Karen Does not Want Her Resignation to be Politicized

Jakarta (Antara) - State oil and gas company PT Pertamina's Chief Executive Officer Karen Agustiawan has urged all parties not to politicize her resignation, which comes into effect on October 1, 2014. In a press release made available to Antara on Wednesday, Karen stated that her resignation from the post of Pertamina's chief executive officer was due to personal reasons and also the need for regeneration of leadership in the company. "I ask all parties to not associate my resignation to the things beyond what I have mentioned. Moreover, do not link it to political reasons," she emphasized. Karen remarked that since early 2013, she had tendered her resignation on several occasions citing personal reasons and to facilitate regeneration of leadership, but it was rejected. She explained that for six and a half years, she has been a member of Pertamina's board of directors, as upstream director for one year and president director for five and a half years. In March 2008, Karen became the first woman head of Pertamina's upstream division and in February 2009, she was appointed CEO and president of the company. During her tenure as CEO she has overseen the development of alternative energy sources such as coal bed methane extraction and established a liquefied natural gas distribution system with state electricity company PT PLN. In March 2013, she was reappointed by the government for a second five-year term as CEO of Pertamina until 2018. But, on August 13, 2014, she forwarded her resignation letter to Pertamina and the copy of the letter was addressed to the state enterprises minister. (*)