LutherRose 2020 presented to Tandean Rustandy in Bologna
International Martin Luther Foundation honours Indonesian entrepreneur
 

On Monday, 13th September 2021, Tandean Rustandy, owner and founder of PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, was awarded the "LutherRose 2020 for Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurial Courage" at the Grand Hotel Majestic in Bologna. He had already received the award in 2020. The ceremony, which had been planned several times for the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt, unfortunately had to be postponed due to coronavirus.

The International Martin Luther Foundation (IMLS) honoured Tandean Rustandy as "a personality who has applied the Reformation tradition of freedom and responsibility for the common good in an exemplary manner with his life and professional work".

With his company PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, the largest manufacturer of ceramic tiles in Indonesia, Rustandy is committed to environmental protection and social justice in his home country. In a predominantly Muslim country, Rustandy professes Christianity and is a member of the Reformed Evangelical Church in Jakarta. His business philosophy is based on the theological principles of Martin Luther and Johannes Calvin.

Prof. Dr Herman J. Selderhuis, Rector of the Theological University of Apeldoorn and Board Member of the International Martin Luther Foundation, paid tribute to the award winner in his laudatory speech: "Tandean Rustandy symbolises in a unique way how Martin Luther wrote about the economic and social responsibility of a Christian living by the grace of God. The fact that an Indonesian businessman is receiving the LutherRose also shows the global and lasting significance of Luther's theology."

Tandean Rustandy expressed his gratitude for the award and honour with the words: "If God, the Creator, came to serve, then our purpose in life is to serve and sacrifice."

A delegation from Indonesia also attended the award ceremony in Bologna in Rustandy's honour.
 

Tandean Rustandy studied at the University of Colorado in Boulder, USA, and received his Bachelor's degree in 1987. He obtained his Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Rustandy then returned to his native Indonesia to work in the timber industry. In 1993, Rustandy founded PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, a ceramic tile manufacturing and distribution company. He developed the company into one of the strongest performers in the Indonesian building materials market and one of the most important ceramic producers in the world. Today, the company employs around 3,000 people.

Rustandy's entrepreneurial activities are strongly influenced by issues of environmental protection and social justice and have received numerous awards, including "Honorary Citizen of Boulder, Colorado" (1987), "Indonesia's Young Entrepreneur of the Year" (2002) from Ernst & Young, "Distinguished Entrepreneurial Alumni Award" (2011) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, "Distinguished Alumni Service Award" (2014) from the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado, the third best CEO in a survey by FinanceAsia in 2014, "Outstanding Alumni Sustainability Awards" from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2017 and "Influential Leader" from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business in 2019.

Rustandy's thoughtful approach to entrepreneurship and excellence in management has made PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk a leading ceramic tile manufacturer in Indonesia as well as one of the world's leading producers, receiving numerous awards on behalf of the company. The company has received various prestigious recognitions for its achievements from both private and government institutions, including "Best of the Best" from Forbes Indonesia in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015; "Best Under A Billion" from Forbes Asia in 2006 and 2014; "Best Stock Issuer with a Market Capitalisation of up to IDR10 billion" at the Indonesian Capital Market Awards 2014 by the Indonesia Stock Exchange; "Best Managed Company" and "Most Committed to Paying Good Dividends" by FinanceAsia in 2014 and 2015; the "Green Industry Award" by the Indonesian government for eight consecutive years from 2011-2018; and "Top Performing Listed Companies 2019" by Investor Magazine.