Boediano who was born on February 25, 1943 received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Australia in 1967, his master’s degree from Monash University in 1972, and his doctorate degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1979. He also worked at the Australian National University in the 1970s as a research assistant.

Boediono was listed as one of the Wharton School’s 125 Influential People and Ideas in 2007 and was dubbed as “Indonesia’s financial rudder”.

Boediono was a Bank Indonesia deputy governor in charge of fiscal monetary policy from 1997 to 1998 and served as State Minister of National Planning and Development from 1998 to October 1999.

Following the removal of Abdurrahman Wahid from the presidency in 2001, President Megawati Sukarnoputri appointed Boediono as Minister of Finance in her new administration. Under his leadership, the economy grew by 4% in 2002.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed Boediono as Coordinating Minister for the Economy during his first cabinet reshuffle in 2005, replacing tycoon Aburizal Bakrie. Bakrie had come under suspicion for having conflicts of interest. In 2008, a commission of the People’s Representative Council elected him Governor of Bank Indonesia. After he was selected by Yudhoyono as a running mate in the 2009 presidential election, Boediono submitted his resignation from the central bank post.

Boediono is also a lecturer in economics at Gadjah Mada University.

The Wharton-trained economist, who was finance minister during Megawati Soekarnoputri’s administration from 2001 to 2004, more than any other person was responsible for Indonesia’s return to macroenomic stability following the 1997 financial crisis. He commands a great deal of respect both at home and abroad for his integrity and competence.