Wimar Witoelar
Last Updated: August 2005
Public Activities
Starting to be politically engaged as Chairman of the Student Council at ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology), he has taken the position of concerned independent observer. This resulted in a month’s detention by the Soeharto government and pressure to leave his teaching position at ITB. Active in the reform movement through his talk show Perspektif (1994), he was eventually recruited as Chief Presidential Spokesman for President Abdurrahman Wahid.
Currently Wimar is back in the private sector. Television and radio engagements present his public profile in addition to personal appearances and articles in Indonesian and international media. Known mostly as a political commentator, he has expanded the application of common sense to provide perspectives on a diverse range of topics. In the same month he can be a judge in the Miss Indonesia contest, attend an exclusive dinner in the diplomatic circle of Jakarta, and act as commentator to the President’s annual speech to the parliament.
He was a regular panelist during the entire life span of the ABC TV Asia Pacific current affairs weekly show ‘The Editors‘ broadcast from Singapore, written articles and quotes in Time, Newsweek, The International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Straits Times, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Financial Review. He was a columnist for Singapore’s TODAY newspaper, Australian newspapers and UK ‘s The Guardian. Wimar had a cartoon column in HUMOR magazine and a business column in the tabloid KONTAN and Business Week Indonesia. He also writes for The Jakarta Post and Indonesia ‘s largest daily KOMPAS. His columns are now a regular feature in the AREA and Djakarta! commercial publications.
Wimar has published several books including the popular ‘No Regrets‘, a memoir of his days with President Wahid published by Equinox Publishing and available at amazon.com. Written in English, it was successfully launched in Jakarta, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, New York and Washington DC. His previous books (in the Indonesian language) include the playfully ideological ‘Towards an Ordinary People’s Party’ and ‘Stealing Clarity from Confusion’ both reprinted by popular demand, and his first book in communications, ‘Perspektif’, based on the landmark television show. His latest book is ‘A Book About Nothing‘, a collection of his writings for Djakarta! magazine. The prominent Indonesian novelist Fira Basuki recently published an informal biography on Wimar titled ‘Hell, Yeah!‘, written in Indonesian.
Professional Career
Having started out as a university lecturer, he is now Adjunct Professor at Deakin University (Australia), after a period as Visiting Professor in Journalism and Public Relations in early 2002.
Wimar started out in 1975 teaching and conducting research at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Holding three university degrees including an MBA in Finance and Investments, he has focused on management topics. He later became a management consultant, serving clients ranging from the Asian Development Bank to Indonesian government agencies and private sector companies. Highlights of his consulting work include restructuring and planning for PT Bukit Asam (largest coal mining company), PT Timah (largest tin mining company), Perusahaan Gas Nasional (the national gas company), PJKA (the national railways), the IMT-GT (Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Growth Triangle) and BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Indonesia Malaysia Philippines East Asean Growth Area). Wimar has been active in the financial sector, founding the first privately owned Venture Capital Company and holding the Chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Venture Capital at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).
In 1996 the success of his media career caused him to shift the focus of his consulting firm InterMatrix Indonesia (founded 1986). InterMatrix now provides media and public relations services as well as event organizing. They serve a diverse list of clients including PT TELKOM, PT Semen Padang, Paiton Energy, The World Bank and others listed in www.intermatrix.co.id. Wimar is frequently invited to speak on current topics and communications issues to general audiences and corporate management briefing sessions.
Education and Background
Studied at ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) transferred to the George Washington University in Washington, DC, USA and graduated in 1975 with an MBA in Finance and Investments after receiving the MS in Systems Analysis and BS in Electrical Engineering. Taught at the ITB, full-time in 1975-1981 and part-time in the Post Graduate program up till the present. Fields of teaching include Financial Analysis and Corporate Strategy.
Personals
Born July 14, 1945 in Padalarang, West Java, youngest of five. His wife, neurologist Suvatchara Witoelar, passed away in 2003. They have two sons Satya Tulaka (1975) an architect and web developer operating through Tulakom, and Aree Widya (1978), an MSc. in Computational Physics and a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science in Groningen, the Netherlands. Satya is married to Dyah Sekar Sari Kusumo Wardani, an architect now building up her own partnership in Juxtapose specializing in interior design. Aree is married to Cinthya Sopaheluwakan, a physics graduate of ITB now studying for an MBA at Hanzehogeschool Groningen.
Office
PT InterMatrix Indonesia
Dutamas Fatmawati #C2-19
Jakarta 12150, Indonesia
Phone +62-21-72790028
Fax +62-21-7229994
SMS +62-811-811291 (filtered)
Email wimar@witoelar.com (direct)
