“NOT only is IT now the world’s fastest growing industry, but with a population of more than 240 million, Indonesia is unquestionably a promising global market for IT products,” says Yuliasiane Sulistiyawati, founder and president director of PT Pazia Pillar Mercycom, an authorized distributor of Acer and Samsung products.
Appointed a distributor of Acer notebook in 2005, PT Pazia has headed the pack for notebook sales in the country for five consecutive years. The company started business with Samsung in 2007 and has recorded an phenomenal increase in market shares and annual sales growth, as well as collected dozens of awards in various categories.
Yuliasiane recently won an outstanding entrepreneur award at the Asia-Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) 2009 by Enterprise Asia and Services Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 by Ernst & Young.
A great achievement indeed for the 36-year-old entrepreneur, but the journey has not been without setbacks. Despite the promising IT market, starting out was not easy for Yuliasiane. Established in July 2004, PT Pazia began as a distributor of Acer LCD Monitors with only five employees in a cramped rented office space. She said the company struggled to sell 200 units each month.
“As an old saying goes, the best way to predict your future is to create it. With the help of my team, we gradually increased the sales to 400 units. And within the second year of operation, we experienced a remarkable growth with sales reaching around 20,000 units!” she said excitedly.
The growth is due to a number of successful business strategies. Aside from maintaining affordable price with high quality of products and services, PT Pazia conducts road shows, joins exhibitions and utilizes an advertising campaign.
As the helm of the operations, Yuliasiane’s tasks include developing and implementing business strategies as well as reporting to shareholders and the parent board.
With drive and persistence, Yuliasiane has made her mark in Indonesia’s IT industry. PT Pazia now employs dozens of staff and partners with 50 master dealers throughout Indonesia carrying products such as Acer Notebook, Samsung LCD Monitor, Samsung Printer and Projector.
Yuliasiane said that her philosophy of providing excellent quality service and developing a pervasive alliance with customers, suppliers and employees was what has driven her company to success. Yuliasiane believes that her educational background and work experience played a big role in making the decision to establish PT Pazia.
Soon after she earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science from Bina Nusantara University in 1996, Yuliasiane worked as a sales and marketing manager at Digiland Indonesia, a regional distributor for various brands of computer and accessories. She held the position until 2004. At the same time, Yuliasiane pursued her master’s degree at Pelita Harapan University where she earned her Masters in Management in marketing and finance in 2003.
The busy career woman is the mother of a nine-year-old son, Wilbert, and a 11-year-old daughter, Auriel. Amid her busy work schedule Yuliasiane finds time for fun activities with her husband and children such as going to the mall, horse riding and ice-skating.
“My children enjoy horse riding and ice-skating. They are taking the equestrian program at Arthayasa Stables and regularly ice-skate at Taman Anggrek Mall’s ice-skating rink. When we travel abroad, both sports are among the activities we like to do above anything else like shopping and dining. In addition, I have also instilled in my children a love for reading since childhood. They love spending time at a bookstore when we go to a mall,” she said.
An admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa for their down-to-earth leadership, Yuliasiane treats each of her employees as a member of a professional family. “We cannot grow big without the help of others. So, we really focus on utilizing our human resources optimally toward becoming team players,” she asserted. Asked what her long-term goals were, she replied, “We aim to double our revenue in the next three years.”
In an expansion drive, PT Pazia is currently in the process of opening 18 outlets at 18 prominent shopping centers. “With the name ‘Shoppe De Pazia,’ all the outlets are expected to open by mid 2010”, Yuliasiane said, adding that she is looking forward to seeing PT Pazia go public. (Ollie Sungkar)
The Jakarta Post, February 10, 2010
