Tandean Rustandy has created, from the ground up, one of the best-performing businesses in the Indonesian building materials market. Since founding his company in 1993, Rustandy has dedicated himself to its growth and success and, in doing so, has also helped to advance his native country's development.
Though born in a small Indonesian town, Rustandy received an international education. Being a nationalist, he opted to return to his homeland after completing his studies, to begin his career in the local timber industry. Despite a lack of experience in the industry, Rustandy went on to found PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, a ceramic products manufacturer and distributor. For more than a decade, he relied on his instincts and vision for growth through innovation, efficiency, and integrity to help Arwana expand in both size and production capacity.
In 2005, he entered Chicago Booth's Executive MBA Program Asia, hoping to gain a deeper financial education and the broader skill set necessary to successfully run a company. His degree improved his business strategy and encouraged him to approach decisions from a data-driven perspective. Today, Rustandy's success in expanding Arwana through continuous innovation has catapulted the company to the top of its industry and has earned Rustandy multiple entrepreneurship and corporate leadership awards.