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I ’ve worked in the hospitality industry since I was 14 years old doing all kinds of operational jobs in quite a few establishments,” Natalia Kusumo said. “For example, I worked in Alila Villas Uluwatu, Novotel Jakarta Mangga Dua Square and Hotel Borobudur Jakarta, plus some more hotels in other countries I interned in between holidays and during my university years.” However, what truly got Natalia in retail and hospitality is because she enjoys making people happy with the services and products delivered in her capacity as the CEO Hotels and Malls Division 2 of Agung Sedayu Group (ASG).

Out of the experiences she learned from the different places, her first work at Alila Villas Uluwatu taught Natalia the most about creating and capturing the soul of a space. “The whole resort was quite surreal in an amazing way that took my breath away,” she said with a faraway look. “I thought to my teenage self, ‘How could someone create such a place to make me feel as if I’m in a paradise?’” Since then, Natalia’s vision and mission are to create and capture the soul of a space, transporting guests into one-of-a-kind experiences while providing jobs for those who work to make it happen.

This Cornell University, New York, graduate worked hard to realise her ideas, and the result started to show during the grand opening of Pantjoran PIK in collaboration with the Salim Group this November. The Chinatown-style, open-air food centre has garnered widespread interests from the public even a few months earlier and, as soon as entrance allowed, the management had to strictly enact health and safety restrictions in place to avoid further clusters of Covid-19 spreaders. Part of the retail space’s charm goes to the design in an echo of the original Glodok-Pancoran area in Jakarta many years ago, complete with the generational, legendary eateries found there. Above all, most notable is her progressive sight to tie in aspects of seemingly-contrasting fields from retail to marketing, culture, history and so forth.

Natalia, having grown up in Singapore and going to university in the States, had experienced a variety of cultures and faced differences when she returned to Indonesia three years ago and needed to adapt quickly to fit into a huge role. “In the US, people are more direct and very business-like in the workplace; however, the workplace culture and climate here is more subtle and is an art to master in itself,” she said. “Once I have fitted in nicely, I found that Indonesia is the place to be, and a land of opportunities waiting for more exploration.” During her research, Natalia saw the previously untapped transit travellers among different types and levels of the market in township development.

“Indonesia has two major transit points in the cities Bali Island’s Denpasar and Java Island’s Jakarta,” she said. “Denpasar already has a happening transit business within a short distance to the airport as opposed to Jakarta before PIK fully developed, and ASG today continues to expand further to expand this market.” The overarching plan is to build Raksasa Mall, which, unlike a conventional mall located within one building, consist of several retail sites within short distances around the new Golf Island. Among the growing list of places, Pantjoran PIK and Urban Farm are now open. The latter is an oasis of greeneries in the city in collaboration with Accosa Lab where people can reconnect to nature at a sunflower field, and a vegetable and herbs garden—all the while enjoying farm-to-table menus in GIOI and Toby’s Estate. Meantime, the San Antonio project only sees the dike opening for outdoor activities with retail and recreation coming next; more concepts in progress include Central Market and Pusat Boutique.

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More exciting plans are in the pipeline including a five-star, resort-style Hotel Indigo designed by architect Andra Matin, and also Jakarta’s first beach-front resort in the PIK 2 area’s Pasir Putih beach. Other than tapping incoming global travellers, these openings would also attract the local market and promote our country’s uniqueness. “When we are talking to hotel operators about a property or location, they look at the comparison of data from diverse parameters; however, in Indonesia, we have to look at the possibilities,” Natalia said. “At ASG, we build hotels, retails and housings to expand on the abundance, and rate of growth, this country has.” For one, Jakarta is growing, and the need for housing, recreational activities and retail spaces rises, which is where she saw the responsibility to develop thoughtfully to increase the overall quality of life.

Natalia’s global upbringing and learning lent advantages to her creative and thought processes when assembling the distinct elements of the township scheme to bring each unique concept to life. With several consultants, she looked at places like Dubai and Miami for inspiration of the Pasir Putih beach, and Singapore’s Sentosa Island for PIK 2. “The 60ha of greenbelt area is one instance where we mimic San Francisco’s urban development rule to include parks for every few kilometres of residential areas,” she said. “Besides these adaptations to best suit the specific nature of the PIK area, ASG also invites educational institutes, religious bodies and other elements of the society to foster a holistic sense in a healthy community,” she said.

Image by Tatler Indonesia

Natalia has since learned priceless lessons from the journey to accomplish such a big vision and mission she has set for herself—not to mention as one of the torchbearers of the family legacy. In parting, the 25-year-old leader shared a few advice to fellow young entrepreneurs, especially those who just returned to Indonesia. These lessons also applied to bridging the generational gap often found in offices these days that herself, as a Gen Z, has entered the workforce. “You have to be humble to seek and to listen to input and work hard to achieve your dreams. Moreover, have an open heart to embrace the flow of things and appreciate the beauty of Indonesia’s land and culture, as well as the kindness of its people,” she said. “The first year I spent here required quite an adjustment, and I have to thank the founders of ASG and my fellow board of directors at ASG for patiently guiding me.”