Women in leadership: An inspirational journey making impact
Welcome to the first article in our March-April 2026 series, celebrating both International Women’s Day (8 March) and Kartini Day (21 April).

Ibu Wanda Tukiman is the spouse of BDO Indonesia’s late founder, Mr. Richard Tanubrata. At the end of February, we interviewed her about the firm’s beginnings and the role she played both at its outset and as it grew. This is what she told us.

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by Wanda Tukiman, beloved wife of the late Founder of BDO Indonesia, Mr. Richard Tanubrata

When people see what BDO Indonesia has become today, they are likely to notice our scale, reputation and achievements. What they rarely see are the long nights, the quiet doubts and the sacrifices that shaped our journey.

Every business stands on something that cannot always be measured. In our case, it was not only expertise or ambition. It was what we were willing to give, long before we knew what we would gain. When I look back at the year 1979, I see not just the birth of a firm, but the beginning of that giving. 

A dream that stepped out of comfort
That year, my husband, Richard Tanubrata, decided to open his own accounting practice. I accompanied him as a partner, secretary and also staff. At that time, many of his friends were pursuing stable careers in large accounting firms with attractive salaries. Richard, however, chose a different path. He did not want to work for someone else, he wanted to build his own legacy.

After completing his mandatory service at Pertamina, he would return home in the afternoon and continue working at another accounting firm in the evenings to gain the experience required for his licence. His days were long, but his conviction was firm. Even then, I understood that this dream would require more than ambition. It would require endurance.

Our very first office: a garage full of hope
When the firm officially opened, it operated from a converted garage at my in-laws’ house. That ‘office’ was also our home. There was a small living space, a simple kitchen and a bedroom. We had only one employee at that time. I helped with everything, from typing reports on a manual typewriter, preparing invoices and recording accounting books to calculating salaries and income tax by hand. My educational background was in pharmacy and chemistry, so accounting was completely new to me. But in those days, titles did not matter. What mattered was that the work had to be done.

I was not paid, and everything was manual. There were no computers, no mobile phones and no sophisticated systems. If I made a mistake while typing a report, I had to correct it with white-out. During year-end reporting, we often worked until two in the morning. Even when we took the children out, I often brought documents with me so I could continue calculating figures while they played nearby. 

At that time, we did not think about building something big. We were simply trying to survive each month. But looking back now, I realise that those small daily efforts, from typing carefully and double-checking numbers to worrying about our employees, quietly shaped the character of the firm. What we practiced in our garage became the foundation of what stands today.

Facing uncertainty and shared responsibility
The biggest challenge in those early years was not the workload - it was uncertainty. There were months when we worried about how to pay our employees. As business owners, our responsibility extended beyond ourselves. There were families depending on the stability of a firm that was still finding its roots. 

I remember the day when Richard was scolded by clients. Even when the issue was not entirely his fault, he had to carry the responsibility with him. As his life partner, I stood beside him through those moments, silently and prayerfully. Those were the years when we learned that building something lasting requires more than skill. It requires accountability and humility.

The motherhood moment
At the same time, I was raising our children. Balancing work and motherhood were never easy. There were times when I was late picking up my daughter from school because I was finishing a report. There were no mobile phones then, and I remember the anxiety of not knowing where she was. I have thought many times about how those years may have left emotional marks on my children. 

I have reflected often on those moments. Growth requires sacrifice, but sacrifice should not become neglect. Each woman’s journey is different, and each season demands different priorities. What I have learned is that awareness matters. Being present where we are, whether it be at work or at home, matters.

In our early years, survival required total focus. As time passed, I began to understand that true success must also leave space for relationships and emotional closeness. Achievement means little if it creates distance in the places that matter most. Perhaps this is one of the lessons that evolves with time.

‘Harus Bisa’: Principles of integrity and grit
One principle has guided me throughout my life: harus bisa — ‘we must find a way’. I was not trained as an accountant, but I learned. When challenges came, we did not give up. We believed that if we persevered and trusted that God was with us, we would find a way forward. Another value we held firmly as a family was simple: do not hurt others. Do not do to others what you would not want done to you. Integrity begins at home.

What we have today
When I see BDO Indonesia today - thousands of professionals, multiple service lines and offices across the country - I feel grateful more than proud. I never imagined that a small practice in a garage would grow into one of the leading professional services firms in Indonesia. Growth, however, is not only about size. It is about quality, sustainability and the ‘health’ of the organisation.

A firm must grow with strong foundations and strong values. From the beginning, we built the firm with a sense of kekeluargaan - a family spirit. When we were small, we knew each employee personally. We understood their struggles and celebrated their milestones. Even as the organisation has grown, I believe that spirit must remain. A company is not merely a workplace: it is a community of people growing together.

A message for the next generation: Give to Gain
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2026, I want to share this: you do not have to choose between strength and compassion, or leadership and identity. This year’s IWD theme, ‘Give to Gain’, reflects our journey perfectly. By giving our dedication and integrity to others, we gain a legacy of trust and success.

To the women of BDO in Indonesia and beyond:

• Preserve the cultural heritage of BDO in Indonesia by thinking globally and acting locally.
• Do not neglect your duties and responsibilities at home.
• Support your husband through good and bad times and give your children the attention they need.
• Keep socialising, developing yourself, and maintaining your honour as a woman in BDO in Indonesia.
• Stay motivated in your career and work hard to reach the top.
• Be able to handle any challenges that come with being both a career woman and a mother
• Always pray in both happy and hard times.
• Stay neat and polite as a career woman and a mother.

Each generation will face different challenges. In our time, perseverance was the greatest test. In this era, perhaps the challenge is different - how to pursue excellence while building a life that is sustainable and whole.

Leadership continues to evolve. The foundations remain, but the expression changes. May you carry forward not only ambition, but also wisdom - knowing when to strive and when to create harmony. Because in the end, what we build externally should strengthen, not diminish, who we are internally.

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Continuing the discussion with BDO in Indonesia 
If you have been inspired by Ibu Wanda’s story of the founding of BDO in Indonesia and would like to discuss more about how women can become respected leaders in business, please reach out to BDO in Indonesia’s female leaders.  This article series continues until 21 April – Kartini Day.