Devie Fibtarica, Indonesia
Full-Time MBA Class of 2022
LinkedIn
“NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU BELIEVE“
Professional Roles, Achievements and Activities
- I am a scholarship awardee from Bank Mandiri, the largest bank in Indonesia. I have been awarded the scholarship for 4 years in a consequence due to my works achievement in fulfilling the company KPI’s and have been awarded as high potential employee for the last few years.
- I was the youngest Consumer Loan Manager who was appointed to manage the first-class area in Indonesia. I supervised a very big team around 60 people when I was 28 years old.
- Awarded as The Best Consumer Loan Manager in 2018 and in the first semester of 2020
- First trip to Europe fully paid by Bank Mandiri as achievement reward in 2017.
- Winning a writing competition then published a novel when I was in the third grade of senior high school.
If you describe yourself with one word? Why?
Persistence. I will never give up! A determination to achieve dreams and the ability to persevere in tough times.
What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?
As a girl who grew up in a small city of the developing country, Malang – Indonesia, I never imagine myself can achieve an MBA degree from a reputable business school in the world. I also have never been imagined myself to live in Europe in order to learn knowledge from the best expertise and ended up having many good friends from different nationalities. Honestly speaking, before 2019, I never see myself could get out from Indonesia to chase my dream as high as possible. Now that I have achieved my MBA from ESADE Business School Barcelona, without paying any cents, then I proved to myself that nothing is impossible when you believe.
I am a girl from a small and modest family, my father (who has passed away in 2010) was a government employee and my mother was simply a housewife. Both of my parents were having bachelor’s degree background from our hometown, Malang. None of them have ever been living outside Malang City, as they think that our hometown and our country is the best place in the world to live. Thus, they educated me to do the same things because that was all they know. My parents have been living a decent life in Malang by having a good job and saving money. Therefore, I did all my education from the first grade to my bachelor’s degree in Malang City as they wished. My parents did not expect me to also have the same job as they have, but they directed me to get a job as a doctor or an engineer as both occupations were the hottest trend in Indonesia at those times. People believed by being a doctor or an engineer, you will have a decent income and a successful career track. I did not want to study medical, so I ended up choosing engineering school. I was graduated from Brawijaya University Malang, I received my Electrical Engineering degree in 2012 with GPA almost cumlaude 3.45 out of 4.00.
I never expected that I can live outside Indonesia and obtain a master’s degree from the best business school simply because to live outside Indonesia is very costly. Business school tuition fee usually are also very expensive. My family would never afford it. When sometimes I brought the topic about living outside my hometown, Malang or living outside Indonesia, they will always say to me,”No need to dream too high of seeing the world, it’s risky. It’s not safe. It’s costly. You already have enough so be grateful. Malang is the best city and Indonesia is the best country to live.” This type of thought is common in Indonesia, as most of Indonesian people are very low profile and to have a big dream means to do things with more risks as well. Not so many people are willing to take higher risks and moreover, to step out from their comfort zone. Since I was a little kid, I know that I like to see the world and willing to try new things. When I was 5 years old, my mother usually picked me in the kindergarten after school, but if she was late, even for 5 minutes, I walked home by myself. I would take a different route from my usual route which allowed me to see more interesting things like rice paddle and the green grass. My mother would be panicked but at the end she knew that I always could find my way home. I loved to see some movies which they showed the other side of the world. I knew how amazing the world outside my hometown and outside Indonesia from the television and internet. The furthest place I have been travelling to with my family were only to Bali, the most famous Island in Indonesia and Kalimantan, the biggest island in Indonesia. My family are not keen on travelling so much because it required a lot of money, so I keep the great desire of seeing the whole world by myself. I kept on believing that someday I will have the chance to get my dreams come true. I made a dream book when I was 19years old, and I put everything I want in that book. I put the images of the places which I want to go, which country I want to visit, what kind of job I want to have and what stuff I want to buy when I have my own salaries. Also, what kind of house I want to
have and everything else. I made this future affirmation when I was young to be able to achieve it. I made some important goals in my life, and I struggled all the way to fulfil it.
Even though I was graduated from engineering school, but I don’t want to be an engineer. What I really wanted to do in life is to be a marketing manager, or a business manager. I had some organizational experiences since I was in school, and I love to create big event to launch or promote some products. I like to work with people and to do some managerial works. I know I can negotiate very well even though I don’t have degree from communication school or business school. Thus, I applied to some leadership programmes in some companies including Bank Mandiri, the biggest bank in Indonesia. I hoped that I could work in managerial position like what I always dream for. I still do my family motto which is,”Do your best but stay modest”
Time flies so fast that I have never realized that I have been working for 8 years in Bank Mandiri. I have been doing my best so far so that I can achieve many awards in the company. I was also one of a very few empoloyees who has the fastest career track. My first trip to go outside Indonesia was in 2013 after had been working for one year in Bank Mandiri. I still remember it was Singapore, the first country I could afford to go by my own money. I feel proud of myself, and I feel happy that I can see another land outside Indonesia. The best moment for me was when I can travel but not by my own money, but because it was an award from my company for achieving the goals beyond 130%. My first trip to go to Europe was in 2017 and all paid by Bank Mandiri so that experience was really like a dream comes true. I have put Europe as my utmost dream in my dreambook when I was 19 years old then I got it when I was 27 years old without paying any cents. That was really an amazing moment for me.
“Nothing is impossible when you believe it” worked like a magic for me. I kept doing my best effort to achieve all my dreams. I did not stop. I want to see the world more and more. The best decision in my life was when I decided to do the MBA in 2019 as a sponsorship awardee from Bank Mandiri. Not just that I can learn business as I had been dreaming for song long but also I can stay in Europe and see more countries. I was also the first person from my region, Region 8 Bank Mandiri Surabaya, who was able to achieve such a prestigious reward like this. From 30 employees in Bank Mandiri who got the sponsorship to do the master program overseas, 90% are from Jakarta Region and Head Quarter and the rest were from Surabaya (me) and 2 people from Kalimantan-Maluku. I was able to inspire many employees from my region to achieve their dream as well, that nothing is impossible when you believe it.
From a girl who live in one small city for the whole of her life to a woman who are now already see 30 countries in her 30s, I would say I am glad that I have made many good decisions in my life. From a girl who always heard people said to her,”You can’t do that, it’s impossible or it’s risky” and now she can reply back,”I am doing my MBA in Europe, I have seen Africa and America, all by my own without any help from anyone” with wide grin on her face. As of now, even though I have achieved many things in life, it does not mean that I will stop. I keep on having other big dream. I still have many goals that I want to achieve, and I will not give up to any of them. I still want to keep inspire people that “Nothing is impossible when you believe” because it works for me, and it changed my life. I hope, it can also changes people’s life.
Invisible but Essential 