Asia-Pacific Power List 2024: Maya Watono, InJourney

Maya Watono 

Chief marketing officer
InJourney
Indonesia
New member

Maya Watono first gained recognition in Campaign Asia in 2019, being the first and youngest female CEO in the history of Dentsu Indonesia. That same year, she was also selected for Campaign’s 40 under 40 list.

Though the CEO of a global advertising network, Watono has been deeply influenced by her Indonesian heritage. When offered the opportunity to revitalise Indonesian tourism post-pandemic, she couldn't refuse. Being the first-born of an Indonesian advertising industry veteran, Adji Watono, she learned her craft from the very best from an early age—knowing she could leverage her expertise to help her country attract much-needed attention, so she embraced the challenge.

As one of the founding team members of InJourney, a state-owned holding company for tourism and related sectors, Watono wasted no time. She quickly understood that destination development branding had to be integrated with improvements in infrastructure, connectivity, accommodation, amenities, and facilities. So, Watono created an ecosystem that addressed these areas of destination development, and then accelerated the branding efforts through large-scale events.

The first event supported by InJourney was the Mandalika MotoGP, for which she personally oversaw the laying of asphalt on the track. Hosted in Indonesia for the first time on this new circuit, the event attracted 450 million viewers and had an economic impact of approximately $50 million, with a multiplier effect of 1.25 times. The Kopiko F1 Powerboat World Championship, the most prestigious fast boat racing event in the world, was held at the super-priority tourism destination of Lake Toba, North Sumatra, drawing more than 25,000 visitors with an average expenditure of $240 per visitor. The ASEAN Summit of 2023 was strategically hosted at Labuan Bajo, a key focus area for InJourney, generating an estimated media exposure value of US$75 million.

Watono's responsibilities now continue to grow, with the largest medical and wellness Special Economic Zone (SEZ) upcoming in Sanur, and plans to expand Sarinah, InJourney’s retail craft initiative, globally.

Watono’s marketing plan inherently aims to uplift the local population. Focusing on sustainable tourism in Mandalika, she envisions a significant multiplier effect on the economy, particularly in job creation.