From a Communication Studies Major at UMN to Senior Marketing Communications Manager at a Five-Star Hotel: Ananda Wondo’s Career Journey

Ananda at the launch event for the Mustikarasa Culinary Program at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta. (Photo courtesy of Ananda Wondo)

TANGERANG (July 6, 2026) – An interest in the world of communication can actually develop long before someone even sets foot on a college campus. That’s exactly what Ananda Wondo experienced. A 20210 graduate of the Communication Studies program at Multimedia Nusantara University (UMN), she has now built a career that has taken her to the position of Senior Marketing Communication Manager at several renowned five-star hotels, including the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta and the Four Seasons Hotel.

Ananda’s interest in the field of communication first emerged in her 12th grade of high school. “At that time, I was drawn to the challenge of becoming a marketing communications professional or spokesperson representing an institution,” Ananda said during an interview.

Ananda also recognizes that the field of communication will continue to evolve, making the ability to adapt to change a skill that will always be in demand.

Her decision to pursue a degree in Communication Studies at UMN was not without reason. For Ananda, the prestigious reputation of the Kompas Gramedia Group—which oversees UMN—was one of her primary considerations.

“I chose the Communication Studies program at UMN because the university is part of the Kompas Gramedia Group, which has a strong reputation and credibility in the media industry. This gave me confidence in the quality of education offered,” she explained.

In addition to its reputation, a visit to the campus further solidified her decision. He observed adequate facilities as well as a comfortable and conducive learning environment to support the academic process.

Ananda (far left) hosted a media gathering to introduce the Ramadan menu at the Signature Restaurant at the Kempinski Hotel Indonesia in Jakarta. (Photo courtesy of Ananda Wondo)

Among the many courses he took, Ananda cited “Marketing Public Relations” as the one that has had the greatest impact on his career path. Through this course, he learned how to design strategic communication campaigns with newsworthy value, thereby attracting media attention and fostering public engagement.

However, classroom knowledge alone is not enough. In his view, the combination of soft skills from professional faculty members and industry practitioners, along with hard skills gained from campus organizational experience, provides a well-rounded foundation.

Through these organizations, students can directly practice negotiation, cross-cultural communication, time management, and various other skills that prepare them for the working world.

“UMN not only equips its students with the professional skills needed in the workplace but also instills positive habits and values such as discipline, respect, and responsibility,” he added.

After graduating, Ananda’s career was largely focused on the hospitality industry before branching out into electronics retail. One of the positions she held was Senior Marcomm Manager at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta. In this role, she was responsible for designing and executing communication and marketing strategies to increase brand awareness and support the achievement of business targets.

Ananda (first from the right) at a media gathering to introduce the latest Afternoon Tea menu at the Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta. (Photo courtesy of Ananda Wondo)

“It’s quite dynamic, as I have to manage various campaigns, collaborate with many divisions, and ensure every activity aligns with brand standards and business needs,” she explained.

During his career at Four Seasons, his focus shifted to digital marketing—ranging from managing the hotel’s website and social media, working with online travel agents, to handling Google Ads—to ensure every digital strategy performs optimally and effectively reaches the defined target market. Ananda is also responsible for ensuring each digital campaign delivers optimal return on investment (ROI).

Ananda emphasized that every message communicated to the public must be agreed upon with hotel management. Furthermore, it must also be communicated to the operations team to ensure the message remains consistent, whether conveyed to the media or hotel guests.

Currently, she is pursuing a career in the electronics retail industry as a Marketing Specialist at Blibli Store, a multi-brand gadget store chain that is part of Blibli.

“The pace of work in this field is very fast, as we handle various well-known brands. Each brand has different marketing strategies and campaigns, so we must ensure that every program is implemented effectively across all Blibli stores,” she explained.

Ananda (first from the left in the front row) at the Global Wellness Day 2024 event at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta. (Photo courtesy of Ananda Wondo)

Ananda also shared the most memorable achievement of her career, which took place during the 2018 Asian Games. At that time, the management of the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta wanted to organize an event to welcome the Asian Games, drawing on the historical background of the Hotel Indonesia, which was originally built to host the first Asian Games in Indonesia in 1962.

She had the opportunity to come up with the overarching theme for the campaign: “Welcoming Back the 2018 Asian Games.” She also managed the media campaign by highlighting the historical significance of Hotel Indonesia, which resulted in a full-page feature in the Kompas daily newspaper and an exclusive interview on Net TV.

The campaign even received free publicity through Arief Muhammad’s YouTube channel.

“We specifically wanted to collaborate with Arief Muhammad because we were aware that his audience is predominantly teenagers, and we wanted to educate the younger generation about the history of Hotel Indonesia,” he explained.

Ananda (third from the right) at the Grand Opening of the Huawei Experience Store in a mall in West Jakarta. The store is managed by Blibli. (Photo courtesy of Ananda Wondo)

Working at a multinational company taught him valuable lessons. He realized that the ability to communicate in English is just as important as teamwork and marketing skills, given that he often has to collaborate with expatriates in strategic positions.

Ananda also noticed a significant difference between the academic world and the professional world, particularly in terms of the level of professionalism required to achieve common goals and the complexity of teamwork. With a diverse group of coworkers, communication and organizational skills become essential for building collaboration and achieving optimal results.

In closing, Ananda Wondo advised Communication Studies students and soon-to-be graduates not to rely solely on classroom knowledge. In his view, every opportunity to gain experience outside the classroom—whether through organizations, internships, side jobs, or other activities—should be utilized to the fullest.

“These experiences will develop skills that are hard to gain from theory alone, such as communication, negotiation, teamwork, time management, leadership, and problem-solving,” he said.

In this way, academic knowledge and hands-on work experience will complement each other and serve as the best foundation for becoming competent graduates who are ready to compete in the professional world, particularly in the fields of communication and marketing.

By Annisa Maulida | UMN News Service

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan , di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. umn.my.id