Lizzy Hawkins is the trade Director and investment UK trade & investment Indonesia, part of the British Embassy, which aims to help British companies succeed in Indonesia. She talks about her time here so far, and what makes the Indo-British special relationship.
Lizzy, tell us a little about your background. Where are you originally from?
I grew up in a pretty village called Lilleshall in central England. My mother worked as a nurse and my father was in the army, based at the base of the local army. I went to the local high school before studying history at Cambridge University - probably the closest thing to Hogwarts that I will ever experience. Overall, a very happy and lucky education.
What attracted you to a life in the public service?
After working in trade associations making government affairs and communications, I decide to stop lobbying and start legislating! I joined the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) in 2009. It is a fascinating privilege of working in the British government. It is much less make laws now: over the past decade, there has been a real change to find more innovative solutions to avoid the regulatory burden on businesses and individuals. We share our experience with the Indonesian government and they are interested encouraging.
Lizzy with colleagues from the embassy in healthcare is large stand at the Hospital Expo Jakarta in October 2014
What is your role at UKTI all about? How will you do what needs to be done?
My team and I are to help British companies succeed in Indonesia. There are two sides to that: get out and meet people to learn about the possibilities of British expertise; then get British companies excited about these opportunities before finally help them when they decide to take the plunge. We identify potential partners or distributors; explore their interest in a company; make introductions to key decision makers, and sometimes help companies overcome obstacles. Recently, we have worked closely with the British Chamber of Commerce, giving UK businesses a ready network for use of experienced firms and potential partners to learn.
What are some of the British companies that you work in Indonesia, and what industries are they mostly?
The UK is the fifth largest international investor in Indonesia and many British companies here are well-established names like Prudential, Rolls Royce, HSBC, Standard Chartered, BP and Unilever. Recently, we were pleased to see many more British companies to wake up to the Indonesian occasion. Over the past two years we have seen the various companies of Premier Inn, Linguaphone and Aviva (with their life Astra JV with Astra) Triumph Motorcycles to set up here. I would like to see more! We are particularly keen to promote emerging opportunities for UK expertise in the design of infrastructure, health and telecommunications - all areas where the UK has much to offer to complement existing capabilities of Indonesia
.What makes the relationship between the UK and Indonesia special?
In a remarkably short time Indonesia has become a democratic, tolerant with a commitment to improving the lives of its citizens.
These are values at the heart of the UK and the fact that we share together is at the root of our relationship. We work hard to find areas where we can complement each other and learn from the experience of others. The fact that the UK is the home of the Premier League, Mr. Bean and James Bond does not hurt either!
What do you think the future for British companies in Indonesia? What challenges do they face?
Lizzy, sixth from left, looking HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York, opening the week Britain at Senayan City Mall in 2013
more and more UK businesses recognize that Indonesia is the third pillar of Asia alongside China and India. So we will see more British companies to form partnerships and succeed in Indonesia. We are working with the British Chamber of Commerce for more British companies to consider opportunities outside Jakarta, for example in Bandung and Surabaya, too. I am convinced that the Indonesian government's drive to develop infrastructure and reduce bureaucracy will improve the business environment and boost growth even further. The big headache for British companies are the same as those faced by all companies: choked infrastructure; clear and heavy regulation, and questions unfortunately underway with the transplant. That is why the British Embassy is working with the Indonesian government to through partners to help solve these problems.
Tell us about a particularly memorable day at work.
This is a tough call! One of the best things about this work is that two days are the same. I think my most memorable day was Sunday when Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, visited Jakarta. We were early for him and the ambassador from view to scroll to Jl. Sudirman with the president and the governor Ahok the day without a car, and then I went with Boris business delegation to meet them for breakfast at the Presidential Palace. The most memorable thing about this is that, for protocol reasons, the whole delegation was dressed in sports clothes because that's what the president was - I did not visit the presidential palace in a t-shirt
What is your favorite thing about living in Indonesia?
There is a link between the incredibly friendly people and beautiful places you can visit. I saw orangutans in the rainforests, washed elephants, swam with manta rays, cycled down volcanoes - nowhere else in the area, you can see such a range of spectacular locations
.What is the hardest thing to find on your role or living in Indonesia?
The fact that you never know - when you start something - if it'll be a breeze or unexpectedly maddeningly difficult. This unpredictability is one of the nicest things about living and working here. Whether traffic, sort of a licensing issue, or trying to fix the Internet, you can never be quite sure what will happen. - This means that life is never boring
Thank Lizzy. To contact the UKTI team Jakarta please send uktijakarta.enquiries@fco.gov.uk