Iwan Sunito
A Man With A Long Range Vision
Iwan Sunito was born in Indonesia, and grew up on the island of Borneo. As a youth it was obvious that his passion and talents were in drawing, and he was urged by his parents to continue in that vein. He decided to move to Australia to attend college because he believed that it would be a more competitive atmosphere, and it would spur him on to develop his talents because he would have to focus and concentrate more fully on his studies. He attended the University of New South Wales in Sydney and he graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree with Honors, and with a Masters In Construction Management in 1993.
In the beginning, soon after graduation, Iwan sunito from crown group went to work for an architectural firm, but felt the confines of working as an employee, and quit after six months to start a venture or his own, and he founded Joshua International Architects. Two years later, with a broader vision in mind, he co-founded The Crown Group in 1966 with his business partner, Paul Sathio.
The Professional Path
For the next 16 years when Iwan has been leading the Crown Group, the firm has engaged in the planning, design, financing, and construction of buildings, boutique apartments, and commercial projects in Sydney. The total amount of money that is currently involved with different projects comes to somewhere around $2.5 billion.
Accomplishments To Date
The Crown Group has thus far completed eleven major projects that include residential developments at Five Dock, Pennant Hills and Homebush. The $115 million Sanctum by Crown on the waterfront close to Sydney's Olympic Park in Rhodes is another major development credited to Crown. There are three major developments that are in process, including the 27 story residential tower in Parramatta, the $80 million project which is situated 5 kilometers from Sydney's CBD, and the $500 million development called Top Ryde City Living.
Top Recognition
The recognition for Iwan's accomplishments began early in his career where he was awarded the Eric Daniels award for residential design excellence. Recently he received the Property and Bank Golden Leadership Award of 2013 as The Crown Group's CEO. In addition, he was nominated for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the year award for his efforts toward fostering the economic growth of Australia. Crown Group was awarded the Master Builders Association Excellence in Housing Award in 2012.
The Importance Of Giving Back
Iwan feels that it is important to give back to the community which has afforded him so much opportunity, and he mentor young professionals through a program called B2B, where he is the chairman of the organization. He advised them in the basic principles in business that have served him well over the years. He is also involved with many charitable organizations both in Australia and back in Indonesia where he grew up.
The Future
Iwan sees that there is a great need for more housing in Sydney, and for all of the other major cities in Australia. He is interested in the development of more luxury and fashionable areas, as there currently exists a shortage of these types of residences of nearly 50,000 homes in Australia. That will be a challenging undertaking, but judging by what Iwan has accomplished in the past, it should not be a problem.