In addition to a large number of sugar plantations and refineries all over Indonesia, Gunawan Jusuf’s Sugar Group Companies, for which he serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), operates from nearly a dozen offices, as well. Obviously, water is a key element of their business success, which is why Gunawan Jusuf published a book entitled “Blue Gold” last year. The bulk of the book features a frank discussion of the problems that go among with the relative scarcity and the incredible value water holds in society and business. He understands better than most just how important and valuable our natural resources can be, especially water.
From his vaunted position as CEO, Gunawan Jusuf has led the Sugar Group Companies to produce enormous growth for a large number of consumer sugar products, not the least of which is Gulaku, a premium, commercial, refined sugar product that has grown into a household name throughout Indonesia. What makes his job unusual is that Sugar Group Companies is not just a single business, but rather a collection of businesses that operate independently, even as they all work together as a critical part of the larger group. Each business works to reach its own goals and the goals of the overall company.