A national network of Catholic professionals and entrepreneurs in Indonesia has launched a new leadership formation program aimed at shaping ethical and service-oriented business leaders amid rapid technological and economic change.
PUKAT Nasional introduced the initiative, called PUKAT Academy, during a three-day gathering in Semarang from Nov. 14 to 16.
The program brought together business leaders from across Indonesia under the theme “Lead with Wisdom, Serve with Love.”
Former national chairman Ferry Jusuf, who initiated the Academy, said the formation reflects PUKAT’s conviction that entrepreneurship is a Gospel-rooted calling.
“Being an entrepreneur—especially a Catholic one—is no longer just about pursuing profit. Business must become a way to bring blessings to others,” he said.
Current national chairman Julius Junus Tedja of the Archdiocese of Makassar said the Academy responds to the pressures created by technological acceleration.
“Technology evolves in months, business models shift overnight. Leaders today must remain deeply human while navigating this acceleration,” he told LiCAS.
He said the program aims to guide entrepreneurs through the ethical dilemmas emerging in today’s market environment.
The event opened with a Eucharistic celebration led by Archbishop Frans Nipa of Makassar, who drew from the Vatican document Vocation of the Business Leader and encouraged participants to view business leadership as a path to holiness.
A talk show moderated by Jusuf, titled “Lead with Purpose,” featured Triputra Group Vice Commissioner Hadi Kasim and PT Sido Muncul President Director Irwan Hidayat.
The two executives examined how moral clarity, humility, and spiritual discernment shape decision-making in complex business environments.
Kasim said enterprises must be grounded both ethically and financially to fulfill their mission. “A business must be right,” he said, “right in a moral and ethical sense, as well as right in generating profit.”
He explained that a business must generate profit to sustain its mission and expand its social impact. He said that when leaders establish a clear purpose from the start, it sharpens the direction of the enterprise, strengthens their sense of vocation, and enables them to make decisions with greater confidence and conviction.
Hidayat said his spiritual journey strengthens his leadership amid challenges. “Many spiritual experiences I have gone – become a source of strength in making business decisions,” he said.
Breakout sessions explored Catholic Social Teaching, including the Common Good, Subsidiarity, and the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love, and examined practical applications in management and organizational culture.
“From leaders like them, we learn to manage our business units not only as entrepreneurs, but as Christians,” said Kristian Hardianto, chairman of PUKAT Semarang and host of this year’s Academy.
Now in its first year, PUKAT Academy is being viewed as an emerging platform for moral and faith-based leadership formation.
Organizers hope it will grow into a nationwide movement shaping business culture, strategic decision-making, and community impact.
