By Joe Bartlett

Whenever I think about Pak Beni, the word “Gentleman” comes to mind.  Beni personified so many of the good traits that I associate with a “Gentleman”.  He was fair and honest in his spoken word and how he engaged people.  He did not always have to be right, but he would not let a wrong pass unchallenged.  He would tell you how he saw it and was willing to agree to disagree so long as principles were not compromised.

Pak Beni was a role model as a leader among the TNC Indonesia Board of Advisors.  He was always prepared to engage both Government of Indonesia officials and private sector business leaders on behalf of TNC.  Pak Beni led from the front, asking others to do nothing that he himself was not willing to do.

Besides TNC, Pak Beni and I shared a common interest in the Luwu area of South Sulawesi, he as a geologist in the mountains and me, at one time, as a hopeful banana plantation manager, in the coastal area.    He told me some good stories about his early days in the area and the numerous challenges Inco and he encountered.  While the banana plantation project did not occur, Beni was most helpful whenever I sought his advice on how to approach my own Luwu challenges.

Among his many good attributes, Pak Beni sure was a true Gentleman.