Shinta W. Kamdani

Chairwoman — Indonesian Employers' Association (APINDO)

About Shinta W. Kamdani

Key facts Role: Chairwoman, Indonesian Employers' Association (APINDO); owner and chief executive, Sintesa Group Organisation: APINDO Country: Indonesia Sector: Business advocacy Headline figures: 147.67 million people in work in February 2026, nearly 60% in the informal sector; 67% of surveyed firms had no plans for new investment in the next 12 months Indonesia's parliament is racing to pass a new labour protection law by October, and Shinta W. Kamdani is the main voice of employers in the negotiations. As chair of the Indonesian Employers' Association (APINDO), she has argued that the bill must not only protect people who already have jobs. "The bill must also be an instrument to preserve existing jobs, expand opportunities for job seekers, speed the return of laid-off workers to work and encourage formal, productive and sustainable jobs," she said on 24 September, according to Antara (LSN translation). APINDO wants the bill renamed to include "expansion of employment opportunities". Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said the same week that labour federations and APINDO still disagreed and that parliament would mediate, Antara reported. The stakes The stakes are national in scale. Indonesia had 147.67 million people in work in February 2026, and nearly 60% of them were in the informal sector, according to figures cited by Antara. Unemployment stood at 4.68%. APINDO's labour chief, Bob Azam, has argued for "flexicurity", meaning flexibility for employers and protection for workers. He said rigid rules on working hours, fixed-term contracts and outsourcing do not suit sectors such as tourism and palm oil. Access and leverage Shinta's leverage comes from access rather than statute. On 16 September, at the handover to the new finance minister, Suahasil Nazara, she set out five requests, Suara reported. She asked the ministry to keep the "debottlenecking" channel, which brings businesses and ministries together to resolve regulatory problems, to hold the budget deficit below 3% of GDP, to widen the tax base rather than squeeze existing taxpayers, to resolve delayed tax refunds, and to give incentives to labour-intensive sectors. "We need programmes that are pro-growth, pro-employment," she said. At the Antara Business Forum on 23 September she presented APINDO survey data. It showed that 58% of firms saw first-half conditions as stagnant and 67% had no plans for new investment in the next 12 months, although expectations for the second half had turned "more positive". She blamed high costs: logistics at around 14% of GDP, and financing at 8–12% compared with 4–6% in the region. Background She has led APINDO since June 2023, when its national congress chose her by acclamation for the 2023–28 term. She said then that she was the first woman to chair the 71-year-old organisation, Bisnis Indonesia reported. She is also owner and chief executive of the Sintesa Group, which has 16 subsidiaries in property, energy, industrial products and consumer products, according to her Indonesia Economic Summit speaker profile. The same profile lists roles at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), the International Chamber of Commerce and the APEC Business Advisory Council. She chaired B20 Indonesia during the country's G20 presidency in 2022 and was appointed co-chair of the UN Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance in October 2023. She is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University. “We need programmes that are pro-growth, pro-employment,” — Shinta, at the handover to the new finance minister on 16 September Regional reach Her regional reach runs through those forums and through trade policy. APINDO has proposed a special team to oversee implementation of the Indonesia–EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. It has also pressed its regional chapters on deregulation and logistics costs. In July she swore in APINDO's North Kalimantan board for 2026–31. "Economic growth requires collaboration," she said there, according to APINDO. What to watch: the final text of the labour protection bill, including its criminal sanctions and wage provisions, and whether APINDO's changes survive. Watch also the new finance minister's approach to tax refunds and incentives, and the election of APINDO's next leadership at the end of her term in 2028. She ranks 47th as the chief spokeswoman for Indonesian employers at a moment of major labour reform. Her power is persuasion and access rather than formal decision-making. Sources Antara, Apindo: RUU Ketenagakerjaan jadi momentum bangun sistem yang adil , 24 Sep 2026 Antara, Apindo: Revisi UU Ketenagakerjaan harus menganut prinsip 'flexicurity' , 26 Sep 2026 Suara.com, Pengusaha Wanti-wanti 5 Hal ke Menkeu Suahasil... , 16 Sep 2026 Antara, Apindo: Terdapat pergeseran ekspektasi ke arah positif dunia usaha , 23 Sep 2026 Antara, Apindo dorong deregulasi-penguatan kemitraan jaga pertumbuhan ekonomi , 23 Sep 2026 Bisnis.com, Shinta Kamdani Terpilih sebagai Ketua Umum Apindo 2023-2028 , 15 Jun 2023 APINDO, Shinta Kamdani Inaugurates DPP APINDO North Kalimantan for the 2026–2031 Term , 16 Jul 2026 Indonesia Economic Summit 2026, speaker profile

Why this entry is on the list

She ranks 47th as the chief spokeswoman for Indonesian employers at a moment of major labour reform. Her power is persuasion and access rather than formal decision-making. She has chaired APINDO since June 2023, the first woman to lead the organisation, and is the main voice of employers in negotiations on the new labour protection law.