Flexible leadership focused on individuals

YON Handoyo’s true calling is in the world of sales and marketing, especially consumer goods. Although he ventured into the banking industry, Yon eventually returned to where his strengths and passion lie. From his beginnings at PT Wicaksana Overseas International as Business Development Executive, the career of the alumnus of Engineering and Industrial Management at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) has flourished and has always been closely related to sales and marketing. He is recognized as an expert in his field, and was recently selected the Marketer of the Year by MarkPlus & Co.

It is one of many accolades for the father of two, but the proof of his success comes in the workplace. Since taking the reins of PT Fonterra Brands Indonesia (FBI) five years ago as its first Indonesian CEO, the performance of the dairy company has improved significantly. “For the past five years Indonesia has been able to meet or even surpass the target set by our headquarters for our sales, profit and working capital,” he said.

The company’s human resources have also improved. For the past two years FBI has achieved a high rating for its people engagement.  “The performance standard of our human resources is already world class now,” said Yon, 46.

FBI’s brands, such as Anlene, Anmum, Anchor and WAM, are also performing extremely well. In 2010 FBI was named The Best Operating Country for Fonterra Asia and the Middle East.

Yon emphasizes that FBI’s success is inseparable from the contribution of its employees. As a leader he prioritizes clear direction, organization alignment and synergy of functions, a solid team and employee engagement to ensure their optimal contribution.

The former SVP of Bank International Indonesia clearly defines the duties and responsibilities of employees to gain maximum results. He also expects them to understand their contribution toward the organization. “I believe everybody has his or her own uniqueness, that’s why I apply a leadership style that is customized for each individual,” he explained.

He describes himself as a leader who usually concentrates on the middle and long term strategy. But in an emergency situation he can focus on micro or detailed matters. “My leadership style is flexible,” said Yon, who aspires to share his learning as a teacher after he retires.

His own unique management technique is a one-on-one meeting with each subordinate. Work-related as well as personal issues are discussed during such meetings. It allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the individual employee’s concerns. “It is more difficult to understand [an issue] thoroughly if it’s done in groups,” he said. “The same method is used by my subordinates with their direct subordinates.”

He says he is transparent with employees about the company’s performance, which he believes is important to foster a sense of belonging among the workforce. Also crucial is for him to be a role model through his activities and achievements. He always encourages them to keep on learning, both formally and through other means. “Continue learning, that’s very important,” said Yon, who is a student of the PhD program in Strategic Management at the School of Economics, University of Indonesia.

Besides continual learning, Yon also says employees must always prepare themselves to do more work than has been assigned them to seize new opportunites. “All this can come out clearly during the one-on-one meetings,” he said.

FBI still holds huge potential for further growth as milk consumption in Indonesia is very low, at about 11 liters per person per year, while in New Zealand it is more than 100 liters per person per year. “The market potential is still very large, that’s why we keep on educating the market, investing in our brands and preparing our organization fully.”

The company has solid assets, he added. First, Fonterra is a company that focuses solely on dairy products and it has over 100 years of experience. Additionally it is a New Zealand company that is known to be the best producer of milk in the world. “Equally important is the fact that our company is quite aggressive in its brand investment.”

Yon is also making preparations for his organization to face the future. The strategy includes his succession plan to have replacements at the ready for every position.  “Ideally we would like the organization to develop from internal personnel, but sometimes we have to recruit talent externally,” he said.

He has therefore prioritized internal development, which is evaluated regularly, and also talent development to boost the existing potential in the organization. (T. Hidayat)

The Jakarta Post, January 28, 2012

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/28/profile-yon-handoyo-flexible-leadership-focused-individuals.html