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Amid rapid business growth, CHRO Dr. Irwan Dewanto explains how TACO Group is developing factory operators through education partnerships, while transforming HR to support long-term, sustainable growth.
For many organisations, rapid growth brings a familiar dilemma: how to secure a steady pipeline of skilled, reliable talent without losing sight of people on the ground. For Tangkas Cipta Optimal (TACO) Group, this challenge prompted a review of how talent at the factory level is sourced, developed, and sustained over the long term.
The resulting SBM ITB x TACO programme was designed to address both operational workforce needs and access to formal education for high school graduates who may not otherwise progress to tertiary studies. Running alongside this initiative is an internal HR transformation effort, moving from semi-manual processes to a fully automated and integrated HR information system.
Such efforts have proved fruitful both externally and internally, contributing to TACO Group's series of wins at the HR Excellence Awards 2025, Indonesia:
- Gold for 'HR Leader of the Year' (Irwan Dewanto)
- Bronze for
- 'Excellence in Leadership Development'
- 'Excellence in Work-Life Harmony'
In this interview, Dr. Irwan Dewanto, Chief Human Resources Officer, TACO Group, offers a closer look at how purpose, partnership, and people have guided TACO Group’s approach.
Q Tell us about your inspiring HR initiative – what sparked the idea, and how did you know it was the right path to take?
We have a management trainee programme, but for the operator level, it’s called SBM ITB x TACO. Our rapid growth demands high quality operators in our factories. At the same time, we realised that there were many underprivileged high school graduates who cannot afford college, so we have collaborated with SBM ITB to provide them access to quality education and a chance to build a long-term career at TACO.
Q Every journey has its ups and downs – can you share a challenge your team faced and how you worked through it together?
We are now in the middle of an HR transformation journey from a semi-manual process into a fully automated HR integrated information system. We work and learn together through real-life challenges that emerged from manual work, and turn those lessons into the foundation to build our own HR system.
Q What impact has this initiative had on your organisation so far, and what do you hope it inspires in the wider HR community?
We can build and grow the right talent for the business with the capability, mindset, and timing the business needs. We want to show that business and humanity can coexist as long as we have the right intent and effort to do both.
Q Looking back, is there a moment, person, or value that kept you and your team motivated throughout the journey?
Our company vision of being the source of blessing for our stakeholders has been our moral compass and motivation throughout the journey.
Q If you could offer one golden nugget of wisdom to HR professionals aiming for excellence, what would it be?
HR should be the bridge between management and employees. We can do so by thinking with our heads and leading with our hearts.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
Lead image / Provided
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