Jadwalkan Konsultasi
In a modest classroom in Indonesia, long before container shipments and international buyers became part of his daily vocabulary, Dahlan was shaping futures in a different way, teaching English to high school students. Today, he is the CEO of PT Agro Global Persada, an export company supplying agricultural commodities, from spices to coconut derivatives, to buyers across Europe, Asia, and beyond.
His journey is not a conventional one. But in many ways, it reflects a broader shift, how digital platforms and global connectivity are redefining who gets to participate in international trade.
Dahlan’s career began in 2009 as a civil servant, shortly after completing his undergraduate degree. For years, he worked as an English teacher—a role that would quietly lay the foundation for his future in global business.
Opportunities abroad soon followed.
He participated in a teacher exchange program in Queensland, Australia, and later received a Japanese Government scholarship to study at Tohoku University and Miyagi University of Education. His academic journey culminated in a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Adelaide.
These experiences did more than enhance his credentials. They reshaped his worldview.
“I began to realize how interconnected the world is,” Dahlan reflects. “And how much countries depend on each other.”
That realization sparked a new curiosity—one that extended beyond education and into economics. He began observing a simple but powerful insight: many products in demand globally could, in fact, be supplied by Indonesia.
His entry into export was, at first, experimental. A friend introduced him to a buyer, one described as “difficult” and notoriously hard to close. Where others hesitated, Dahlan leaned in.
Leveraging his communication skills and confidence in English, he secured the deal. It was small, just 10 kilograms of vanilla beans. But it was enough.
That single transaction became proof of concept: he could compete in the global market.
Motivated by early success, Dahlan formalized his efforts by establishing his first company. In the beginning, he operated what he calls “superhero mode", handling everything himself, from sourcing to negotiation.
It worked, but it wasn’t sustainable. Scaling required structure, and people.
Recognizing this, he co-founded PT Agro Global Persada with partners, shifting from solo execution to collaborative growth. The company focused on what Indonesia does best: agricultural products.
Their portfolio now includes:
But beyond product, Dahlan saw a deeper mission.
Indonesia’s agricultural strength, he believes, is often undermined by structural challenges—particularly for farmers.
“Farmers often don’t have the privilege to determine prices,” he says.
PT Agro Global Persada was built not only as a trading company, but as a bridge—connecting farmers to global demand while aiming for more equitable value distribution.
The impact, he notes, goes beyond company margins. It touches livelihoods.
For many first-time exporters, the biggest barrier is not product, it’s access.
Dahlan observed a common pattern:
“I didn’t want to take that path,” he explains. Instead, he made a deliberate decision: find a platform designed specifically for B2B trade.
That search led him to Alibaba.com. Registering his company on the platform marked a turning point.
Unlike fragmented channels, Alibaba.com provided:
The results were immediate, and compounding.
Since joining Alibaba.com, PT Agro Global Persada has connected with buyers across multiple regions:
Product demand varies by region:
In one notable case, a buyer from Qingdao, China, requested up to 50 containers per month, far exceeding current production capacity. Today, the company fulfills between 3 to 10 containers monthly. The gap is not a limitation, it’s a signal of future growth.
With increased visibility came a new challenge: volume.
“We are sometimes overwhelmed responding to inquiries,” Dahlan admits.
Yet he frames it differently. Not as a bottleneck, but as validation. A sign that the system works.
One of the platform’s most impactful features, he notes, is Alibaba.com's artificial intelligence.
Smart Assistant tools help:
Combined with the platform’s trust infrastructure, such as buyer verification and rating systems—this creates a more efficient, predictable path to conversion.
For Dahlan, the conclusion is clear.
“Alibaba.com is a gateway—a golden gate—to access valid buyers at scale.”
But his advice to other entrepreneurs is equally grounded. Starting is never easy.
“Every beginning is daunting,” he says. “Especially for those unfamiliar with digital platforms.”
Yet hesitation, in his view, is the bigger risk. With the right tools, guidance, and persistence, the barriers to global trade are lower than ever before.
Dahlan’s story is not just about one company’s growth.
It reflects a broader transformation:
And perhaps most importantly, where opportunity is no longer limited by geography, but defined by access.
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