Answer Gender Bias: SIG Operations Director Reni Wulandari invites women to show performance and professionalism

JAKARTA - Reni Wulandari is a professional with more than 25 years of experience in the cement industry. Interestingly, as a woman, most of her career journey was in the operating area dominated by men. Thanks to her dedication and competence, Reni was trusted to serve as the Director of Operations of PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (SIG) since April 2023, as well as the first woman to occupy that position at SIG.

Reni, who is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from Diponegoro University and Master of Business Administration from Swiss German University, has held various strategic positions in the SIG Group environment. He started his career as General Manager of Tuban Plant and Narogong Plant at PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk (SBI), one of SIG's subsidiaries. Furthermore, Reni was entrusted to be the Operations Director at PT Semen Gresik before finally being appointed as the Operations Director of SIG through the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (RUPST) on April 18, 2023.

"Since the first day of taking on the trust as the Director of SIG Operations, I have applied the Visible-Felt Leadership approach. The presence of leaders and direct interaction in the field is very important, especially in the operational area dominated by male employees. As part of the gender minority, I have not experienced any obstacles related to gender bias in carrying out changes to support SIG operations. This shows that gender equality in SIG is not just a slogan, but has been implemented throughout the line," said Reni.

As the recipient of the The Most Extraordinary Women Business Leaders 2024 award from SWA Magazine, Reni emphasized that career opportunities in heavy industry sectors such as cement require high competence and consistency.

"Not through arguments or debates to obtain equal treatment, but by showing that gender equality is able to increase profitability, innovation, and productivity through diversity of perspectives," he added.

Furthermore, Reni assessed that SIG and other SOEs have provided equal opportunities for women and men to develop. This is a response to business needs, where gender equality is one of the factors that drive the improvement of organizational performance.

"In a merit-based work environment, focusing on competence, qualifications, performance, and professionalism will be an advantage for the organization," he explained.

The Director of Human Capital SIG, Hadi Setiadi, added that the company has a Fair Employment Opportunity Policy which guarantees fair and equal opportunities for all employees. This policy is also a form of respect for Human Rights (HAM) and support for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia.

"We ensure that there is no discrimination in the recruitment and selection process for management and senior positions. All processes are carried out transparently based on competence and performance, not gender factors," said Hadi.

SIG also provides various facilities to support the needs of female employees, such as maternity leave, lactation rooms, and menstrual leave. In addition, SIG formed a community of female employees 'Srikandi SIG' as a platform for empowerment and talent development through various learning programs.

"As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive work environment, SIG also implements a Respectful Workplace Policy to protect all company personnel from all forms of harassment and violence. Thus, a safe, conducive, and productive work environment is created," concluded Hadi.