CTC Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

The Trustees are the directors and policy setters and have the power to appoint and dismiss members of the Supervisor Board and the Management Board. The Trustees set the strategic direction for the Coral Triangle Center, approve the budget, manage the assets, assess organizational risks, and review the reports and updates provided by the Supervisors and Management. As with European and US Boards of Directors, they are also able to make amendments to our bylaws. Trustees serve in a pro bono capacity. The Coral Triangle Center Trustees include several of our founders.

Mr. George S. Tahija is the President Director of PT. Austindo Nusantara Jaya (ANJ) and Chief Executive of the Austindo Group.  ANJ, an Indonesian holding company wholly owned by the Tahija family, has investments in natural resources including food and energy, and in the financial and medical services sectors. In a national and global environment that continually faces new challenges, Mr. Tahija enjoys leading and developing the Group’s culture, values, governance, businesses and social responsibility commitments.

Mr. Tahija serves as a member of the Board of Trustees, Darden School, University of Virginia, Endeavor Indonesia's Board of Supervisors, and as Founder and as Chairman of the Coral Triangle Center, a foundation delivering field training to local stakeholders in specific marine protected areas among six nations, based in Bali, Indonesia, is Chairman of the Plenary Committee of the Trisakti University Foundation and a founding member of PSKD Mandiri School, Jakarta, Indonesia. He is  a member of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Indonesia Chapter Advisory Board, the Board of Trustees of the Asia Business Council (ABC), Global Executive MBA Advisory Board, the Darden School, University of Virginia, and the Young President’s Organization (YPO) Indonesia Chapter.

Author of A Walk in the Clouds (2005), and photographer for Land of Water, Vol. I From Bali to Komodo (2006), in the past five years Mr. Tahija has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Carstensz Pyramid, Indonesia and Mt. Elbrus, Russia.

Mr. Tahija holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Trisakti University, Indonesia, and an M.B.A from the Darden School, University of Virginia,USA 

Prof. Dr. Hasjim Djalal served as the Indonesian Ambassador to Canada (1983-1985), Germany (1990-1993), and was Ambassador at-large for the Law of the Sea and Maritime Affairs (1994-2000). He worked at Indonesian Embassies in Belgrade, Guinea, Singapore, Washington, D.C. and as Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN in New York (1981-1983).He was the Director of Treaty and Legal Affairs of the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs (1976-1979) and Director General for Policy Planning (1985-1990). He was an active participant in the Third UN Law of the Sea Conference (1973-1982) and in its implementation thereafter, and is considered an expert on maritime activities. Currently, he is a member of the Indonesian Maritime Council, Senior Advisor to the Indonesian Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and counselor to the Indonesian Naval Chief of Staff. He also lectures at universities and other institutes of higher learning in Indonesia. Prof. Dr. Hasjim Djalal obtained a BA degree from the Indonesian Academy for Foreign Service in Jakarta (1956), and a MA (1959) and PhD (1961) from the University of Virginia. He graduated from the Indonesian National Defense Institute (LEMHANNAS) in 1971.

Ms. Yuli Ismartono is the Deputy Chief Editor for TEMPO Magazine, and editor of the English edition. TEMPO is the largest news magazine in Indonesia. She also serves as Managing Director of AsiaViews Magazine which circulates throughout Southeast Asia. As a communications specialist, Yuli Ismartono has held jobs with PT Surya Citra Televisi, The Indonesian Observer, Prisma Magazine and Laporan Dari Amerika Prog, working on media relations, government relations, and as an editor and script writer. She also served as the Southeast Asia Bureau Chief for TEMPO from 1983-1993 in Bangkok. She has a BA in Political Science from the University of Delhi, India in 1967 and a Graduate degree in Journalism from Syracuse University, N.Y., USA in 1972.

Founders Board

The Coral Triangle Center also required a Founders’ Board to establish the organization, set up the bylaws and ensure legal incorporation. Current trustees, Mr. George Tahija and Professor Djalal, are members of the Founders’ Board along with Mr. Made Subadia. 

Mr. Made Subadia is a founding Board member of the Coral Triangle Center. He has a long career within the Department of Forestry, starting as the Head of Forestry Services of Bali province, before becoming the Head of Regional Forestry & Plantation of Bali province. He was later appointed Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation. Following this post, Made Subadia took up the position of Senior Advisor to the Minister of Forestry on human resource development as well as on forestry organization. Currently he serves as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Forestry. He has a Master’s degree in Engineering from Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Central Java.

 Supervisory Board

Indonesian law requires at least one member to serve on a Supervisor Board, appointed by the Trustees for a 5-year term. Supervisors work closely with Management, providing a high degree of counsel and close supervision of the financial reports and management activities. Supervisors ensure independent audits, review investment policies, and must approve the annual financial statements of the organization. In an emergency, Supervisors can also dismiss a Manager, a situation then reviewed and resolved by the Trustees. Supervisors serve in a pro bono capacity.

Ms. Susantin Sinarno is the owner of Susantin & Associates, a tax consultancy company. She worked for Shell Companies for 15 years, both in Australia and Indonesia. She began as the Finance Manager for the Metal Division before becoming the Finance Controller. She was also the Chief Accountant at I.C.I Paints and Assistant to the Finance Controller at PT Tempo Pharmaceutical Distributors. Susantin Sinarno obtained her postgraduate diploma in Finance & Accounting from Caulfield Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Australia and a Master’s degree in Economics from Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Central Java.

Ms. Meinar Alison is the former Director of Finance and Accounting for PSKD Mandiri School, a not-for profit school, located in Menteng, Central Jakarta. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Trisakti University, Jakarta since 1999. She is also a certified trainer for the 7 Habits Signature program for the PSKD Mandiri School.

 Management Board 

Ms. Rili Djohani serves as Executive Director of the Coral Triangle Center. She has worked for over 20 years in conservation nonprofits to improve the management of marine protected areas and reduce the use of unsustainable fishing practices. Rili has worked for The Nature Conservancy from 1995-2011. She  has assisted the Government of Indonesia with the planning of marine protected areas throughout Indonesia and implemented multiple-years marine conservation programs in Komodo, Wakatobi, Derawan, Raja Ampat and Nusa Penida. Rili established TNC’s Coral Triangle Center program in Bali in 2000 and served as TNC’s Country Director for Indonesia from 2004-2008. She was part of the team that helped start up and launch the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), a multi-lateral partnership among Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to safeguard the most diverse reefs on earth. Rili was appointed the TNC Coral Triangle Program Director in 2009 and focused on government and partner relationships in the Asia Pacific region. She has worked closely with the Conservancy to launch the CTC as an independent regionally-based nonprofit in 2011.From 1989-1993, she developed the marine conservation portfolio for WWF Indonesia and was involved in numerous USAID and Worldbank funded marine programs for Indonesia. Rili Djohani holds a Master of Science degree in tropical marine ecology from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and a Master of Science in tropical coastal zone management from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program (environmental policy and law) with the University of Leiden.

Mr. Widodo Ramono is a key advisor to the Coral Triangle Center on biodiversity and natural resources management. He began his career with the Indonesia Department of Forestry in 1969 as the District Head for Nature Conservation in Bogor/Jakarta. He held various additional posts before becoming the Director of Conservation of Biodiversity in 2003.Following 41 years of service with the Department of Forestry, Widodo joined The Nature Conservancy as Director of Policy for Indonesia from 2005-2009.Widodo Ramono is currently the Executive Director of the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia. He earned a degree from the Institute of Social Politics, faculty of State Administration, Bandar Lampung.

Dr. Abdul Ghofar is an independent fisheries advisor to the Coral Triangle Center providing expertise and training in sustainable fisheries management. He focuses on global and national fisheries issues, climate change, marine ecosystem conservation, and fisheries and agricultural trade with reference to WTO & UNEP. He works as a Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Fisheries Management, Marine Conservation, Policy and Institutional Development. He obtained his BS from the Diponegoro University, Indonesia in 1980, diploma on fisheries management from Humberside College, U.K. in 1985, MS in Fisheries Biology and Management from the University of Wales, U.K. in 1986 and Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Wales, U.K. in 1989.

Mr. Gede Raka Wiadnya advises the CTC on the development and implementation of fisheries and marine protected area curricula. He served as the Training Manager for the Marine Program of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Indonesia from 2002 to 2010. At TNC, he developed course modules, facilitated training sessions, supervised training implementation, and published and advised on Indonesia’s fisheries. Prior to joining TNC, Raka Wiadnya is a senior lecturer on fisheries science at Brawijaya University in Malang, Indonesia and consulted on marine fisheries with government agencies and the Asia Development Bank COFISH project. His MS in fisheries is from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands.

Mr. Marthen Welly is the marine protected area learning sites manager for the Coral Triangle Center. He has more than 10 years of experience in marine conservation and the establishment and management of marine protected areas. He was most recently employed with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), establishing the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area. Working with TNC Indonesia since 2002, he has also served as the NGO Liaison Program Officer for the Marine Program, the Outreach Program Officer, and as a Communication & Outreach Specialist. Prior to joining TNC, he worked at the Environmental Education Center (PPLH) Bali as the Marine Division Coordinator. In 2000, he was the national coordinator for Jaring Pela – an Indonesian network of 127 NGOs focused on coastal and marine issues. Marthen Welly is co-founder for Yayasan Bahtera Nusantara in Bali, on the Board of Advisors for Yayasan Taka in Karimunjawa-Semarang, and member of the Instructor Council for Association Diving School (ADS) Indonesia. He obtained a BS from the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB).

 Mr. Johannes Subijanto serves as the Deputy Director for the Coral Triangle Center. He joined the Coral Triangle Center of The Nature Conservancy in 2000 as the Komodo Project Leader and Senior Policy Advisor. Since 2005 he has overseen marine portfolio sites in Komodo, Wakatobi, Derawan and Savu Sea Marine National Park and manages Lesser Sunda’s Marine Protected Area network. He came to the CTC with extensive experience in on-site conservation as a government official. He was the Chief of Komodo National Park (1993 – 1996), Sub Director for Species Conservation under the Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation in Jakarta (1996 – 2000) and intensively involved in the coral reef conservation policy and planning. In cooperation with WWF, TNC, the Ministry of Environment, and the Indonesian Institute for Sciences, he played a major role in drafting policy on sustainable coral reef management in Indonesia. Johannes Subijanto has an MS degree in biology and wildlife management from University of Maine in the United States and S1(BS) degree in biology from the University of Gadjah Mada, Indonesia.