Masa Kecil
Susi Pudjiastuti lahir dari keluarga berkecukupan. Ayahnya merupakan saudagar sapi dan kerbau, yang
membawa ratusan ternak dari Jawa Tengah untuk diperdagangkan di Jawa Barat. Kakek buyutnya Haji
Ireng dikenal sebagai tuan tanah.
Hal yang menarik dari Susi Pudjiastuti adalah ia hanya memiliki ijazah SMP. Setamat SMP ia sempat
melanjutkan pendidikan ke SMA. Namun, di kelas II SMAN Yogyakarta dia berhenti sekolah karena
keputusannya untuk terjun kedunia bisnis.
Seputus sekolah, ia menjual perhiasannya dan mengumpulkan modal Rp.750.000 untuk menjadi
pengepul ikan di Pangandaran pada tahun 1983.
Bisnisnya berkembang hingga pada tahun 1996, Ia mendirikan pabrik pengolahan ikan PT ASI
Pudjiastuti Marine Product dengan produk unggulan berupa lobster yang diberi merek “Susi Brand.”
Bisnis pengolahan ikan ini pun meluas dengan pasar hingga ke Asia dan Amerika. Karena hal ini, Ia
memerlukan sarana transportasi udara yang dapat dengan cepat mengangkut produk hasil lautnya
dalam keadaan masih segar.
Satu-satunya pesawat yang ia miliki itu ia gunakan untuk mengangkut lobster dan ikan segar tangkapan
nelayan di berbagai pantai di Indonesia ke pasar Jakarta dan Jepang.
Call sign yang digunakan Cessna itu adalah Susi Air. Dua hari setelah gempa tektonik dan tsunami Aceh
melanda Aceh dan pantai barat Sumatera pada 26 Desember 2004.
Cessna Susi adalah pesawat pertama yang berhasil mencapai lokasi bencana untuk mendistribusikan
bantuan kepada para korban yang berada di daerah terisolasi.
Peristiwa itu mengubah arah bisnis Susi. Di saat bisnis perikanan mulai merosot, Ia menyewakan
pesawatnya itu yang semula digunakan untuk mengangkut hasil laut untuk misi kemanusiaan.
Selama tiga tahun berjalan, maka perusahaan penerbangan ini semakin berkembang hingga memiliki 14
pesawat, ada 4 di Papua, 4 pesawat di Balikpapan, Jawa dan Sumatera.
Perusahaannya memiliki 32 pesawat Cessna Grand Caravan, 9 pesawat Pilatus Porter, 1 pesawat
Diamond star dan 1 buah pesawat Diamond Twin star. Sekarang Susi Air memiliki 49 dan
mengoperasikan 50 pesawat terbang beragam jenis.
Dalam biografi Susi Pudjiastuti, diketahui bahwa ia sempat dua kali bercerai dan kemudian menikah
dengan Christian von Strombeck. Dari pernikahan-pernikahannya, ia memiliki tiga orang anak, Panji
Hilmansyah, Nadine Kaiser (dari pernikahannya dengan Daniel Kaiser), dan Alvy Xavier.
Susi Pudjiastuti ditunjuk sebagai Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan dalam Kabinet Kerja Joko
Widodo dan Jusuf Kalla, yang ditetapkan secara resmi pada 26 Oktober 2014.
Sebelum dilantik, Susi melepas semua posisinya di perusahaan penerbangan Susi Air dan beberapa
posisi lainnya, termasuk Presiden Direktur PT. ASI Pudjiastuti yang bergerak di bidang perikanan.
Serta PT ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation yang bergerak di bidang penerbangan untuk menghindari konflik
kepentingan antara dirinya sebagai menteri dan sebagai pemimpin bisnis.
Selain itu, alasan lain Susi melepas semua jabatannya adalah agar dapat bekerja maksimal
menjalankan pemerintahan, khususnya di bidang kelautan dan perikanan.
Saat pelantikan, Susi menuai kontroversi karena kedapatan menghisap sebatang rokok dan memiliki
tato di kakinya bergambar Burung Phoenix yang dalam mitologi kuno diartikan sebagai burung api
abadi.
Dibalik kontroversialnya, Menteri Susi Pudjiastuti merupakan sosok yang tegas seperti keputusan
tegasnya dalam memberantas pencurian ikan yang sering terjadi di wilayah perairan nusantara serta
usahanya dalam meningkatkan kesejahteraan nelayan. Salah satu terobosan yang ia lakukan saat
menjabat sebagai Menteri Perikanan dan Kelautan adalah menenggelamkan kapal asing yang
tertangkap mencuri ikan di perairan Indonesia.
Selain itu ia juga sangat mahir dalam berbahasa inggris., sesuatu yang tidak lazim dimiliki oleh menteri
Indonesia. Atas tindakannya ini, Susi mendapatkan baik pujian dan kritikan di media sosial.
Pada bulan oktober 2019, posisi Susi Pudjiastuti digantikan oleh Edhy Prabowo. Setelah tidak lagi
menjabat sebagai Menteri kelautan dan perikanan, Susi Pudjiastuti kembali menjadi seorang pengusaha
perikanan.
Pelopor Wisata dari Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Jawa Barat tahun 2004
Young Entrepreneur of the Year dari Ernst and Young Indonesia tahun 2005
Primaniyarta Award for Best Small & Medium Enterprise Exporter 2005 dari Presiden Republik
Indonesia. Tahun 2006
Metro TV Award for Economics-2006,
Inspiring Woman 2005 dan Eagle Award 2006 dari Metro TV, Indonesia
Berprestasi Award dari PT Exelcomindo
Sofyan Ilyas Award dari Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan pada tahun 2009
Ganesha Widyajasa Aditama Award dari ITB, 2011
Award for Innovative Achievements, Extraordinary Leadership and Significant Contributions to
the Economy, APEC, 2011
Tokoh Wanita Inspiratif Penggerak Pembangunan, dari Gubernur Jawa Barat, 2008
Pada tahun 2008 sebelumnya, ia mengembangkan bisnis aviasinya dengan membuka sekolah pilot Susi
Flying School melalui PT ASI Pudjiastuti Flying School.
Biography of Susi Pudjiastuti
Name: Susi Pudjiastuti
Islam
Husband: Yoyok Yudi Suharyo (Ex), Daniel Kaiser (Ex), Christian von
Strombeck
She was born on January 15, 1965 in Pangandaran with the full name Susi Pudjiastuti. She has a father
named Haji Ahmad Karlan and a mother named Hajjah Suwuh Lasminah from Central Java.
Childhood
Susi Pudjiastuti was born from a wealthy family. Her father was a cow and buffalo merchant, who
brought hundreds of cattle from Central Java to be traded in West Java. Her great-grandfather Haji Ireng
was known as a landlord.
The interesting thing from Susi Pudjiastuti is that she only has a junior high school diploma. After
graduating from middle school she had continued her education to high school. However, in class II
Yogyakarta High School she quit school because of her decision to go into business world.
After school, she sold her jewelery and raised Rp.750,000 in capital to become a fish collector in
Pangandaran in 1983.
Her business expanded until 1996, she founded the fish processing factory PT ASI Pudjiastuti Marine
Product with superior products in the form of lobster which was given the brand name "Susi Brand."
The fish processing business has expanded to markets in Asia and America. Because of this, she needs
an air transportation that can quickly transport her marine products in a fresh state.
In the Biography of Susi Pudjiastuti, it was discovered that in 2004, she decided to buy a Cessna
Caravan for Rp 20 billion using a bank loan. Through PT ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation which she founded
later.
The only airplane she owns is used to transport lobster and fresh fish caught by fishermen on various
beaches in Indonesia to the Jakarta and Japan markets.
The call sign used by Cessna was Susi Air. Two days after the tectonic earthquake and tsunami hit Aceh
and the west coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004.
Cessna Susi was the first aircraft to reach the disaster site to distribute aid to victims in isolated areas.
The incident changed the direction of Susi's business. When the fishing business began to decline, she
leased the plane which was originally used to transport marine products for humanitarian missions.
During the three years running, the airline has grown to have 14 aircraft, there are 4 in Papua, 4 in
Balikpapan, Java and Sumatra.
The company has 32 Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, 9 Pilatus Porter planes, 1 Diamond star aircraft
and 1 Diamond Twin star aircraft. Now Susi Air has 49 and operates 50 different types of aircraft.
In the biography of Susi Pudjiastuti, it is known that she had been divorced twice and later married
Christian von Strombeck. From his marriages, he has three children, Panji Hilmansyah, Nadine Kaiser
(from her marriage to Daniel Kaiser), and Alvy Xavier.
Susi Pudjiastuti was appointed as Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in the Working Cabinet of
Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla, which was formally established on 26 October 2014.
Before being inaugurated, Susi relinquished all of her positions at the Susi Air airline and several other
positions, including the President Director of PT. ASI Pudjiastuti which is engaged in the field of fisheries.
And PT ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation which is engaged in aviation to avoid conflicts of interest between
himself as a minister and as a business leader.
In addition, another reason Susi relinquished all of her positions was to be able to work optimally in
running the government, especially in the field of maritime affairs and fisheries.
During the inauguration, Susi reaped a controversy because she was found smoking a cigarette and had
a tattoo on her leg with a picture of a Phoenix Bird which in ancient mythology was interpreted as an
eternal fire bird.
Behind the controversy, Minister Susi Pudjiastuti is a decisive figure as her firm decision in combating
fish theft that often occurs in the territorial waters of the archipelago as well as her efforts in improving
the welfare of fishermen. One of the breakthroughs she made while serving as Minister of Fisheries and
Maritime Affairs was to sink a foreign ship caught stealing fish in Indonesian waters.
In addition, she is also very proficient in English, something that is not commonly owned by the
Indonesian minister. For this action, Susi received both praise and criticism on social media.
In October 2019, Susi Pudjiastuti's position was replaced by Edhy Prabowo. After no longer serving as
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti returned to being a fishery entrepreneur.
Tourism Pioneer from the West Java Culture and Tourism Office in 2004
Young Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst and Young Indonesia in 2005
Primaniyarta Award for Best Small & Medium Enterprise Exporter 2005 from the President of the
Republic of Indonesia. 2006
Metro TV Award for Economics-2006,
Inspiring Woman 2005 and 2006 Eagle Award from Metro TV, Indonesia
Achievement Award from PT Exelcomindo
Sofyan Ilyas Award from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in 2009
Ganesha Widyajasa Aditama Award from ITB, 2011
Award for Innovative Achievements, Extraordinary Leadership and Significant Contributions to
the Economy, APEC, 2011
Inspirational Female Figure of Development Mover, from the Governor of West Java, 2008
In 2008, she expanded his aviation business by opening a pilot school Susi Flying School through PT
ASI Pudjiastuti Flying School.