Karen Agustiawan facts for kids

Karen Galaila Agustiawan (born Galaila Karen Kardinah; 19 October 1958) is an Indonesian business leader. She was the president director and CEO of Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company, Pertamina, from 2009 to 2014. In 2011, Forbes magazine recognized her as one of "Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen."

Early Life and Career Journey

Karen Agustiawan was born on October 19, 1958. Her father, Dr. Sumiyatno, was a respected figure who became the first Indonesian representative to the World Health Organization. He also led the Biofarma pharmaceutical company.

In 1983, Karen graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology with a degree in Engineering physics. She first thought about becoming a professor. However, her father encouraged her to explore a career in business. After college, she joined Mobil, a large oil company. There, she worked as a quality controller for projects that involved finding oil and gas deep underground using sound waves (seismic drilling). Later, she became a project leader in the company's computing department for exploration.

Rising Through the Ranks

In 1998, Karen left Mobil to work at Landmark Concurrent Solusi, which was the Indonesian branch of Landmark Graphics Corporation. This company specialized in software for the oil and gas industry. When Landmark merged with Halliburton, another big energy services company, Karen was promoted. In 2002, she became a project manager for oil and gas accounts.

Her career continued to advance when she joined Pertamina. In 2006, she made history by becoming the first woman to lead Pertamina's upstream division. This division focuses on finding and producing oil and gas.

Leading Pertamina

In February 2009, Karen Agustiawan was appointed CEO and president director of Pertamina. This was a major milestone, as she was the first woman to hold this top position in the company's history. During her time as CEO, she worked on developing new energy sources, such as gas found in coal beds. She also helped set up a system to distribute liquefied natural gas (LNG) with Perusahaan Listrik Negara, Indonesia's state electricity company.

In June 2013, the Indonesian government reappointed her for a second five-year term as CEO of Pertamina. She was one of the few CEOs of Pertamina in many years to complete her full term.

In August 2014, it was announced that she had resigned from her position. The minister for state-owned enterprises, Dahlan Iskan, mentioned that she had received an offer to teach at Harvard University in the United States. Karen accepted this offer and later joined the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard as an International Council Member.

Personal Life

Karen Agustiawan is married to Herman Agustiawan. He works at Indonesia's National Energy Council. They have three children.