Real market leadership: growing maturity & business acumen

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From startup dreams to real market leadership

After graduating from business management school and spending a year in Business Development at e-commerce company, Thobie was part of a generation drawn to Indonesia’s fast‑growing startup scene.

Startups were exciting. Fast. Ambitious. 

But along the way, he noticed something that stayed with him. Leaders with a strong FMCG Sales background carried a different kind of edge. They didn’t just talk strategy, they built plans that were practical, clear, and grounded in real milestones. Execution mattered as much as ideas. That realization led Thobie to make a bold decision early in his career: to build a strong foundation in Sales.

 

Almost on impulse, he applied to the Management Trainee Sales Program at Frisian Flag Indonesia: a decision that would shape his journey far more than he expected. The Management Trainee program exposed Thobie to the full sales ecosystem, far beyond textbooks and theory. He was learning to understand how decisions impact execution end‑to‑end, frontline realities, lead people and performance and connect commercial strategy with brand thinking. It sharpened his understanding of operations, leadership, and accountability.

Sales, he learned, wasn’t just about numbers, it was about people, systems, and decisions under pressure.

A defining challenge: Maluku

After some years, Thobie received an assignment that surprised him: Area Sales Manager for Maluku. While many peers were placed across Java, he was trusted with one of the most geographically complex regions in Indonesia, an archipelago with Ambon as a major hub in Eastern Indonesia. Under the right mentorship, Thobie quickly understood the significance of the role. 

 

Handling Maluku wasn’t just about growing sales. It demanded stakeholder management, tactical thinking, and operational leadership, lessons no classroom could fully teach. Strong mentorship, coupled with his own resilience, helped him find his footing.

 

Several things continue to drive Thobie forward:a genuine love for challenges and solving complex problems and strong family motivation as an only child living far from home. The ability to build community wherever he goes, even forming a local badminton group also define the journey. A deep appreciation for Maluku’s natural beauty, a place he might never have explored otherwise. Each assignment became more than a job. It became a personal journey of growth.

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Open culture, real support

At Frisian Flag Indonesia, Thobie found an environment where he could truly Unleash His Nature. Rather than micromanaging, his leaders focused on coaching, guiding him toward his own goals, always anchored in strong business ethics.

The philosophy came to life in tangible ways. He was encouraged to dream big, including a personal ambition to become the youngest Regional Manager. He was trusted to take ownership of his journey and his growth (personal and professional) was fully supported.

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