Prof Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

About The Speaker

Prof Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the sixth President of the Republic of Indonesia, and also the country’s first directly elected President in the democratic era.

During his two terms in office, Yudhoyono delivered what the World Economic Forum called "Indonesia's golden decade", a period between 2004 and 2014 that was marked by democratic development, political stability, high economic growth and resilience, conflict resolution and robust international role. Under his leadership, Indonesia became a regional power and a G-20 member, assuming important roles on issues ranging from climate change to geopolitics.

Yudhoyono's life story has been nothing less than phenomenal: a military officer who became a cabinet minister and then a President who is one of Asia's most respected statesmen. During his time in office, he overcame many challenges with a steady hand; the country recovered from tsunami and other disasters, the conflict in Aceh was peacefully and permanently resolved in mid-2005; terrorist groups were disbanded and detained; and the economy rebounded. At a time when democracies around the world were in distress, Indonesia's democracy steadily moved from strength to strength.

With a PhD in agricultural economics, Yudhoyono relentlessly pursued his 4-track economic strategy of “pro-growth, pro-job, pro-poor, and pro-environment”. His development mantra was "sustainable growth with equity".

Yudhoyono is presently Chairman of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) based in Seoul, Korea.