Saliha Ghozal, Business Development Manager for Sarbec Indonesia

"After an MBA in Australia and a first job in France in the perfume industry, I wanted to go back abroad to gain first-hand experience. I knew a bit about Indonesia and its great potential, so I prepared a market study which I went to present to several laboratories, including Sarbec, which oversees several major cosmetics brands: Corine de Farme, Evian Brumisateur, etc. I met the export director who was very enthusiastic about the idea. I met the export director, who was delighted with the proposal. He was looking to set up Sarbec in South-East Asia, particularly in Indonesia. I went off on my own to Jakarta, where I rented an office, looked for a distributor and a local partner. Things took a bit of time, because to enter the Indonesian market you need the 'three Ps': patience, perseverance and a partner. However, this fast-growing market is hungry for quality products. And French products continue to enjoy a very good reputation. Here, not only is the middle class a big consumer, but more and more young Indonesians are going abroad to study, where they discover Western products. When they return, they expect to consume in the same way as they learned to do in Europe, Australia or the United States. And this new middle class wants to be able to offer its children what it never had before. The Indonesian child is becoming king. In fact, since 2011, when I arrived in Jakarta, the baby hygiene market has grown phenomenally every year! On the strength of this experience, we've started to develop our sales in Malaysia and Singapore. The funny thing is that Singaporeans think that setting up in Jakarta is a punishment. I don't think so. There are so many opportunities here! What's more, Indonesians are incredibly kind. They're very optimistic and always have a smile on their faces. But who wouldn't smile in a country that's experiencing such a boom?