Willem Biantoro Wanandi
Founder
was born in Sawahlunto, West Sumatera in 1939. After finishing his undergraduate study in the Institute Teknologi Bandung in 1962, he went to Zurich, Switzerland to continue his study at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and obtained a Diplom in Pharmazie in 1965 and a Doctorate Degree in 1968.
He then worked for Ciba-Geigy Ltd in Basel, Switzerland and Indonesia. In 1978, he joined the World Health Organisation (WHO) Drug Policies and Management Unit. During his duty in WHO, he was requested by the Minister of Health and the Director General of Food Drug Authority (FDA) to assist the Ministry of Health in the formulation of a National Drug Policy for Indonesia. He was later appointed as Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia for Pharmaceutical Affairs.
In 1983 he became active in his family business, the “Gemala Group” and subsequently started Anugerah Corporation. PT Combiphar is his first a local generic pharmaceutical company and also the flagship company within Anugerah Corporation. He was also the local partner of Glaxo Ltd, UK in establishing its pharmaceutical formulation plant in Indonesia as well as PT Sandoz Biochemi Farma Indonesia (Novartis Indonesia), PT Sterling Indonesia, PT Otsuka Indonesia. He is also the founder of PT Anugerah Pharmindo Lestari (APL), now the largest nationwide pharmaceutical distribution company with partner Zuellig Pharma. In 2000, he founded PT Tigaka Distrindo Perkasa. At present he is Chairman of the Anugerah Corporation.