Appointed President Director and CEO of Garuda Indonesia in 2020 under extraordinary circumstances, Irfan Setiaputra took on the daunting task of leading Indonesia's national flag carrier right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Under his direction, the airline evolved and better integrated its services through new online features, including an enhancement of its Fly Garuda mobile application.

Setiaputra also directed the company to focus on delivering necessary goods, maximising cargo loads for several passenger freighters in order to support the government’s distribution of vaccines during a time when the aviation industry needed strong leadership the most.

With an education and training in the technology sector, Setiaputra’s varied career started with big firms like IBM, LinkNet and Cisco before moving into managerial roles in mining, telecoms and energy investment. By the start of his appointment to Garuda Indonesia, Irfan had acquired nearly three decades of experience in top positions for various companies, both state-owned and private.