Sukanto Tanoto has been long known not only as one of the wealthiest people in Indonesia, but also an entrepreneur who is never afraid to put his often unconventional ideas into practice, while also embracing involvement in philanthropy. A visionary leader and a pioneer in several different areas of industry, Sukanto Tanoto started working at his father’s business, expanding the enterprise gradually and transforming a small trading company into what is today one of the largest global corporations in the world.
Sukanto Tanoto has spent almost half a century in business. The main profile of his corporation is the production of palm oil and the manufacturing of pulp and paper, and Tanoto has certainly come a long way since he first started work in his teen years. The family business he took over decades ago was a small trading company – a company that, under the leadership of Tanoto, has become one of the major players in the forestry industry since then. His success is largely due to the responsible business approach he has been adopting – responsible towards the community and the country as well.
Sukanto Tanoto is now 66 years of age, but he has no intention of slowing down. Currently he is seeking ways of expanding his business in the energy sector – he is now involved in the construction of a new LNG plant in Canada – while also consolidating his corporation’s position in the cellulose and paper industry, and all this is done in plants that aim for perfect quality and zero defect and use sustainable technologies.
Tanoto has ambitious and well-laid plans at a personal level as well. He believes in the idea of having a family business, so he is actively preparing his children to take over the company while he himself is planning to travel and learn new things after he retires. Sukanto Tanoto has a crystal-clear image of what he will be doing after retirement, but he is still very actively present in the life of the corporation he owns – and is planning to stay active for years to come, to help grow the community, as well as the country.