Today people would know Leo Aldianto as a Lecturer in SBM ITB focused on Innovation Management. But more than that, Leo Aldianto is a person who has accustomed himself to honing his business skills since his youth.
The man who likes doing sports and listening to jazz and classical music attended school in Jambi. However, in high school, he moved to Jakarta to increase his chances of being accepted at a prominent campus.
At that time, he, together with his friends, had sold products from large milk manufacturing companies to small traders or small business owners after school from 5 pm to 10 pm. His motivation to earn money and increase his income arose when he moved to Jakarta.
After high school, Leo Aldianto studied at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB). His whole life, he rarely felt down until his father died as a middle-aged man. The time losing his dad was probably his lowest point.
“However, it increased the urge to think about the future, become independent and be reliable for my family,” said Leo.
At that time, Leo Aldianto tried to earn a scholarship to continue his study program. In 1985, He received a scholarship to the Aerospace Engineering program at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. In 2000, he also received a scholarship to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at TSM Business School, the Netherlands. He also worked in the aerospace engineering and information technology industry for 14 years. Later, Leo Aldianto joined the Entrepreneurship and Technology Management interest group at SBM, specializing in the Management of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, New Venture Creation, and Product & Business Development.
With his position in the interest group, Leo Aldianto was also the initiator of the SICA (Swiss Innovation Challenge Indonesia) in Indonesia. The Swiss Innovation Challenge is an innovation competition program in Switzerland with an integrated competition using a holistic approach to realize innovative business ideas. SIC is a prestigious annual program initiated by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). SIC has also developed in several Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Based on Leo Aldianto’s passion for innovation management and his inspiring life journey, he advised that people practice these three things to grow and develop. The first is the ability to adapt. Leo Aldianto moved to different environments during his life. He thinks humans should be able to place themselves in their environment. The second is to work hard and be persistent. We cannot expect great results in an instant. Therefore, sincerity and consistency are significant. And the last is gratitude. He thinks there are always people who are not as lucky as us.
For the ITB academic community and readers, Leo Aldianto has a message to emphasize cross-disciplinary collaboration. “Other countries can innovate well. The question is, is Indonesia capable? I think we are. But action has to be taken,” said Leo.
Innovation requires various expertise and disciplines. Furthermore, companies are the main player to make innovations. Therefore, collaboration is a must.