[Update: 23 October 2019, 10.30am]
Following his resignation as Gojek’s CEO on Monday, President Joko Widodo officially names Nadiem Makarim as Indonesia’s new Minister of Education and Culture.
With this appointment, 35-year-old Makarim has broken the record of being the youngest ever minister of education in Indonesia’s history.
In his new role, Makarim will be in charge of organising early childhood education, elementary education, secondary education and community education affairs and the management of culture within the Indonesian government.
Gojek confirmed yesterday that although Makarim would not retain “any executive or advisory role” with the company, he will still be holding on to his stake in the company as a “passive shareholder“.
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Gojek co-founder and CEO Nadiem Makarim announced today his resignation from his CEO role to take on a Cabinet post in Indonesia’s new government.
President Joko Widodo previously declared that he prefers to have professionals and millennials in his second-term team.
Commonly known as President Jokowi, he was sworn in on Sunday (October 21).
Makarim hails from a prominent Indonesian family. His grandfather was an independence hero, his mother is an anti-corruption activist and his father is a renowned lawyer.
Makarim told local reporters that he had quit Gojek to become a minister in the president’s new cabinet.
He said that his specific role would be announced by the president later in the week, but local media is already speculating that he could assume a role in a newly-created digital economy ministry or in education.
“I feel it’s an honour for me that I have been asked to join the cabinet… I am very happy to be here today because it shows that we are ready for innovation and to move forward,” Makarim told local reporters at the state palace today.
Saying Goodbye To A US$10B Firm
Gojek president Andre Soelistyo and other co-founder Kevin Aluwi has been appointed as the new joint CEOs, according to Gojek.
It said in a statement that it had “planned for this possibility” and assures that there would be “no disruption” to its business.
Makarim had first co-founded Gojek in 2010, which started off as a motorbike (or ojek) hailing service.
It has since expanded to offer a range of services, including food delivery, ride-hailing, digital payments, lifestyle services and more.
Fast forward to today, Gojek is now valued at US$10 billion with over 2 million drivers and 40,000 merchants.
It also counts big names like Google, JD.com Inc, Tencent Holdings Ltd, among others as its investors.
Featured Image Credit: Press Bureau of Presidential Secretariat / Istimewa