Michael Tene

Robert Matheus Michael Tene is an Indonesian diplomat who served as the deputy secretary general of ASEAN for community and corporate affairs from 2019 to 2021 and for political security community from 2021 to 2024. Prior to assuming office as ASEAN's deputy secretary general, Tene served as the chief of staff to the foreign minister and deputy permanent representative to the UN, WTO, and other international organizations in Geneva.

Education Tene studied economics at the University of Indonesia. He received his undergraduate degree in 1992, with a thesis on the effect of tariff policies in developed countries to forest exploitation. His thesis examiner, the environment and population minister Emil Salim, had just finished attending a cabinet meeting but still made time to attend Tene's defense.

Tene later pursued a master's in public administration from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan, graduating in 2003 under the Young Leaders Program scholarship.

From 1997 to early 2001, he was posted to the embassy in London,

From 2015 to 2018, Tene served as the deputy permanent representative to the UN in Geneva with the rank of ambassador. Upon returning to Indonesia, Tene was attached to the ASEAN cooperation directorate general. Tene (2nd from right) at the 247th anniversary of U.S. independence in Jakarta in 2023. On 2 September 2019, Tene became the deputy secretary general of ASEAN for community and corporate affairs, replacing Ahmad Kurnia Prawira Mochtan. As deputy secretary general, Tene is responsible for supporting implementation of the ASEAN Political Security Community Blueprint and strengthening ties with dialogue partners. Tene argued that ASEAN had progressed significantly since its establishment but needs to adapt with the global environment. Tene's tenure in ASEAN ended on 14 February 2024 and he returned to the foreign ministry as a senior advisor. He is currently an honorary member of the Romanian Institute for Europe-Asia Studies (IRSEA) and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI).

Personal life Tene has a hobby of swimming and jogging and enjoys reading.