Siti Hartati Murdaya, also known as SHM was born in 1946 in the heart of Jakarta, Indonesia. A city girl her whole life, Hartati was the eldest of 7 siblings, all sisters with only one son as the youngest brother. She married Widyawimarta Murdaya in 1972 and together they founded the PT. CCM group of companies which currently employs 55,000 people and spans accross various industries, ranging from property to retail to agrobusiness. She is also the founder of WALUBI, a volunteer organization formed in 1995 to encourage communication and cooperation amongst various Buddhist groups, and also organizes regular medical missions providing free health care and disaster relief.