ancora Foundation, he also serves as a founding partner at Ikhlas Capital. Additionally, he was the head of the Badminton Association of Indonesia from 2012 until 2016.

Personal life

Born in Jakarta to parents Paula Warokka and Wirjawan Djojosugito, Wirjawan descends from both Minahasan and Javanese heritage. As the youngest among five siblings, he attended schools in Jakarta before relocating overseas at age thirteen due to his father's World Health Organization assignment in Bangladesh. He completed his secondary education at the American Embassy School located in New Delhi.

Wirjawan holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas, Austin (1988), followed by an MBA from Baylor University (1989). He further earned a master's degree in public administration as a Mason Fellow at Harvard University's Harvard Kennedy School (2000). He is certified as a Public Accountant in Texas and has obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst credential.

In 1993, he married Yasmin Stamboel Wirjawan; together they have three children.

Business career

Starting his professional journey as an auditor with Morrison Brown & Argiz in Miami in 1989, Wirjawan joined Citibank Indonesia's Consumer Banking division in 1992, advancing to vice president by 1997. Between July 1997 and May 1999, he held the role of director of corporate finance at Bahana Securities in Indonesia. In July 2000, he was appointed vice president within Goldman Sachs' Investment Banking Division based in Singapore. From 2003 to 2004, he served as senior vice president responsible for international business development at Singapore Technologies Telemedia. Between 2004 and 2008, he acted as senior country officer and president director for JP Morgan Indonesia.

After departing JP Morgan in April 2008, Wirjawan established Ancora Group with a focus on investment opportunities within Indonesia. Ancora Capital, the private equity segment of the Group, concentrates on mid-market growth enterprises primarily within consumer goods and natural resources industries.

He stepped away from Ancora in October 2009 to engage in public service until early 2014 before returning to the Ancora Group leadership in July 2014.

Public service

In October 2009, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed Wirjawan as chairman of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), during which foreign direct investment increased significantly from US$4.9 billion in 2009 to $21.2 billion by 2012.

He was named Minister of Trade for Indonesia in October 2011. Among his notable accomplishments was presiding over the Ninth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference held in Bali in December 2013, where representatives from 159 WTO member countries reached consensus on initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to global trade. Under his stewardship, a new trade law was enacted to replace the obsolete Dutch colonial-era legislation that had been in place for more than eight decades.

Wirjawan resigned from his ministerial role in February 2014 to run in the Democratic Party Convention primaries. Subsequently, he resumed his role at Ancora Group in July 2014.

Board memberships

Wirjawan holds a position on the international advisory board of Chubb Limited. Additionally, he participates in the Angsana Council, a non-profit organization committed to advancing businesses and economies in the region, and provides counsel to the global consultancy Macro Advisory Partners.

His past appointments include serving as commissioner for the state-owned oil and gas enterprise Pertamina, acting as an independent board director at Axiata Group Berhad, and fulfilling the role of independent commissioner at PT Excelcomindo Pratama, Tbk.

Involvement with prominent international research and academic bodies has seen Wirjawan contribute to boards such as Singapore Management University (SMU), the Center for Strategic and International Studies located in Washington D.C., and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies affiliated with Nanyang Technological University.

Endgame Podcast

In 2020, Wirjawan collaborated with the School of Government and Public Policy Indonesia and Visinema Pictures to introduce the Endgame podcast. Each installment, ranging from one to two hours, delves into vital issues both within his expertise and beyond, promoting strategic thinking over the long term. By August 2024, this podcast ranked among Indonesia’s leading educational channels, boasting 840 thousand subscribers and accumulating 7 billion views on YouTube.

A fervent supporter of lateral thinking, Wirjawan emphasizes its scarcity in addressing Indonesia’s commercial and policy dilemmas. The podcast explores an array of topics including philosophy, geopolitics, biohacking, and the arts.

Endgame has hosted distinguished international personalities such as Ray Dalio, Yuval Noah Harari, John Mearsheimer, and Sadhguru, marking their inaugural appearances on Indonesian media platforms.

Academic career

Since 2022, Wirjawan has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University's Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, where he engages in joint research projects and delivers lectures focused on nation-building in Southeast Asia. His initial publication from this tenure, released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) under the title Money Matters: Democratization and Economic Growth in Southeast Asia Report, examines pathways for regional advancement through financial inclusion, investment initiatives, trade facilitation, and effective governance. His subsequent paper, The Paradox of Sustainability: A Critique of the Modern World's Approach to Sustainable Development, critiques the difficulties faced by both developed and developing nations in reconciling environmental stewardship with economic growth.

In early 2024, Wirjawan was named a Fisher Family visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He also serves as a nonresident scholar within the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Acknowledging his efforts in fostering economic progress and supporting youth empowerment in Indonesia, Wirjawan was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration by Naresuan University in Thailand in 2013. Furthermore, he holds an honorary professorship from the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

Philanthropy

Wirjawan is passionately committed to advancing education as a key element in Indonesia’s progress. He established the Ancora Foundation to promote early childhood education and support higher education opportunities for gifted Indonesian students. The foundation facilitates teacher development programs at 450 kindergartens catering to disadvantaged children, referred to as "Sekolah Rakyat Ancora." Additionally, it offers scholarships enabling Indonesian scholars to pursue studies at prestigious universities worldwide, including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, Cambridge, Universiti Malaya, Nanyang Technological University, and Sciences Po. A lifelong golf enthusiast, Wirjawan also launched the Ancora Golf Institute and Ancora Sports to nurture Indonesian talents in golf, backing athletes such as George Gandranata, Rory Hie, and Jordan Irawan.

Music and films

Having played piano since the age of six, Wirjawan is a skilled jazz artist and music producer with a diverse portfolio that spans jazz, pop, lounge, boy band, and world music styles. His production work includes collaborations with artists like Cherokee, Bali Lounge, Tompi, Nial Djuliarso, Miss Kadaluarsa, Elvyn Masassya, Smash, and Dewi Lestari.

He is also a co-founder of Visinema Pictures, one of Indonesia’s foremost film production companies recognized for works such as Cahaya dari Timur: Beta Maluku, the Filosofi Kopi series, Nussa, Mencuri Raden Saleh, and 13 Bom di Jakarta.

Badminton Association of Indonesia

On 14 December 2012, Wirjawan was appointed chairman of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) for the 2012-2016 term. His vision was to revive Indonesia’s badminton supremacy reminiscent of its golden era during the 1970s and 1980s. To strengthen the organization, he enlisted former badminton greats such as Rexy Mainaky, Rudy Hartono, and Tan Yoe Hok. To integrate academic education with athletic development, he introduced a 'home-school' system within the training facility.

During his tenure, Indonesia achieved significant success including three gold medals at the BWF World Championships, four victories at the All England Open Badminton Championships, overall championship titles at the Southeast Asian Games in 2013 and 2015, two gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, and one gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Honours and awards

In July 2013, Wirjawan was bestowed the honorary title 'Sangaji Gam Ma Lamo' by the sultan of Ternate, North Molucca, Indonesia in recognition of his dedication to preserving local traditions and cultural heritage.

In January 2014, he received the knighthood 'KRT Djojonegoro' from Pakualaman Palace in Yogyakarta as acknowledgment of his efforts in safeguarding Pakualaman’s cultural legacy.

In October 2014, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono awarded him the Bintang Mahaputra Adipradana for his exceptional service as a cabinet official contributing to national advancement.