Elia vows to continue Pertamina transformation
Friday, March 17 2017 - 01:37 AM WIB
Petromindo
Newly-appointed President Director of state-owned oil and gas firm PT Pertamina Elia Massa Manik vowed to continue transformation at the company amid the lingering volatile oil market condition and as the company is tasked to help realize the national energy security.
Elia said that among of his key priorities will be to strengthen human resources at Pertamina by nurturing positive corporate culture and further improve efficiency.
?Continuing transformation by focusing on strengthening positive culture of the human resources in Pertamina will be an important agenda. With plenty of important projects to be realized to help achieve national energy security, gaining trust becomes very important so that the projects can be implemented properly,? he said following the company?s shareholders meeting on Thursday, which among others appointed him into the top post at the company.
Elia succeeds Dwi Sutjipto, who was dismissed early in February along with vice president director Ahmad Bambang amid conflict between the two senior Pertamina officials.
Born in Kabanjahe, Karo Regency, North Sumatra, 59 years ago, Elia?s previous position before assuming the Pertamina top post was president director of state-owned PTPN III, a holding company for 14 state-owned plantation firms, where he is said to have been successful in carrying restructuring program and efficiency drive at the plantation firms.
A graduate of Bandung Institute of Technology and Asean Institute of Management in the Philippines, Elia is no stranger to the oil and gas industry as between July 2011 until 2014 he was president director of oil and gas services firm PT Elnusa Tbk, where he was credited for his success in helping to turn around the company which had suffered from graft practices in the past.
Elia started his career at IDX-listed instant noodle giant PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk, and then moved to Suez Group, and had stints in paper maker PT Kiani Kertas, and property developer PT Jababeka.
Despite his extensive track record in the corporate sector, Elia described his task at Pertamina as quite tough as the country?s energy sector still rely on fossil energy at a time when oil reserves are declining while consumption is increasing. ?This position is quite challenging for me, if I can? provide significant contribution and deviates from my obligation, just fire me,? he said.
The government has high hopes on Elia to be able to lead Pertamina in meeting a number of targets. ?The new (president) director is expected to be able to make Pertamina more solid in implementing its strategic roles in the national energy sector, particularly meeting the performance targets and key programs such as the single fuel oil price policy, refinery expansion projects, and upstream projects worth tens of billions of dollars,? said Deputy for Financial Services Business, Survey Business and Consultancy at the Office of the State Minister of State Owned Enterprises Gatot Trihargo.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak