Sonita Lontoh on Starting at PG&E, Embracing the Unconventional Path, and Building a Global Career at HP and Siemens and Now Leading AI Governance and Innovation as a Public Company Board Director
How do you transition from a childhood in Jakarta to a seat on the boards of top public tech companies in the United States?
In this episode of No Boxes, Just Verses, I sit down with Sonita Lontoh. We discuss her early culture shock at UC Berkeley, her courage to defy expectations in business school, and her proven strategy to secure public board seats.
ABOUT SONITA:
Sonita Lontoh is an accomplished public company board director with expertise in AI, technology innovation, and customer trust. She currently serves on the boards of Sunrun (Nasdaq: RUN), the largest consumer energy company in the US, TrueBlue (NYSE: TBI), a global workforce solutions company, partner at Alpha, an AI governance company, and an advisor to Sway Ventures, a Silicon Valley VC firm. Prior, over her 25-year diverse global career as a senior executive at both new innovative businesses within large global Fortune 100 companies such as HP, Siemens, PG&E and at entrepreneurial, VC-backed Silicon Valley technology companies, she had led programs that have delivered positive impact to businesses, consumers, and society. She is a purpose-driven leader passionate in advancing technology for humanity. She has been recognized by the White House, the US State Department, the Financial Times, the San Francisco Business Times, and inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame and the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame. Sonita earned her master’s in engineering from MIT, her MBA from Northwestern Kellogg, and her B.S. in engineering from UC Berkeley.
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Key Takeaways:
The Global Perspective: Sonita grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, as a triple minority. This early reality forced her to interact with diverse groups and helped her develop a robust global perspective.
The Courage to Defy the Herd: At Northwestern Kellogg, she noticed most students blindly pursued careers in finance or corporate strategy. She chose to enter the energy sector at PG&E because she wanted to work at the intersection of technology and societal impact.
The Power of Mentors: Throughout her corporate ascent, Sonita consistently found leaders who believed in her potential and offered her massive opportunities. Today, she dedicates her time to elevate the next generation of leaders.
The Out-of-the-Box Brand: Sonita built a distinct reputation because she consistently accepted assignments that others viewed as undesirable or risky. This unique brand caused top executives to recruit her when they needed to build new business models.
The Portfolio Life: In her current career phase as a public company board director, she advises professionals to focus on organic connections rather than transactional requests. She also emphasizes the absolute necessity to select boards with healthy cultures and aligned values.
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Theme Song: No Boxes Just Verses by Thane Kreiner (Suno)
The Global Perspective: Five Career Lessons with Tech Executive and Board Director Sonita Lontoh
How do you transition from a childhood in Jakarta to a seat on the boards of top public tech companies in the United States?
For Sonita Lontoh, the answer requires a distinct global perspective and the courage to defy expectations. Sonita serves as a board director for Sunrun and TrueBlue. On this week's episode of No Boxes, Just Verses, she sat down with me to trace her trajectory from Indonesia to the highest levels of corporate leadership.
Here are five concrete lessons from her unboxed career, told through the soundtrack of her life.
1. Develop a Global Perspective (A Whole New World – Aladdin)
In her youth in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sonita navigated life as a triple minority. She was female, an ethnic Chinese citizen, and a Catholic in a predominantly Muslim nation. This reality forced her to interact with diverse groups early in life and helped her develop a robust global perspective. When she moved to the United States to study at UC Berkeley, she experienced intense culture shock. However, she chose to explore new cultures and build relationships with people who differed from her.
2. Defy the Herd (Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson)
After she sold her first tech startup, Sonita attended graduate school at MIT and Northwestern. At Kellogg, she noticed most students blindly pursued careers in finance or corporate strategy. Sonita looked in the mirror and realized those paths did not align with her true self. She chose to enter the energy sector at PG&E because she wanted to work at the intersection of technology and societal impact. She proved that you must run your own race to achieve greatness.
3. Accept Support (You'll Never Walk Alone – Gerry and the Pacemakers)
Throughout her corporate ascent at companies like HP and Siemens, Sonita consistently found mentors who believed in her potential. Leaders saw her talent and offered her massive opportunities. She acknowledges that she faced saboteurs over the years, but she maintained her optimism because her supporters always outnumbered her detractors. Today, she dedicates her time to elevate the next generation of leaders.
4. Construct an Out-of-the-Box Brand (Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys)
Sonita built a distinct reputation. She consistently accepted assignments that others viewed as undesirable or risky. Because she tackled these complex challenges, she learned new skills and differentiated herself from her peers. She developed a unique brand as a leader who sees solutions outside traditional boundaries. This exact reputation caused top executives to recruit her when they needed to construct new business models.
5. Curate the Portfolio Life (Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones)
In her current career phase, Sonita serves as a public company board director. She advises professionals who want to secure board seats to focus on organic connection rather than transactional requests. She urges candidates to broadcast their specific expertise so others know exactly how to recommend them. Finally, she emphasizes the absolute necessity to select boards with healthy cultures and aligned values.