Mari Elka Pangestu

Mari Elka Pangestu (born 23 October 1956) is an Indonesian economist who served as Minister of Trade from October 2004 to October 2011 and then as Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy until October 2014; she was the World Bank's managing director of Development Policy and Partnerships from 2020 to 2023, and in October 2024 President Prabowo Subianto appointed her his Special Advisor for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation and, in November 2024, Vice Chair of the National Economic Council ¹.

Born in Jakarta, Pangestu obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the Australian National University and her doctorate in economics from the University of California, Davis, in 1986 ^{1 2}. She is the daughter of the Indonesian economist J. Panglaykim, and on 21 April 1990 she married Adi Harsono, with whom she has two sons, Raymond and Arya ³.

Pangestu worked at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta, was active in trade forums such as PECC, and taught at the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Indonesia ¹. As trade minister she defended trade-oriented policies against domestic protectionist criticism, noting that Indonesia needed to adhere to its international commitments; in the creative-economy portfolio she promoted intellectual-property protection and tourism development ¹. In late 2012 Indonesia nominated her for Director-General of the WTO, but the Asia-Pacific candidates were eliminated in April 2013 and the post went to Roberto Azevêdo; in December 2013 the Australian National University awarded her an honorary doctorate ¹. Two independent texts name a faith for Pangestu herself — the Indonesian article states in its prose that she is a Roman Catholic adherent, and Katolikana's October 2024 report names her one of two Catholic ministers of the Yudhoyono era taking office under President Prabowo — so her faith is recorded as christian ^{3 4}.

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