“There were times when I was discriminated against because I am a woman but I simply worked harder to gain acceptance; over time I proved that I could do even better than some of my male associates, and this was when men began to accept me.”

Being a key player in the automotive industry has had its challenges for Imelda being a woman, but given the concrete evidence of her success, she feels that the recognition given to her success as a woman in business has had the greater positive benefit of society’s greater acceptance of women’s success and belonging in the work space.

She does not deny that one of the challenges of being a successful female empire-builder is finding the time to divide it fairly between work and family – and also time for herself. She thinks that this juggling act is harder for women than it is for men because there is still the perception that women are still expected to be the primary carers of the family unit. This becomes more pointed in a traditional society such as Indonesia, she says, so she makes it a point, despite her gruelling work schedule, to set aside family time, especially so at the weekends. Now that her children have grown up and have families of their own, she has a bit more ‘me-time’.

Her daily schedule involves a daily swim as a measure of the maintenance of her health as well as a way of boosting her stamina, which she says helps her in juggling the pressures of work and family. A ten-hour workday then follows. Imelda makes it a point to begin and end her day with prayers, even when her head is filled with a to-do list of things. Her personal attitude is to express gratitude for she is aware that her success and achievement are blessings from God. “I could not possibly achieve all this even with my talents, capabilities and stamina, without God’s favour.