"Flying High: How Susi Pudjiastuti Built Susi Air into Indonesia's Leading Private Airline"

Who is unfamiliar with Dr. (H.C.) Susi Pudjiastuti, the ex-Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in the 2014-2019 working cabinet, is a strong woman who has consistently been a source of motivation for numerous individuals, particularly the Indonesian youth. Her birthplace is Pangandaran, Central Java, born on January 15, 1965 (now 59 years old), and the child of Hajjah Suwuh Lasminah and Ahmad Karlan. Susi, the descendant of Haji Ireng, a well-known property owner in Central Java, was recognized for her livestock farming in the local area. The Susi family's animal trading business transported numerous animals from Central Java to West Java for shipment.

Susi encountered difficulties during her time in school. She went to SMPN 1 Pangandaran for her junior high school studies. Afterwards, she proceeded with her senior high school studies at SMA Negeri 1 Yogyakarta. Nonetheless, she was forced to leave high school during her second year because of constant sickness and a belief that the educational system was not a good fit for her, ultimately causing her to abandon her education. 

Susi did not feel unhappy or demotivated after quitting. In 1983 in Pangandaran, she came up with ideas to establish a small business as a fish trader with a starting capital of Rp 750,000. In 1996, she had experienced considerable expansion in her business, enabling her to save up enough money to create a fish processing company, PT ASI Pudjiastuti Marine Product, which featured the "Susi Brand" for its main product, lobster. This business achieved success both in its home country and overseas, specifically in Asia and America. As her business thrived, Susi required air transport to deliver her seafood promptly to customers.

In 2004, she purchased two Cessna Caravan aircraft by securing a loan from a state-owned bank. She established PT ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation to transport her fresh lobsters, guaranteeing the quality of the product. Susi's success was not solely a result of her hard work but also with the assistance from her husband, Christian Von Strombeck, a German pilot, who collaborated with her on building their business. 

As Susi's business expanded, the 2004 Aceh tsunami resulted in many deaths and a temporary closure of all access to Aceh. For a period of two weeks, Susi loaned her aircraft for the purpose of providing assistance to those affected by the tsunami. Two weeks later, she was requested by humanitarian organizations to keep providing her planes for relief missions. This caused Susi to wholeheartedly dedicate herself to the field of aviation. In 2012, she owned an aviation firm with a fleet of 50 aircraft. She was recognized for her ability to develop a career as an entrepreneur and became renowned as a successful businesswoman despite not having a college degree.

As Susi's business expanded, the 2004 Aceh tsunami resulted in many deaths and a temporary closure of all access to Aceh. For a period of two weeks, Susi loaned her aircraft for the purpose of providing assistance to those affected by the tsunami. Two weeks later, she was requested by humanitarian organizations to keep providing her planes for relief missions. 

This caused Susi to wholeheartedly dedicate herself to the field of aviation. In 2012, she owned an aviation firm with a fleet of 50 aircraft. She was recognized for her ability to develop a career as an entrepreneur and became renowned as a successful businesswoman despite not having a college degree.

Susi resigned from her role as president director of PT ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation in 2014 and was named Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla's working cabinet for the 2014-2019 term. Susi decided to prevent a conflict of interest by stepping down as both Minister and company president director. Susi gained a lot of fame, particularly following her swearing-in ceremony, during which she was spotted smoking and displaying tattoos, a rare sight for a government official. 

She received both backlash and compliments for bravely being authentic and not hiding her true personality from the public. In addition to her success as an entrepreneur, she also thrived in her role as a Minister. Susi was successful in cracking down on illegal fishing in Indonesian waters, an issue that had been previously ignored. She went as far as to purchase illegal boats. Consequently, Susi achieved widespread positive acclaim, both at home and abroad. She received the "Leaders for a Living Planet Award" from WWF International for her dedication to protecting Indonesia's marine resources.

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