Sonita Lontoh

Sonita Lontoh
Born	Jakarta, Indonesia
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, corporate executive, board member
Years active	Late 1990s–present
Known for	Board positions at Sunrun and TrueBlue; executive roles at HP Inc., Siemens, PG&E

Sonita Lontoh is an American entrepreneur of Indonesian origin who holds board positions at Sunrun and TrueBlue. Her executive background includes leadership roles at HP Inc., Siemens, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

Early life and education

Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Lontoh relocated to the United States to pursue higher education at the University of California, Berkeley, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering and operations research. She further advanced her studies by earning a Master of Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed an MBA at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Career

During the late 1990s, Lontoh co-established an online gaming enterprise that initially aimed to develop a search engine targeting the Greater China region but shifted focus to gaming due to evolving market dynamics. The venture was successfully sold after leveraging the booming demand in the gaming industry.

Following her graduate education, she assumed significant positions within the energy sector, including at PG&E, where she concentrated on renewable energy initiatives. She also held executive responsibilities at Trilliant and Siemens, particularly within Siemens’ digital grid operations.

Between 2018 and 2022, Lontoh served as a senior leader at HP Inc., overseeing divisions related to Personalization, 3D Printing, and Digital Manufacturing. In 2021, she was appointed to the boards of renewable energy company Sunrun and workforce management firm TrueBlue. Additionally, she provides strategic guidance to venture capital firm Sway Ventures and participates on the industry advisory board for UC Berkeley's Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation. Lontoh is also affiliated with the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Recognition

Her contributions have been acknowledged by former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who highlighted Lontoh’s involvement as a mentor and selection committee member for the U.S. State Department's TechWomen initiative. In 2012, she earned recognition as a Global Emerging Leader under 40 by the National Association of Asian MBAs. The Asian Hall of Fame inducted her in 2017 in honor of outstanding Asian Pacific American accomplishments. In 2020, she was among the first group inducted into the Women in Manufacturing Association's Hall of Fame. The subsequent year, Tatler Asia featured her among technology’s "Most Influential," while San Francisco Business Times named her one of the "Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business" in 2023.

Lontoh has been invited to speak at prominent events such as President Barack Obama's Global Entrepreneurship Summit hosted by the White House, and participated in a digital transformation roundtable convened by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Her leadership has consistently been recognized by senior government officials, reflecting her significant impact within technology and business sectors.

See also

• List of Kellogg School of Management alumni
• List of Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni
• List of University of California, Berkeley alumni