Sari Soegondo has been officially elected as the Chairperson of the Association of Indonesian Public Relations Companies (APPRI) for the period 2024–2027, succeeding Jojo S. Nugroho. Sari, who is also the co-founder and Executive Director of ID COMM, was elected through the Annual General Meeting of APPRI held in Jakarta on Friday night (January 19, 2024).

Leading the Association that was established on April 10, 1987, Sari will prioritize her focus on two aspects. Firstly, improving clients/service users’ knowledge about best practices in PR and the resulting impacts. The aim is to make PR works more innovative and more integrated with other management practices. One of the initiatives taken is to support standard frameworks for measuring the success of PR and communications works as recommended by the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC). Sari believes that these efforts can drive sustainable PR programs rather than merely focusing on short-term, unsustainable work, alongside unifying understanding about how to value or assess PR consultancy services.

Secondly, enhancing the competencies of public relations practitioners in the country to face the increasingly challenging demands, considering PR is a dynamic field of work. Through APPRI, she aims to ensure the enhancement of PR agency capabilities to remain relevant with the needs of clients and counterparts, master the continuously evolving work technologies, and demonstrate globally recognized professionalism.

As a holder of a Master’s degree in Corporate Communication from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia, Sari also hopes that APPRI can serve as a platform for knowledge and skill exchanges, self-development, for the standardization of best practices, and for collaboration among fellow practitioners, PR companies, and communication/PR associations in Indonesia. “We will continue to strive so that consultants outside Jakarta and outside the Java Island can also benefit from insights into work practices and access to markets as we have enjoyed so far,” she concluded.

A PROFESSIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE

The name Sari Soegondo is familiar among PR agencies. She has been involved in the field of public relations for 25 years by now, known for her active involvement in the industry and ability to multitask effectively.

Previously, she served as the Deputy Chairperson of APPRI between 2020-2023 after became the Head of the Education and Training Division between 2017-2020. With a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science from Prof. Dr. Moestopo University, she began her career as a junior consultant at an advertising agency named Times Communications in 1999, and then continued her career at Bank Bali (now Bank Permata) as a PR officer for External Communications.

She briefly ventured into the entertainment and lifestyle media industry before moving to the broadcasting industry by joining the MRA Media Group as part of the opening team for MTV Sky Radio (now Trax FM), MTV Trax Magazine, and Hard Rock FM, and later worked in the television industry at RCTI between 2003-2006.

She then embarked on a journey as a consultant in an international communication and public relations firm, part of the McCann Group Worldwide, namely Weber Shandwick and GolinHarris (now Golin).

In 2014, Sari made a bold decision. Together with her business partner Asti Putri, they established a boutique firm, PT Indo Dharma Komunika, known as ID COMM. The company was founded with the aim of providing support and raising awareness on the importance of communication strategies and programs, especially in the public sector.

Entering its 10th year this year, Sari, along with 30 employees she leads, has managed to achieve rapid growth for ID COMM. To expand the reach of its business services, Sari also built partnerships and established startup companies, namely Maxymum ID and SkillHouse ID, where she serves as co-founder and take part in the Board of Directors.

Within the ID COMM family, Sari is known as a humanist, humorous, agile, professional, and inspirational figure. She is always enthusiastic about implementing programs with clients, demanding high attention, commitment, and shows good adaptability skills. Sari also strives to be closely connected with her employees, forming the same expectations, working and growing together for mutual benefits.