Description

Indonesia, together with China and India, are the only emerging economies that showed remarkable resilience during the global economic crisis, and at the same time showed strong economic performance. It is the largest ASEAN member and now an active member of the G-20. Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the World, and has the largest Muslim population.

The presentation will focus on how Indonesia has managed to achieve such progress, and how it will use its growing importance in the new regional and global economic architecture.

About the speaker:

Mahendra Siregar, age 47, is Vice Minister of Trade since his appointment by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on 11 November 2009.

He graduated with a Bachelor degree in Economics from University of Indonesia in 1986, and received a Master in Economics from Monash University in 1991. Mahendra joined the Foreign Affairs Ministry in 1986 and was assigned to various postings including Economic Third Secretary of the Indonesian Embassy in London (1992-1995) and Information Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC (1998-2001).

He joined Coordinating Ministry in late 2001 as Special Assistant to Minister Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti. He was then appointed as Deputy Minister in charge of International Economic and Financial Relations in May 2005 by Minister Aburizal Bakrie. He maintained the assignment during Coordinating Minister Boediono (2006-2008) and Coordinating Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (2008-2009).

He was then appointed as Chairman and CEO of the newly established Indonesia Eximbank in September 2009 until December 2009. He was a member of Board of Commissioners of Indonesian Aircraft Manufacturing Company PTDI (2003-2008) and PT Antam, Tbk (2008-2009). He was a member the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund Board representing Asia (2007-2009). He is President Yudhoyono’s Sherpa to the G-20 meetings.