Gunawan Jusuf, Indonesian Business Leader

As the chief executive of the Sugar Group Companies, Gunawan Jusuf has been able to pull together a very diverse collection of companies and resources to generate an enormous level of growth in a number of sugar products, including one of the most popular products in all of Indonesia, Gulaku, a premium, commercial, refined sugar product that has grown to become one of the most popular brands in all of Indonesia.

This is no mean feat. The Sugar Group Companies isn’t actually one single company, but rather a collection of independent companies all operating under the same umbrella. In addition to a number of plantations and refineries throughout Indonesia, Sugar Group Companies operates from nearly a dozen offices located throughout Indonesia. That means Gunawan Jusuf’s primary job as CEO is to make sure all of those resources work together in harmony. That includes making sure that every employee, subsidiary company and all of the many offices, plantations and refineries are all working together. It is that accomplishment that may very well define Gunawan Jusuf as a business leader.

Recently, Sugar Group CEO Gunawan Jusuf published a book, entitled “Blue Gold,” in which he writes very frankly about the state of water in the world, including the relative scarcity and the high value of water as our most important and precious commodity. With his business background, Gunawan Jusuf certainly understands the subject of natural resources better than most. Not only is water crucial to the lives of every living being on the planet, but it is essential to business and economic growth, as well. If business is to continue to grow in the future, sustainability will be key.