Category: Community

There is something about first experiences that tends to leave the deepest mark. For Aina Kalita, MCI Group was exactly that—the first place she ever set foot in the working world, right after graduating in 2005.

Twenty-one years on, she is still here. Not because other paths were unavailable, but because every phase has given her a new reason to stay and to grow.

Her journey began as a finance staff member in the dealership sub-holding before moving into the energy sector. Each transition brought its own set of challenges: new systems, different ways of working, and transactions on an entirely larger scale. Through all of it, one thing remained non-negotiable.

“Even when you’re in a hurry, you have to make sure the result is right. Accuracy cannot be compromised,” said Aina, known to her colleagues as Nana.

Where the Journey Began

One of the most defining moments in her career came the first time she was asked to prepare a cash flow projection for a mining company, a task she had never done before, with a tight deadline bearing down on her.

“I stayed at the office until five in the morning because the material was needed for a presentation at ten the next day,” she recalled.

The output was not yet perfect, but completing such a demanding task was, in itself, a source of pride. More than that, it taught her something lasting: that teamwork and a supportive environment can carry you through problems you could not have solved alone.

There were moments when the urge to quit came with real force. But whenever those thoughts surfaced, something kept her grounded. A growing awareness that every hardship she had made it through was proof she was capable of bearing it.

“Every difficulty we have overcome is evidence that we were able to overcome it. Take what is positive, and leave behind what no longer serves you,” she said.

Leading With Openness

As someone who now leads a team, Nana holds to an approach that may sound simple but is far harder to practise: openness. She encourages her team members to ask for corrections without hesitation, to acknowledge uncertainty about their work, and never to conceal their gaps in order to appear more capable than they are.

She applies the same standard to herself. Despite more than two decades in the field and a managerial position, she has no reservations about turning to a more senior colleague when there is something she does not yet fully understand.

She has also learnt where to draw the line. Her strong sense of empathy once pushed her to step in directly whenever a colleague was struggling. Over time, though, she came to see that helping too readily, without leaving room for people to wrestle with a problem themselves—can quietly hold their development back. For her, mentoring is not about taking over. It is about staying alongside someone until they can walk on their own.

A Balance Worth Keeping

A family that is understanding and does not place excessive demands has been a genuine anchor in her life. As long as communication stays open and everyone at home knows all is well, the two worlds, office and family, can turn in rhythm with each other.

“A successful woman is one who is willing to keep learning and who is not ashamed to acknowledge her own weaknesses. That is where growth begins,” she said.

To young women just starting out, Nana does not speak in lofty terms. She speaks from her own experience, with all its difficulties and moments of ease. Don’t be lazy about learning. Don’t be embarrassed to ask. Don’t give up before you have truly tried. And don’t spend too much energy comparing your journey with someone else’s, because we can never fully know what another person is carrying beneath the surface of what we see.

Twenty-one years. One company. Many systems, many industries, many long nights to get through. Yet Nana is still here, eyes facing forward, because that is the only direction she has ever chosen to walk.

8 March 2004 was the day Sri Wenda first walked through the doors of MCI Group as an employee. “I still remember the date,” she said with a light smile, opening the conversation.

She now serves as Manager of Accounts Payable at the Holding Energy entity (PT CPE), overseeing financial operations across business lines spanning mining and maritime.

It all began with a job vacancy notice pinned to a university noticeboard.

Wenda had just completed her final academic assessment when she came across an announcement seeking accounting staff from a company she had not heard of before. A few days and a series of selection stages later, she was accepted, and joined MCI Group.

A Career Built Without Shortcuts

She was placed in the heavy equipment division of PT Cakrawala Putra Bersama (CPB), whose office at the time was still moving between shophouses in Banjarmasin. 

From her very first weeks, she was handed a project: testing a new programme to replace the manual Excel-based system the team had been relying on. For three to six months, she tested, refined, and validated the system from the ground up.

“From early on, I could see this company had enormous potential. I wanted to be part of its growth story, even if that meant starting at the bottom,” she said, when asked why she chose to join.

Six years in operations. Then, in 2010, she was transferred to the finance division. “I was scared,” she admitted openly. Not without reason, because the world of finance was a different terrain from operational work on the ground. But she took on the challenge.

A year later, in 2011, came an even bigger decision: moving to Jakarta. She was among the first from Banjarmasin to be sent there. In 2017, she returned to Banjarmasin as she began building her family, and that is when her dual role truly began.

Every stage was navigated one step at a time. No shortcuts. “I enjoyed the process,” she said. 

Two decades is no brief stretch of time. Over those years, Wenda watched the company weather many storms. Changes in leadership, restructuring, and stretches of difficulty that led many of her peers to move on.

“Our loyalty is truly tested not when the company is at its peak, but when we are facing the storm,” she reflected.

For Wenda, staying was never about having no other options. It was a matter of principle. She wanted to prove that she could be resilient, adaptable, and capable of navigating change after change without losing her integrity. “I managed to stay consistent. That is perhaps my greatest source of pride,” she said.

A Mother at Work, A Mother at Home

The question that so often weighs on women with careers: how do you divide yourself between work and family?

Wenda does not have a magic answer. But she has an approach she has practised with steady commitment.

“As long as we have choices that allow us to find balance. Alhamdulillah, it can all be done,” she said. The words may sound light, but behind them lie years of hard work sustaining two roles at once.

She also pushed back on one of the most common misconceptions about women in the workplace. “We don’t need to be superwomen. Don’t feel you have to be strong on your own, asking for help is not a weakness.”

As a mentor to her team, Wenda describes herself as fairly firm. She demands precision and does not let mistakes pass without examination. Not to create pressure, but to ensure her team is prepared and capable of standing on their own when an unexpected problem arises.

But she also knows when to set aside the manager’s hat and simply be human. She takes an empathetic approach with her staff, offering guidance not only as a superior but also as a fellow woman who understands the road they are on.

“I try to position myself as a mother or an older sister to the people around me,” she said, describing her relationship with her team.

Towards the end of the conversation, Wenda left a message she felt the young women just beginning their careers genuinely needed to hear.

“Build your competence as your armour. Do not be afraid to start from the bottom, because a strong foundation determines how far your career can go.” She sees work as more than a source of income: it is a place to grow and to contribute.

And for those who are tired, who are weighing whether to give up — Wenda has one line that has anchored her since the beginning. “Keep dreaming. Never stop learning.”

There is a saying that a person’s character is shaped by what they witness growing up. For Supadmi Ning Paririh, watching her mother navigate life as a full-time homemaker lit a different kind of fire, a determination to prove that women can go as far as they choose. Today, she serves as Manager of Human Capital & General Affairs (HCGA) at PT Binuang Mitra Bersama Blok Dua.

She entered the workforce in 1998, at a time when the family’s economic circumstances pushed her to seek employment immediately after completing her high school education. Yet beyond financial necessity, she carried a deeper resolve: to build a career and stand on her own two feet.

“Seeing my parents’ situation actually broadened my perspective. It showed me that women can be independent,” said the woman fondly called Padmi by her colleagues.

A Journey Built on Trust

Her journey with MCI Group began in 2003, more than two decades ago, from the most entry-level of positions: payroll staff. It was technical work, full of numbers, demanding precision. But it was not numbers that changed the direction of her life. It was an act of trust, extended by those around her.

One day, she was asked to conduct a recruitment interview for a prospective employee. With no formal background in HR, she accepted the responsibility nonetheless and from that moment, everything shifted.

“From there, I started learning new things about HCGA. I had to step out of my comfort zone, and that was my real starting point,” Padmi recalled.

Another door opened when management offered support for her further education. Starting out as a high school graduate, she went on to complete a university degree while continuing to work full-time. An opportunity she embraced with deep gratitude and never took for granted.

The path was not always smooth. In the early years of her career, nearly every task was carried out manually, one by one, without any digital system. Managing employee records, processing payroll, and handling labour administration: all of it depended on diligence and sheer know-how. But as the company continued to innovate, she chose to keep pace.

What stands out is that despite working in an environment where men make up the majority, as is common in the mining industry, she never felt pressured or out of place. A supportive workplace gave her the foundation to grow. The same was true at home, where her family has always understood and fully backed the demands of her role.

For Supadmi, these two worlds were never competing burdens. They were two roles she chose to hold with intention. She lives by the belief that a woman can be both a homemaker and a productive, contributing individual. Not by choosing one over the other, but by embracing both wholeheartedly.

Work with Care and Empathy 

Today, as HCGA Manager, she oversees not only systems and administration but also people, in all their complexity. The HCGA function touches every stage of an employee’s life cycle: from recruitment and the birth of a team member’s child, to bereavements that must be handled with care and empathy. And it is in those moments that the deepest meaning of her work reveals itself.

“When an employee or their family needs help. For instance, when we assist beneficiaries with filing a death benefit claim, and they say thank you, in that moment, I feel proud. It makes me think: perhaps this is why I am here,” she said with a smile.

The spirit of opening doors for others now shapes the way she leads. She actively encourages members of her team who hold only a secondary school qualification to pursue higher education. Just as she once received that same encouragement. Because she believes that knowledge is an invaluable foundation, especially for women.

If there is one message she would send to her younger self, it is brief but full of meaning: “Thank you for being such a strong and remarkable woman.”

“Women must have dreams and a future to work towards. Never be complacent, keep learning, and never tire of asking questions. And just as importantly: take care of yourselves,” she said, offering her counsel to the young women now finding their footing in the same industry.