Property development looks set to be the big driver of Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group this year. And, the next generation of the Widjaja family is beginning to take on a higher profile.

Margaretha Natalia Widjaja talks about the businesses and companies within Sinar Mas Group with the insight and knowledge of an owner rather than a manager.

A granddaughter of Eka Tjipta Widjaja, Indonesia’s fourth-richest man, she grew up watching her father and uncles take charge of different portions of the sprawling family empire over the last three decades of fast growth and occasional turbulence.

Her father, Muktar Widjaja, ran the group’s property businesses, which are now held under Singapore-listed Sinarmas Land.

Her uncle, Indra Widjaja, looks after the finance and insurance business.

“My other uncle [Franky Widjaja] takes care of Golden-Agri Resources and the food business.

We have upstream, downstream and some consumer products in there, such as cooking oil and margarine, products that are palm oil-based.

Another uncle [Teguh Widjaja] takes care of pulp and paper,” she reels off.

Now, the third generation of the Widjaja clan is assuming a higher profile, taking up larger roles at the group’s established companies and setting up some new ones.

That could widen investor following of the group as a whole.

For instance, Widjaja’s cousin, Fuganto — a son of Indra Widjaja — is in the process of expanding the group’s energy interests and folding them under Singapore-listed Golden Energy and Resources.

Formerly known as United Fiber System, the company will soon hold Indonesia’s 10th-largest coal producer.

“Fu takes care of energy,” Widjaja says.

Meanwhile, Widjaja herself appears to be following in the footsteps of her father, who is CEO of Sinarmas Land.

She is already a director of the company, and vice-chairman of its Indonesian division.

“I come from the property division.

I’ve taken care of it since 2009,” she explains.

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