Introducing the interviewee Annisa Fitriana(MBA '16) earned her bachelor's degree in communications studies at the University of Indonesia and supported former and current ministers as a aide to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia. Before taking this career path, she worked in the entertainment industry for a decade and was selected as Miss Indonesia in 2019. She enrolled in the Seoul National University Business School in 2021 with a dream to work in global entertainment business management.

1. You have a diverse background as an actress, model, Miss Indonesia, and the youngest aide to the Minister's Office. Please give us a brief introduction to your career before entering the SNU MBA Program. 

I experienced the creative industry up close at a young age. My experience began as I starred in playes as an elementary school student, an experience I continued until college. After graduating from college and before coming to Korea, I worked at BEKRAF, the Indonesian Agency for the Creative Economy, an agency established by President Joko Widodo to make the creative industry the backbone of the Indonesian economy. I first began my career as a communications officer and then became the strategist for the vice-chairman. Later, I was promoted as the aide to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy and worked for the Ministrer until I entered the SNU MBA Program. 

2. I think your experience in the entertainment industry and as an aide to the Minister's office would have been considerably different. What were the pros and cons of both professions in two very different fields?

Because I worked for the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, I was working in the cultural content industry for both professions, although the characteristics of the two jobs were different. I do not consider myself an actress, but I was able to experience the problems in the industry as I starred in plays. I experienced the issues my colleagues encountered in the cultural content industry, such as the lack of capital, infrastructure, and negative views and stereotypes against people working in the creative industry. Such experiences were helpful when I made policy decisions or presented suggestions for a better ecosystem in the industry. I was not only a witness to the issues but had the rare opportunity to solve them with the help of my bosses and colleagues. 

3. While COVID-19 may have prevented us from enjoying vibrant campus life, what are your most enjoyable experiences or memories at the university?

I enjoyed the networking sessions with the MBA alumni and fellow students. We always met in small groups due to government regulations, which enabled us to become closer and learn more about each other, so this became an advantage brought by COVID-19. Another memory I will cherish is studying at the Kwanjeong Library for exams until 11pm and returning home with hundreds of SNU students. The MBA programs has monthly exams, so exams periods are always tiring, but I felf motivated by the students returning home after studying. The fact that other students were sudying hard made me want to work hard as well.


4. What did you expect from the SNU MBA Program before entering the program, and what was different from your expectations?
I expected to learn advanced knowledge in business management through the SNU MBA Program, such as operation managment, financial analysis, and marketing management, and so far, the program has never disappointed me. I would like to add that I hoped for more courses on the culture and content industry, considering the popularity of Korean content overseas. The content industry is a growing and promising field, so I would like to learn more about it.

5. The MBA program you are currently enrolled in is a new program that integrates the SMBA and the GMBA program in a year. How would you evaluate the structure and contents of the new MBA programs based on your experience? 

I think the new MBA program gives students more diverser opportunities. I am an international student but I had the chance to meet more friends, take courses in Korean, and network with more MBA alumni through the MBA program. Nevertheless, considering the program's characteristrics, I believe that future international applicants to the SNU MBA program would be better prepared if they learned Korean in advance. 

6. Your goal after graduation is to work in the global entertainment industry. How do you think the MBA program would hlep you achieve your dream?

First of all, I experienced the entertainment industry and the system before coming to Korea. For this reason, I hope to use the business insights I learned from the SNU MBA program to take my perspective on the entertainment industry in a new direction. The courses in the MBA program are practical and easily applicable, so I have been able to apply the tools that the professors taught me in class to actual datasets. 

Finally, the founders of the companies leading the Korean entertainment industry, such as HYBE, KaKao, and SM Entertainment, are all SNU alumni. Sharing the alumni network with these industry leaders will be an advantage in finding the knowledge and expertise I will need to fulfill my goals. 

7. Which lecture has been most memorable or exciting among the classes you have taken so far and why?

The most impressive lecture for me has been Professor Sang-Hoon Kim's course on "Art and Cultural Management." "Art and Cultural Management" not only covers the Korean broadcast industry but examines the aspects of the entertainment industry that I have been interested in, such as musicals, music, art, Multi-Channel Networks, and non-fungible tokens. I was also helpful because I was able to listen to special lectures from speakers who work in major companies in the industry, and the lecture materials also reflect the industry's current status. The presentations given by other students during class were also fascinating.

8. What is the future you envision in achieving your goals in global entertainment management?

I dream of a time when the world could have easier access to Asian content and when Asian content could be comparable to Western content, namely the content from Hollywood. I also believe that diversity and how it could be reflected in the content would be a critical issue. If we could present the Asian perspective that we have to the world, countries around the globe would gain a better understandng of Asia. 

The South Korean entertainment industry has paved the way for these changes, and Indonesia, which has grown into the largest market in Southeast Asia, plans to work with South Korea to expand its influence in Asia in the future. After all, what could be more fun than using fascinating content and the cultural industry to create harmony among countries? 😊