The On Call with Insignia Ventures podcast introduces: A Leader A Minute! A Leader A Minute is a new mini-series featuring startup leaders at companies we’ve covered or featured on our show. We go beyond the perspectives of the founders or CEOs and get to know the other key executives who are driving the growth of these companies and creating an impact for the customers and communities they serve. They share first-day experiences, the growth they’ve experienced on the job, leadership styles, and what excites them about the future.
For each episode we do a Q&A interview for our blog and also produce a one-minute highlight for our TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We also highlight open roles in the functions led by these executives in case you would like to join their team and work with them as well!
In this second episode of A Leader A Minute, we talk to Lius Widjaja, Partnerships and Business Development Lead at Southeast Asia’s leading open finance technology company Brankas, who talks about his transition into Brankas, his early achievements closing key deals all the while keeping work-life balance, and what excites him about his work driving open finance adoption in the region.
@vcinsider A Leader A Minute returns with Brankas Partnerships and #businessdevelopment lead Luis Widjaja, the closer #fintech #leader #fyp #startup ♬ original sound – The VC Insider
About the Featured Leader #2
Lius Widjaja is a business leader with more than a decade of experience spanning growth marketing, business development, venture capital, country management and operations. Prior to joining Brankas, he had co-founded and grew several pioneering ventures from lifestyle and tourism companies to B2B tech solutions and the Indonesian Blockchain Network.
Join Lius on Brankas’s Partnerships and Business Development Team:
A Leader A Minute: Why did you decide to join Brankas (given your background)? When did you join? What was your first day like?
Lius: I joined Brankas because I believe in Brankas’ vision to spread financial inclusivity and literacy throughout the region. The more unbanked and under-banked citizens we can empower, the faster the whole region develops and the general quality of life improves. Providing more and more people with access to financial products allows them to transform their lives for the better and allows the economies in the region to thrive.
A Leader A Minute: What would you say has been your biggest contribution to Brankas in your time here?
Lius: I took charge of an Internet Payment Gateway project tender for a major state-owned enterprise client here in Indonesia and helped to structure our proposal in ways that helped us win the project, including the commercial proposal – it was a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal that I successfully closed within a few months after joining Brankas. Proud of the deal and hope to close more similar-sized ones in 2022!
A Leader A Minute: What is a typical day like for you working remotely?
Lius: When I’m in the mood, I would wake up earlier, like at 6 or 7 am, and then do some jogging and body weight exercises at home, otherwise whenever I need more sleep I would wake up a bit later and get myself some coffee before starting work. I would bring up a to-do list that I can start ticking items off in, and throughout the day I would continue to set up sales and internal calls for the next few days. Whenever I want a change of scenery I can just take my laptop and work at a cafe or even at a hotel or villa in a different city or region. No restrictions. Life is good.
A Leader A Minute: What was your most memorable day at work?
Lius: When our Internet Payment Gateway client announced that we won the project.
A Leader A Minute: How would you describe Brankas culture in one word?
Lius: Trusting. We are given lots of flexibility regarding how we work, and for us to do whatever it takes for us to be productive. This signifies that the company trusts us to deliver results in our own ways, without ever micromanaging us.
A Leader A Minute: How has Brankas changed the way you see the world / your role / your own life views?
Lius: Brankas’ remote working culture proves that, at least in my role, I don’t necessarily need to go to an office to work and be productive. Eliminating the need for commutes means more time and energy for myself, for my family and loved ones. Thus my quality of life has increased, and the same couldn’t be said about how most other companies treat their employees.
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