Sukanto Tanoto began his business more than forty years ago supplying engine parts to oil companies. As we speak, RGE with its headquarters in Singapore, has developed into a global group with property more than US$15 billion and using more than 50,000 people. Its products attain Indonesia, China, Brazil, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and its sales network covers the four continents. Among them, its companies operate within the following four areas: pulp and paper industry (APRIL - Asia Pacific Sources Worldwide Holding Ltd. and Asia Image), palm oil industry (Asian Agri and Apical), viscose staple fibre (Sateri), specialty cellulose (Bracell Limited), and energy growth (Pacific Oil & Gasoline). The core competencies include growing and harvesting timber, energy useful resource improvement, and remodeling primary assets and uncooked supplies into quite a lot of merchandise which can be sold in key markets worldwide.

Mr. Sukanto Tanoto embraces a 4Cs business method: working in a manner that's good for community, good for nation, good for local weather and good for company, as he strongly believes that a company can only be successful if it's a responsible corporate citizen. Every business group beneath RGE incorporates the idea of "corporate social accountability" (CSR) into their respective operations and management, taking responsible measures in respect to environmental and community development to meet the social duties of a corporation. CSR programs include partnerships with local villagers, offering them with farming skills, vocational training and economic assistance. Whereas providing work alternatives, the programs additionally encourage them to begin their own businesses, significantly improving the usual of dwelling in the surrounding villages.

Mr. Sukanto Tanoto strongly believes that there isn't any finish to learning and knowledge is restrictless. Armed with this strong intellectual curiosity, Mr. Sukanto Tanoto has continued his own education by enterprise management programs at leading business schools, akin to INSEAD, Harvard and Wharton. In addition, he's additionally dedicated to offering instructional alternatives to future generations, specifically within the rural communities, to develop their skills and attain their full potential.

In 1981, Mr. Sukanto Tanoto and his family shaped the Tanoto Basis with the intent to reduce poverty by means of education, empowerment and enhancement programs. The Basis focuses on rural areas, where poverty is more severe. This enables Mr. Sukanto Tanoto to leverage his expertise in building profitable companies in rural areas, which contribute to the financial growth of surrounding communities. Working within the areas of training, health care and disaster relief, the Foundation supplies scholarships to students, honorariums to teachers, builds schools, distributes equipment and books. It also offers well being care in distant areas and speedy-response help in earthquakes and other pure calamities.

Mr. Sukanto Tanoto is a member of the INSEAD Worldwide Council, the Wharton Board of Overseers, the Wharton Executive Board for Asia, and various other instructional, group and business bodies. He's a recipient of the Wharton School Dean’s Medal Award, which acknowledges people for their contributions to the enlargement of the worldwide economy and to the advance of lives worldwide. Previous recipients of the award include Chiefs of State, Nobel Prize winners, and Chairmen and CEOs of companies.