Nurhayati Subakat is known as the founder of Wardah Cosmetics. She is one of many successful female entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Wardah Cosmetics is recognized as a brand for Muslim women. Currently, Nurhayati Subakat serves as the CEO of PT Paragon Technology and Innovation, a company that manages the brands Wardah, Make Over, as well as haircare products under Putri and IX.
Biography of Nurhayati Subakat
Nurhayati Subakat was born in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, on July 27, 1950. She is the second of eight siblings.
She attended school at the Diniyyah Puteri Islamic Boarding School in Padang Panjang before moving to the city of Padang to continue her education.
Since childhood, Nurhayati has been known for her intelligence. This Minangkabau girl successfully gained admission to the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), majoring in Pharmacy. It was during her time at ITB that she met her future husband, Sabakat Hadi.
After completing her studies on time, she returned to her hometown in West Sumatra and worked at a hospital in Padang as a pharmacist.
After working at the hospital for a while, Nurhayati later moved to Jakarta and joined a well-known cosmetics company as a quality control staff member.
Starting Her Own Business
Nurhayati Subakat's career at the cosmetics company progressed well, but she eventually decided to leave and pursue her own business venture. Drawing on the experience she gained while working at the company, she set out to create a shampoo brand called Puteri. She operated her business from home with the help of a single employee, her own housemaid.
Nurhayati began introducing her products to salons around Jakarta. Gradually, her products started gaining acceptance among consumers.