Tokopedia chief on building a company that outlives its founders

Tokopedia’s co-founder and CEO William Tanuwijaya (left)/ Photo credit: Tokopedia

Yesterday, GoTo Group announced significant changes to its leadership structure to strengthen “operational efficiency.”

This includes William Tanuwijaya, co-founder and CEO of Tokopedia, relinquishing his executive responsibilities at the ecommerce platform to focus on his roles as GoTo Group’s commissioner and co-chairman.

Tanuwijaya co-founded Tokopedia in 2009 with “a mission to democratize commerce through technology.” It has become Indonesia’s largest online marketplace, having raised billions of dollars before merging with Gojek to form the country’s largest tech firm.

In a LinkedIn post, Tanuwijaya shared his thoughts on not running Tokopedia on a daily basis and building the GoTo legacy.

Here’s the full text of Tanuwijaya’s post:

Since the pandemic, we have gone through many things: the joining of Tokopedia and Gojek to form GoTo, the largest technology company in Indonesia, becoming a public company, to the challenge of the threat of global recession, and ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty.

Although there are many challenges, I am grateful for two things. First, the company is becoming more mature. The business is growing, it is healthier, more sustainable, and on the fast track to becoming a profitable, independent company that is no longer dependent on external funding. Second, the company is becoming wiser. So many things have happened, and we learned meaningful lessons through each challenge. Leaders in the organization are becoming more mature and reliable in building an enduring company with a strong vision, mission, and values.

I will soon join Pak Boy Thohir as GoTo Co-Chairman, thereby taking an active and bigger role at the group level. At Tokopedia, I will transition to the role of Chairman and hand the baton of day-to-day leadership over to Melissa Siska Juminto who will become GoTo E-Commerce President. Pak Agus Martowardojo, Tokopedia’s current President Commissioner, will also expand his focus group-wide, by moving to the GoTo Board of Commissioners.

One of my life’s purposes is to build a company that outlives the life of its founder. To build an organization like a university, which people know for their impact, for the quality of the students (including graduates) and teachers. Not like a kingdom, which is known for and depends on the figure of the king/queen/founder.

One of the cultures I have tried to instill is having the sincerity to share like a teacher; while also having the humility and curiosity to continue learning like a student.

In that spirit, since I began my journey by starting Tokopedia in 2007, and building it over more than 15 years, I have had so many opportunities to learn so much from Nakama.

One of them is Melissa Siska Juminto.

Three leadership qualities I learned from Mel: