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Petty S. Fatimah: Woman on Top
Petty S
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Petty S. Fatimah. JP/Niken Prathivi
As head of the country's leading women's magazine, Petty S. Fatimah is a true reflection of her publication.
The chief editor of Femina magazine said she prefered the soft approach, which allows her to be a good friend to anyone ' an important value that she nurtures in the magazine.
'I'm not an iron lady. I'm easy-going and friendly when interacting with workmates, although I can also be strict when I have to,' Petty said during an interview at her office in South Jakarta.
In her busy work week, Friday is the day for laid-back conversations.
'I can go easy most Fridays because Femina has passed its deadline. I usually go to some invitations, casually meet people or share ideas,' said Petty, looking comfortable in a chic yellow sleeveless dress, while sipping coffee.
Femina magazine sells about 160,000 copies per week and has an aggregate readership ' including its digital version, website and through social media accounts ' of 2.6 million.
Sitting in the top position of the editorial division of one of the country's most influential women's magazines ' the flagship magazine of the Femina Group ' Petty has had a long history.
She started her career in the magazine world when she joined Gadis magazine, Femina's 'little sister', for teen girls.
Seven years later, in 1998, she earned the chief editor's position.
'In 2003, I was trusted to lead Femina,' said Petty, who is currently reading Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sanberg ' chief operating officer of Facebook.
She gained her first work experience in the media as an announcer at Oz radio while she was pursuing her bachelor's degree in communications at Padjadjaran University (Unpad) in her hometown in Bandung, West Java.
Under her administration, Femina has won several awards including Best Women's Magazine in the Indonesia Print Media Awards (IPMA) in 2012 and 2013, Best Women's Magazine Cover Design in IPMA in 2011 and a bronze medal for Best in Magazine Design from WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers) in 2006.
'As a person, I'm quite persistent. I like to leave a legacy in whatever I do, including in Femina,' said Petty, who is returning to the radio world by hosting the Confessions of a Workaholic afternoon show on U-FM, Femina Group's radio station.
One of Petty's legacies at the women's magazine is that she has brought the magazine closer to its readers.
'I don't want to see Femina sitting in an ivory tower that cannot be reached by anyone. I want our readers to be essentially close to the magazine; I want Femina to be a best friend to its readership,' said Petty, who holds a master's degree in communications management from the University of Indonesia (UI).
'I think I've created a successful approach because wherever I go [as a representative of the magazine] some of our readers will seek me out in person.'
Femina has also developed several communities, such as the Femina Woman Entrepreneurs Community and Women Leadership Network for mid-level career women.
She said that in her BlackBerry, she had saved the PINs of many of the community members, allowing them to reach out to her, sharing their challenges while developing their businesses.
She considered this to be one of her achievements as a leader because it meant that her audience believed in her as well as the magazine and saw them both as reliable sources.
Despite her achievements, only a few know that communications wasn't really Petty's initial ambition. Young Petty wanted to be a pharmacist.
After graduating from high school, she chose to enroll as a pharmacy major in Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
Unfortunately, Petty failed the exam. She then looked to her second option, communications ' a major which actually relate closely to Petty's main skill: writing.
'I was really heartbroken when I failed, maybe because I was so sure that I could pass the exam,' said Petty, adding that she was too busy with her teenage dream to realize that her natural skills were actually suited to the media and the communications industry.
Along the way, Petty began to learn her strengths. Step by step, piece by piece, Petty organically shaped her career.
'I never dreamed of doing what I do today ' being Femina's chief editor. Although there were times where I wanted to be Gadis' chief editor,' revealed Petty, who was a big fan of the teen magazine.
The dynamic work and life experience during her Gadis years trained Petty how to be a person in charge, who is ready for everything.
'At Gadis, I learned how to deal with whatever crisis would arise in the media industry ' including dealing with the police following the death of several girls in a meet-and-greet event with British boy band A1 [in 2001] just because Gadis was among the teen magazines that had announced the band's visit,' explained Petty.
Asked about whether she was satisfied with what she had achieved in her career, Petty said, 'At this point, I'm satisfied.'
She had a blast when she was at Gadis and she is grateful that she could give it color, which is a more relaxed approach, to Femina ' another aspect of her legacy at the 42-year-old magazine.
Petty believes that heavy issues are more consumable when they are written in a more relaxed style. With this, Femina can deliver important information to readers without losing its entertainment factor.
Petty hopes that Femina can continue to grow along with future generations.
'The magazine is entering the digital world, which is open to further development. I think, with our vision and mission, which is empowering Indonesian women for a better life, Femina will have a long life.'
Personally Petty, who is addicted to spas and massages, shopping, her iPad and coffee, is happy and content with everything she has now.
'My life is 60 percent work and the remainder is for family and friends,' said the eldest of three children in her family.
'I'd like to have more free time to invite my extended family and friends for a nice lunch or dinner at my home because basically I love to treat people with good food.'
