Jason Tedjasukmana leaves Google after more than a decade in comms leadership

Jason Tedjasukmana (pictured), who has steered Google’s communications across Indonesia and the wider region for more than a decade, has stepped down from his role. He most recently served as head of corporate communications for Southeast Asia and South Asia frontier.

Tedjasukmana described his departure as a career break. Before joining Google in 2014, he built his career in journalism, working with RCTI, Metro TV, and Time, and also served as president of the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club.

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, he looked back on the constants and shifts that have defined his decade at Google. While clarity of thought and simplicity of expression remain, in his view, the bedrock of effective communications, the environment surrounding the profession has altered significantly. He noted how today’s media industry faces mounting pressure.

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“The pressure on the media is greater than ever, both in terms of finding new revenue streams as well as speaking truth to power. Looking back over a decade, I have mixed feelings about the future of comms but I do think that every organisation needs to respect what experienced comms professionals bring to a company, from their judgement and ability to see down the road to knowing where and when to engage.”

He added that his admiration for journalists has remained unwavering throughout his time at Google, highlighting the fine line communicators walk in working with journalists.

“I continue to have the highest respect for journalists and the challenges they face and never wanted to share news with the media that wasn’t, well, newsworthy. This was always a battle and having a blog made it much easier to get our point of view across. Regardless of how many people read it, the need to state a position clearly and to clarify misconceptions remains paramount to any organisation given the speed at which news travels now.”

Among the aspects he valued most from his work at Google were opportunities to bring media and company closer together. One standout memory was organising a reporting trip to West Sumatra, where Indonesian journalists saw first-hand how Google’s technology was being used to detect illegal logging.

“Despite the heat, humidity and mosquitoes, the stories they produced were incredible. With reporters busier than ever these days, those kinds of trips aren’t so common anymore but I will always look back on them as the best parts of the job,” Tedjasukmana added.

Tedjasukmana leaves behind a legacy of bridging corporate narratives with journalistic rigour, while underscoring the importance of clarity and authenticity in brand communications. He has not disclosed his next venture.

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