Sukanto Tanoto

An entrepreneur, visionary and pioneer of a number of industries in Indonesia, Sukanto Tanoto is the Founder and Chairman of RGE (Royal Golden Eagle), a global group of resources-based companies. He established RGE (formerly known as RGM) in 1973. He set up RGM to enter the plywood business, transforming Indonesia from an exporter of raw materials (logs) to a value-added processor.

From its humble beginnings in Medan, Indonesia, RGE has grown to be a global business that employs 50,000 people, have assets of more than US$15 billion and with manufacturing operations in Indonesia, China and Brazil and sales worldwide. This growth is driven by the leadership of Sukanto Tanoto and his belief that a company can only be successful if it is a responsible corporate citizen. Hence, RGE’s guiding philosophy is based on the Triple Bottom Line approach of People, Planet and Profit, which means RGE operations must be "good for the community, good for the country, good for the climate and good for the company".

As such, all business groups within RGE operate on the basis of sustainable growth in every sector and operation. They aim to achieve efficient production with excellent quality, energy savings and operate harmoniously with the environment. Sustainable growth means integrating new technology, fresh ideas, environmental protection and social responsibility into all RGE operations to ensure long-term economic success. It also means having world-class human resources led by a management team working together in a dynamic, multi-cultural and global environment.

Building on the strong foundations, all business groups within RGE continue to leverage their skills and resources to consolidate leading positions in the world’s most exciting markets – within a framework of strong corporate governance. RGE believes that good corporate governance is essential for a company to be successful and sustainable. Each of RGE’s business groups operates independently with its own holding company, governed by a board of directors, and with management overseeing operations and strategy. Objective decision-making and accountability underpin all our businesses. These qualities ensure a high level of professionalism and integrity across RGE.

RGE focus remains on producing and delivering world-class forestry and energy products to ever-growing numbers of customers throughout the world. Their vision is to become world-leading, well-managed resource-based manufacturers who are preferred suppliers