Martua Sitorus
Martua Sitorus | |
|---|---|
| File:Martua Sitorus.jpg | |
| Born | 18 February 1960 |
| Occupation(s) | Co-Founder, Non Executive Director (since April 2017) of Wilmar International |
| Known for | Indonesia's 12th wealthiest people (Dec 2020), 1196th world (Dec 2020) |
| Spouse | Rosa Taniasuri Ong |
| Children | 5 |
Martua Sitorus (originally named Thio Seng Hap, born in 1960) is a prominent Indonesian entrepreneur and a leading figure in the palm oil industry. Previously ranked as Indonesia's fourth wealthiest individual and placed #377 globally, his position shifted to fifteenth within Indonesia by December 2018, according to Forbes. Alongside partner Kuok Khoon Hong, he established the Singapore-based company Wilmar International, recognized as the largest palm oil producer worldwide.
Wilmar International's business portfolio includes oil palm cultivation, oilseed crushing, refining edible oils, sugar milling, specialty fats production, oleochemicals, biodiesel and fertilizer manufacturing, as well as grain processing. The enterprise manages more than 300 manufacturing facilities and maintains a distribution network spanning China, India, Indonesia, the United States, and approximately 50 additional countries.
Personal life
Originating from Pematang Siantar in North Sumatra, Martua obtained a degree in economics from the University of HKBP Nomensen located in Medan. His initial professional activities involved trading fish before transitioning into the palm oil and mesocarp trading sectors.
Wilmar International
Martua co-founded Wilmar International Limited with Kuok Khoon Hong, who is related to Malaysian business magnate Robert Kuok as his nephew. By the year 1991, Martua had acquired ownership of 7,100 hectares of palm plantations and had established a palm oil refinery situated in North Sumatra. The company experienced rapid growth; by 2013 it encompassed over 50 subsidiaries and operated around 300 manufacturing plants globally. In addition to Wilmar, Martua possesses London's Aviva Tower and Medan’s Murni Teguh Memorial Hospital—a facility named in honor of his mother—which was inaugurated on 12 December 2012.
In collaboration with Roys Poyiadjis during 2014, Sitorus engaged in developing Japan’s largest biofuel power plant, supported by a $1.5 billion feed-in tariff deal spanning two decades.
Gama Corporation
In 2011, Martua joined forces with his older brother Ganda Thio to establish Gama Corporation, a conglomerate involved in property development, cement production, and other industries through its subsidiaries Gama Land and Semen Merah Putih. The name "Gama" is derived from combining the founders' first names: Ganda and Martua. Gama Corporation owns the iconic 64-story Gama Tower located in Rasuna Said, Jakarta—the tallest structure within Indonesia. The upper floors of this tower house the Jakarta branch of the Westin Hotel, positioned above Gama Corporation’s corporate offices.