Rachmad Gobel (born 3 September 1962) is an Indonesian businessman and politician from
Gorontalo
Gorontalo ( Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its inauguration as a separate province on 5 De ...
. His family controls the company, Gobel Group which is now called PT. Panasonic Gobel Indonesia, an Indonesian division of
Panasonic
is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Fukushima by Kōnosuke Matsushita. The company was incorporated in 1935 and renamed and c ...
. He is also the former Minister of Trade and the Indonesian President's
Special Envoy
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
to Japan. Currently, he is the Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
.
Early life
Gobel is the fifth child and first male son of entrepreneur Thayeb Mohammad Gobel and his wife Annie Nento Gobel from Gorontalo. Thayeb Gobel was well known as the founder of the business group and pioneered electronics industry in Indonesia. From childhood he was educated to become the heir and leader of the Gobel business group, founded and led by his father. After graduating from high school in
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
in 1981, Rachmad Gobel chose to continue his studies in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
at the
Chuo University
, commonly referred to as or , is a private research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. The university finds its roots in a school called Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (English Law School), which was founded in 1885, and became a university in 1 ...
. After four years he completed his studies at the Department of International Trade.
Education
In 1984, Gobel attended
Chuo University
, commonly referred to as or , is a private research university in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan. The university finds its roots in a school called Igirisu Hōritsu Gakkō (English Law School), which was founded in 1885, and became a university in 1 ...
in Tokyo, Japan where he graduated with a
Bachelors
A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". ().
Etymo ...
of International Trade Studies. In 2002, he received an honorary Doctorate from the
Takushoku University
Takushoku University (拓殖 大学; ''Takushoku Daigaku'', abbreviated as 拓大 ''Takudai'') is a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Prince (title for a Duke at that time) Taro Katsura (1848–1913).Takushoku University
Takushoku University (拓殖 大学; ''Takushoku Daigaku'', abbreviated as 拓大 ''Takudai'') is a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Prince (title for a Duke at that time) Taro Katsura (1848–1913).PT. Panasonic Gobel (now ''PT. Panasonic Indonesia''). The company is a joint venture between Japan with Indonesia in the field of industrial manufacturing of
electronics
Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
, which was established in 1970. In 1991, Gobel was officially appointed as member of the board of directors to oversee company's management planning.
In 1993, he was appointed Vice President Director of ''PT. National Gobel'' (now ''PT. Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia''). Since 2002, Rachmad has served as Commissioner of PT. National Gobel (now PT. Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia). He is also the principle at PT. Apple Indonesia.
Chamber of Commerce Indonesia
In 2002, Gobel sat as Chairman of Kadin Indonesia Field of Metal, Machinery, Chemicals and Electronics. When a change of leadership occurred in Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Indonesia the chairman Mohamad Suleman Hidayat in February 2004 Rachmad was reappointed for another four years.
Political career
Minister for Trade
Gobel was appointed by President
Joko Widodo
Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
as Trade Minister in the Working Cabinet in 2014. He was one of the ministers selected from a professional representative. One year after his appointment, due to a cabinet reshuffle, he was removed as minister. He was replaced by Thomas Trikasih Lembong.
House of Representatives
Gobel ran for a legislative seat in the
2019 elections
The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2019. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has a calendar of upcoming elections around the world, and the National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections in cou ...
, and was elected into the
People's Representative Council
The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (, DPR-RI or simply DPR) is one of two elected chambers of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the national legislature of Indonesia. It is considered the lower house, while th ...
representing Gorontalo after winning 146,067 seats. He was appointed as one of the body's deputy speakers. He was reelected for a second term in the 2024 election with 195,332 votes.