Being a successful entrepreneur with medical science background is less common in Indonesia. However, who would predict that with medical science, Boenjamin Setiawan has been included among the richest people in Indonesia. Who does not know Kalbe Farma, a pharmaceutical company whose products are widely advertised in the national televisions and easy to get in the nearest pharmacy store. The medical background has also brought him into the list of Indonesia’s richest people.
Main Philosophy of Kalbe: Panca Sradha Kalbe
Even though he does not have a specific strategy to develop his company, Kabel Farma, he knows what is trending in the global pharmaceutical sector. The company develops various kinds of drugs and healthy foods. For Boenjamin Setiawan learnt quickly to develop and internalized some principles, which have become the main driving power of the company operation, namely Panca Sradha Kalbe. The philosophy contains basic morale and principles that must be followed by all lines in the company. They include
1) Mutual trust that serves as the binding power among the members in the company
2) Full awareness in everything the members do
3) Innovation, which becomes the main key to success
4) Commitment to have better future, and
5) Interconnectedness throughout the organization
Boenjamin also admitted that the philosophy is what drives the company to grow and develop in realizing the organization’s mission for future healthy life of the society. For this, the company keeps encouraging medical-based innovations and research, whose results will contribute to the sustainable development of business and the development of health sector as a whole.
Boenjamin Setiawan and Research in Medical Science
With health educational background, Boenjamin Setiawan has a strong commitment to research and development in health sector. For this, Kalbe Farma regularly allocates 1.5 percents of the company’s profit for research and development funds. The research fund reaches almost Rp 180 billions every year. More interestingly, more than 70% of the funds are allocated for research in health science. He knows the health-based business very much, and he understands that pharmaceutical industry depends much upon knowledge and technology.
As a part of research and development programs, Kalbel Farma collaborates with some organizations, which also work for public health. It also established some foundations to help realize its mission as the agent for public health. Boen established Yayasan Pengembangan Sumber Daya Manusia in 1970 and another foundation, namely Yayasan Pengembangan Kreativitas, in 1985. In addition, the pharmaceutical company receives much contribution for what the scientific research found for its operation.