Asean Business logo
SPONSORED BYUOB logo
THE LEADERSHIP PLAYBOOK
·
SUBSCRIBERS

‘We’ve seen the worst-case scenario’: How Indonesia’s Cinema XXI navigated crisis and change

Caution, not aggression, defines how president director Suherman runs South-east Asia’s largest cinema operator by screen count

Elisa Valenta
Published Tue, Mar 31, 2026 · 11:00 AM
    • Suryo Suherman, president director of Indonesia Cinema XXI, maintains that Indonesia remains one of the world’s most attractive cinema markets.
    • Suryo Suherman, president director of Indonesia Cinema XXI, maintains that Indonesia remains one of the world’s most attractive cinema markets. PHOTO: CINEMA XXI

    DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.

    The strategies and stories that shape today’s leaders

    [JAKARTA] Suryo Suherman still remembers how quickly optimism evaporated in 1998.

    Fresh out of Boston College, he had returned to Jakarta and joined his family’s cinema business at a time when Indonesia’s economy was booming. “From 1994 to 1997, Indonesia was doing quite well,” he recalled.

    Then, the Asian financial crisis hit.

    Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.

    Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.