#IWD2026: How FCN's Anne Mutia Ridwan sees purpose-driven ambition building stronger leaders

In an industry driven by constant change, strong leadership is not only about pushing brands forward – it is also about protecting the essence that makes them meaningful to people. Across Indonesia’s agency sector, women leaders continue to play a pivotal role in shaping that balance.

For International Women’s Day 2026, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE speaks with empowering women across the industry to reflect on the experiences and values that have shaped their careers. Hear from Anne Mutia Ridwan (pictured), chief operating officer at Future Creative Network (FCN), as she shares the lessons that have guided her journey.

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MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Take us back to the very start – what was your first job, and what did it quietly teach you about ambition, resilience or leadership?

Ridwan: My first role was as a junior account executive in a multinational agency. At that time, the advertising industry in Indonesia was still developing, and many senior positions were filled by expatriates who were here to transfer knowledge and skills to local teams. It was, to be honest, a fascinating period with many learning curves.

Those early years taught me a few important lessons.

First, leadership begins long before you have a title. It begins with ownership, curiosity, and confidence. I came into advertising without a formal background in the field, so I compensated by going deep into every part of the process: creative, strategy, research, media, and production. I did not mind the long hours. My ambition was simple: I wanted to become a strong sounding board internally for my team and externally for my clients. At the same time, I did not want to be seen as “just a junior”. That became the drive that pushed me to keep learning, which gradually built both my competence and confidence.

Second, leadership without resilience is fragile. Someone who tries to lead without resilience will often struggle or fail. But resilience alone does not automatically make someone a leader. Many people are resilient simply because life or work demands it. Leadership happens when resilience turns outward, when you carry not only your own challenges, but also the responsibility of guiding others through them. Our industry is constantly changing, and resilience helps you survive it. Leadership, however, means taking resilience further: not just enduring the storm, but navigating through it while remaining clear about the destination and holding the emotional weight of others along the way.

Finally, my understanding of ambition evolved over time. In the beginning, my ambition was very inward: I wanted credibility, trust, and the ability to shape conversations meaningfully. Later, it evolved into a broader ambition - proving that Indonesians could lead our own industry, not just support expatriate leadership. Eventually, it became about adding value to the people around me, especially the teams I was responsible for.

I believe ambition creates the greatest impact when it is driven by purpose – not by competition or personal gain.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Was there a defining moment in your career when you realised your voice – particularly as a woman – carried unique value in the room? What happened?

Ridwan: I have experienced a few moments like that throughout my career, even going back to my graduate years. But one defining moment stands out during my transition from CEO of Leo Burnett Indonesia to CEO of Publicis One, where I was tasked with overseeing and transforming the entire Publicis Groupe agencies in Indonesia.

At that time, globally, Publicis Groupe was undergoing a significant phase of consolidation and transformation. My mandate was not only to align multiple agencies under a new structure, but also to guide people through a period of uncertainty while ensuring the business continued to grow and our clients remained confident in the transition.

It was during this experience that I truly felt my voice as a leader, and particularly as a female leader, carried unique value in the room.

Transformation conversations are often dominated by efficiency, scale, and productivity. Those elements are important, but successful transformation also requires a deep understanding of the human side of organisations – the people, the culture, and the trust that holds everything together.

Women leaders often bring the ability to weigh multiple layers simultaneously: business realities, talent dynamics, client relationships, and the emotional landscape within organisations. During that period of change, my focus was not only on designing the right strategy, but also on ensuring the transition happened in a way that was both realistic and respectful of the people involved.

That experience reinforced something I believe strongly today: strong leadership is not just about driving change quickly, it is about guiding change thoughtfully, so the organisation emerges stronger, not just more efficient.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: Today, as an agency leader, how do you support and challenge your team to strike the right balance between pushing brands forward and protecting what makes them distinctive?

Ridwan: In today’s landscape, brands are under constant pressure to move faster – new platforms, new technologies, and new cultural moments.

But speed alone does not build strong brands. Clarity does.

With my teams, I emphasise two principles. The first is respect for the brand’s core identity. Every brand has a DNA – a belief system and a point of view – that should not be diluted by trends.

The second is creative courage. Protecting a brand does not mean preserving it in amber. It means evolving it in ways that remain true to its essence while allowing it to stay culturally relevant.

We are also operating in an era shaped by AI, rapid trends, and moments of overnight virality. These forces can be powerful tools, but they can also tempt brands to chase attention rather than build meaning.

What we remind our teams is that beyond algorithms and technology, people still choose brands that make them feel something. The brands that grow sustainably are often the ones that build genuine human connections – with their consumers, with culture, and increasingly with the communities that gather around them.

Our role as agency leaders is to create an environment where both can coexist, where teams feel excited to experiment with new tools and platforms, yet remain disciplined enough to anchor every idea in the brand’s purpose and the human relationships it serves.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to gain”, centres on mutual support. Can you share a moment when giving – or receiving – support changed the trajectory of your leadership?

Ridwan: A defining moment for me was when I was appointed CEO of Leo Burnett Group Indonesia in 2012.

At the time, I embraced the role not simply as a promotion, but as an “amanah” – a trust and responsibility placed upon me. I felt strongly that the role should not only be about leading the business, but also about creating pathways for promising Indonesian talents to rise and take on leadership positions themselves.

My mission was to unlock the potential of the people around me – to groom them, empower them, and give them the confidence to step into leadership. Some of the most rewarding moments in my career have been seeing individuals I once mentored grow into leaders in their own right. Their journeys reinforced something I believe deeply: leadership multiplies when you invest in others.

That same mission continues today in my leadership at Future Creative Network. Working with founders across our companies, my focus is to help unlock their highest potential, not only to lead their businesses with strong business acumen, but also to lead with soul.

For me, that has always been the trajectory of my leadership. Creating environments where people can grow, step forward, and lead with both capability and purpose is what I find most meaningful in the work I do every day.

When leadership is approached as an “amanah”, success is never just personal, it becomes a shared journey of unlocking the potential of others.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE: For women who aspire to lead in this industry, what is one mindset shift they must make early if they want to build both influence and longevity?

Ridwan: One mindset shift that is important early in a woman’s career is moving from seeking approval to building clarity about why she chooses to lead.

In many Asian cultures, including Indonesia, women often grow up with strong expectations around family and caregiving. Leadership roles can sometimes feel like they come with a perceived trade-off – that pursuing professional ambition might mean compromising time with family.

Because of this, many talented women hesitate before stepping into leadership roles, not because they lack capability, but because they are unsure whether the support system around them will allow them to balance both.

But the reality today is that leadership and family do not have to exist in opposition.

I have seen many remarkable women who lead organisations while also nurturing strong families. What makes it work is clarity. Being clear about why you choose to lead and learning to filter out the noise, expectations, and judgments that may come from others.

When that clarity is present, leadership becomes less about proving something to others and more about contributing meaningfully through your capabilities.

Leadership, in that sense, is not about choosing between family and impact. It is about designing a life where both can grow together.

Be part of PR Asia Indonesia 2026 on 15 July 2026 – the first time this regional communications flagship lands in Jakarta – bringing together communications leaders ready to redefine influence, reputation, and impact!

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