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Fajriyah Usman, Pertamina: Become an Expert in The Field

PRINDONESIA.CO | Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Fajriyah:
Dok. PR INDONESIA/Ronny

After waiting for a year, finally on Tuesday (11/2/2021), PR INDONESIA was able to get to know more about Fajriyah Usman. Yes, actually the interview agenda with the woman who is VP Corporate Communication of PT Pertamina (Persero) was planned in early March 2020. However, who would have thought, two days later, Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced the first two positive cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia. Since then, all parties have focused on adapting, including Fajriyah and her staff at Pertamina. 

JAKARTA, PRINDONESIA.CO – On this occasion, Fajriyah shared about the dynamics and experiences of managing Pertamina’s communications during the pandemic. According to her, the pandemic has become a momentum for Pertamina's Corporate Communication Division to carry out many transformations and innovations in communication. 

Apart from managing communication during the pandemic, Fajriyah's career journey is no less interesting to follow. Prior to becoming the captain of Corporate Communication of Pertamina, Fajriyah was the President Director of PT Elnusa Trans Samudera, a subsidiary of PT Elnusa Tbk. She also has experience as Head of Investor Relations and VP of Corporate Secretary of PT Elnusa Tbk. However, if we look back, her experience as an English teacher is no less important in building self-confidence and honing her competence in public speaking. To Ratna Kartika and Aisyah Salsabila from PR INDONESIA, she told her story.   

How are you? How is your health? 

I’m healthy, alhamdulillah [thank God]. 

The pandemic has been going on for a year. To what extent has this pandemic impacted Pertamina? 

The pandemic has certainly had a significant impact, not only on Pertamina, the energy sector, but also all industries in Indonesia, as well as the world. In fact, throughout the 2020 pandemic, the oil and gas sector experienced a triple shock. First, there has been an extraordinary decline in demand, especially since the Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) were implemented, where almost everyone is working from home. In big cities, the decline could reach 50 percent. On average, the demand for the energy sector has decreased by around 25 percent in a year.  

Second, fluctuations in world oil prices which once reached their lowest point in April and May 2020. This condition certainly has an impact on all global energy companies, especially the oil and gas sector. Third, the exchange rate of the rupiah against the dollar had depreciated. This condition is very influential for Pertamina, remembering most of the expenditures/costs are Pertamina in dollars, but earnings in rupiah. This causes a gap.