Indonesia's CEOs gain favour as media spotlight links leadership to national growth

A new CARMA study has revealed that Indonesia’s top corporate leaders are being framed by the national media as central contributors to the country’s development agenda, with sustainability narratives gaining traction only when tied to broader economic priorities.

The report, “CEO Media Index: What Media Narratives Reveal About Indonesian CEOs”, analyses how the ten most visible CEOs in Indonesia are portrayed across Tier-1 online outlets, tracking sentiment, narrative framing and reputational themes.

Across all ten leaders, favourability scores were positive. Yet the study notes that intense competition for visibility has made it difficult for CEOs to stand out - especially around sustainability, where narratives increasingly resemble one another. The differentiator, according to CARMA, is how effectively leaders connect sustainability efforts to national development. Those able to articulate this link were “covered with favourable tone and prominence”.

Don't miss: Study: 43% of Filipino CEO media coverage centres on sustainability, but ethics left behind

The study also highlights that while most negative mentions were short-lived, stories touching on ethics and governance - such as responsible resource use or compliance with company policy - tended to linger and held greater influence over perceptions of leadership integrity.

“Leadership visibility influences perceptions of trust, stability and strategic direction. Increasingly, there is an expectation for CEOs to communicate across broader topics and media formats. While this presents new opportunities to engage, it also presents an element of reputational risk. Analysing leadership narratives helps organisations understand where the opportunities lie,” said Andrew Nicholls, managing director at CARMA.

According to the findings, sustainability aligned with Indonesia’s development priorities emerged as the strongest driver of positive coverage. Executives who grounded their corporate initiatives in the national economic agenda recorded the most favourable media narratives.

Leaders from PLN (Darmawan Prasodjo), Pertamina (Simon Aloysius Mantiri) and BRI (Hery Gunardi) gained positive coverage by linking their initiatives to electrification, energy security and economic growth. Even low-visibility leaders can benefit from this approach: MIND ID’s Maroef Sjamsoeddin achieved the highest favourability by framing sustainability as core to the company’s mission, reinforced by his statement on “Mining for Indonesia and the World.”

Transparent engagement also improved reputational outcomes. Pertamina’s Simon Aloysius Mantiri was cited as a case in point, with the study noting that “open engagement helped defuse criticism” during adverse coverage.

Sector-wise, CEOs from energy, banking and telecommunications dominated visibility - reflecting their importance during a period of structural transition. Energy leaders steered media conversations around growth, the energy transition and development commitments, underscoring the sector’s strategic role.

In banking, BRI’s Hery Gunardi achieved the strongest visibility by anchoring business performance discussions in macroeconomic indicators and national policies. Meanwhile, in telecommunications, AI narratives were shaped by distinct leadership voices: Telkom’s Dian Siswarini emphasised innovation and global partnerships, while Indosat’s Vikram Sinha prioritised digital security and infrastructure resilience.

The “CEO Media Index: What Media Narratives Reveal About Indonesian CEOs” report provides a structured view of how Indonesia’s most prominent executives are positioned within mainstream online media. It forms part of CARMA’s ongoing analysis of leadership narratives in high-growth markets.

CARMA reviewed 3,675 online articles from 176 Tier-1 Indonesian media outlets published between August and October 2025. CEOs were selected from the Fortune Indonesia 100 based on total media volume during the period. Coverage was evaluated using CARMA’s Favourability Rating System, which considers headline prominence, source quality, message balance and narrative framing to produce an objective tone score.

Related articles:
GoTo unveils leadership transition with Hans Patuwo set to succeed Patrick Walujo
Survey: Over half of APAC PR pros embrace AI, but lack strategic adoption
ID's new event discovery platform marries tourism with tech and sustainability