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Dari Bidang Teknik hingga Kepemimpinan Perbankan: Visi Meliza Musa Rusli tentang Perbankan Inklusif
Indonesia’s digital banking sector is transforming how people save, spend and access financial services. Yet for Meliza Musa Rusli, President Director of Permata Bank, digital transformation is not simply about adopting new technologies. It is about creating a more inclusive financial ecosystem that expands access, improves customer experience and delivers practical solutions for communities across Indonesia.
With a career spanning technology, investment banking, corporate strategy and financial technology, Meliza has led Permata Bank through a period of rapid change in Indonesia’s financial landscape. Under her leadership, the bank has strengthened its digital capabilities, with its mobile banking platform now offering more than 200 features, enabling customers to save and transfer funds, apply for loans and invest through a single application.
The bank has also expanded access through digital partnerships, helping reach customers who have traditionally been underserved by conventional banking services. Since assuming the role of President Director in May 2022, Meliza has further strengthened Permata Bank’s position among Indonesia’s 10 largest banks by assets as of 2025.
For Meliza, innovation goes beyond technology adoption.
‘Technology alone is not enough. Innovation needs to become part of how people think, work and respond to change,’ she said, emphasising the importance of continuous improvement and the willingness to move beyond established ways of working.
From Engineering to Banking
Meliza’s path into banking was unconventional. After completing a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at University Indonesia in 1996, she began her career as a Technical Sales Specialist at IBM Indonesia. Working closely with clients exposed her to broader business challenges and gradually sparked an interest in finance and strategy.
A turning point came when she pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at The University of Melbourne in 2000.
The experience expanded her perspective beyond engineering and introduced her to the strategic role of business and finance.
‘Studying macroeconomics and corporate finance gave me a broader perspective on the strategic role of banking in supporting economic stability. Combined with my engineering background, it also shaped how I see the digitalisation of business and financial services,’ she explained.
Studying in Australia also opened professional opportunities. Through campus recruitment, she connected with international financial institutions and later joined Lehman Brothers' Jakarta office as an analyst.
‘The opportunity to join Lehman Brothers became an important foundation for my career in banking,’ she said.
Building Curiosity, Critical Thinking and Long-Term Vision
Meliza describes her time in Australia as formative, not only for her career trajectory, but also for shaping her way of thinking.
Studying alongside peers from diverse countries and professional backgrounds exposed her to a range of perspectives and challenged her to think beyond disciplinary boundaries. She recalled being inspired by classmates with deep expertise in corporate banking, including credit quality assessment, cash flow analysis, mergers and acquisitions and capital market transactions.
For Meliza, the Australian academic environment fostered intellectual curiosity and encouraged students to question assumptions constructively.
‘I learned the importance of taking a long-term perspective when making decisions, rather than focusing on short-term outcomes,’ she explained.
Meliza’s engineering background equipped her with strong systems-thinking skills, enabling her to understand the interconnections between technology, operations and organisations. Meanwhile, the MBA strengthened her strategic outlook and helped her balance business priorities, risk management, talent development and operational considerations simultaneously.
This combination of technical knowledge and multidisciplinary thinking later became an important asset as she navigated a rapidly changing financial sector.
Over the years, Meliza held leadership roles across global and domestic institutions, including Credit Suisse, UBS and Astra Group.
Reinventing Banking in the Digital Era
Meliza’s experience in digital transformation deepened during her time at PT Astra International, the holding company of Astra Group, between 2016 and 2021.
She held several strategic positions, including Chief of Group Digital Strategy at Astra International and later President Director of Astra Digital Arta (AstraPay). The experience strengthened her understanding of how technology, customer behaviour and digital ecosystems interact.
She later brought this perspective to Permata Bank. One of the bank’s key strategies has been shifting digital channels as the primary points of customer interaction, reducing dependence on physical branches and enabling more seamless access to financial services.
Through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), digital platforms and strategic partnerships, Permata Bank integrates its services into broader digital ecosystems, enabling customers to access financial services through platforms.
‘The future of banking is not only about digital capability, but about staying relevant to how customers live, work and transact every day,’ she said.
This ecosystem-based approach reflects a broader shift taking place across the banking industry.
Meliza’s leadership during this period has also received industry recognition, including being named in Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen 2023 and receiving The Outstanding Leader in Building Technology Innovation and Financing recognition at the Top CEO Indonesia Award 2025 by IDNFinancials and Metro TV.
Leading Beyond Representation
Women are playing an increasingly influential role in Indonesia’s digital economy as entrepreneurs, consumers and business leaders.
As one of the few women leading a major bank in Indonesia and the first woman to serve as President Director of Permata Bank, Meliza believes leadership is not simply about representation.
Diverse leadership, she argues, creates more inclusive perspectives and strengthens organisations’ ability to understand customers and identify opportunities.
She also noted that many women demonstrate strong capabilities in navigating complexity and uncertainty — qualities that are becoming increasingly important as organisations navigate ongoing transformation.
‘The industry is evolving very quickly. What matters is the willingness to keep learning, adapting, and staying open to new ways of thinking,’ she said.
For Meliza, creating inclusive workplaces where talent can thrive regardless of gender remains essential.
‘What matters most is creating an environment where people can grow based on capability and contribution,’ she added.
Banking’s Future: From Transactions to Ecosystems
While technology continues to advance rapidly, Meliza believes workforce readiness remains one of the biggest challenges facing Indonesia’s banking sector.
Digital transformation, she said, is often moving faster than organisations’ ability to adapt. Despite this, she remains optimistic about the future.
She believes Indonesia’s banking industry is moving towards ecosystem-based services, where financial products are embedded into digital platforms already used in everyday life, including e-commerce, ride-hailing, insurance, lending and social platforms.
Financial institutions will also evolve beyond their traditional roles as places to save money and become integrated into customers’ daily activities.
From engineering to banking leadership, Meliza’s journey demonstrates how international education can equip future leaders with more than academic credentials.
Her experience reflects the value of curiosity, interdisciplinary learning, adaptability and strategic thinking in navigating complex challenges. It also shows how global education experiences can help develop leaders who combine technical expertise with a commitment to inclusive development and innovation.
As Indonesia’s financial sector continues to evolve, these qualities will become increasingly important in shaping a more inclusive and digitally connected future.
