Gojek’s former CEO Nadiem Makarim was officially appointed as Indonesia’s new Minister of Education and Culture today.
He will not retain “any executive or advisory role” with the company, but will still be holding on to his stake in the firm as a “passive shareholder“.
As he assumes his new role, Makarim sent out a company-wide farewell letter today, in which he reflected the firm’s growth over the past nine years as well as shared his hopes and dreams for Gojek’s future.
We started this company with nothing, other than a deep desire to change things for the better. We saw that the streets of Jakarta were a mess and that there was an informal community of ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers who could easily act as a huge part of the solution to that mess, if only they were organised and working efficiently.
– Nadiem Makarim in farewell letter to Gojek
With just that initial desire to improve life for everyone, as well as a large amount of support from countless friends, partners and stakeholders, we’ve created Gojek. An iconic company that flies the flag for the future of Indonesia and South-east Asia.
Co-CEOs Andre Soelistyo, Kevin Aluwi To Take Over
With his departure, he entrusts his US$10 billion firm to Gojek president Andre Soelistyo and other co-founder Kevin Aluwi. They have since been appointed as the firm’s new joint CEOs.
Soelistyo will now focus on corporate functions and management of capital allocation, international expansion as well as the payments and financial services businesses.
Meanwhile, Aluwi will focus on the product development elements of the Gojek business as well as marketing, organisational development and the transportation and food delivery businesses.
According to Makarim, both individuals have played an instrumental role in Gojek’s significant growth over the years.
We got very lucky as we progressed along that path, but I believe that luck in business only really becomes a valuable commodity if you have the brilliant minds needed to take advantage of it. Kevin and Andre have mentored me to be the leader I am today. They are quite simply Gojek’s best.
They have been running this company for a number of years and I have complete faith not just in their technical skills and ability to execute flawlessly, but also in their integrity and their desire to do the right thing every step of the way.
High emotions are involved in running a company like Gojek but Andre and Kevin are always the steady voices of reason, approaching problems with intelligence and compassion. I couldn’t ask for better successors as the Gojek movement begins its next stage of growth.
– Nadiem Makarim in farewell letter to Gojek
In a joint media statement, Soelistyo and Aluwi described Makarim as a “friend and mentor”.
They expressed their sadness at his departure, but trusts that “Gojek will go from strength to strength”.
“This company has changed the lives of so many people in Indonesia and around the region, and our key priority is to ensure that we can continue to act as a positive force in society for the foreseeable future,” they added.
Featured Image Credit: Willy Kurniawan via Reuters