MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the appointment of F. Cleo Kawawaki as its new Director General of Strategic Fundraising. This high-level appointment is designed to supercharge the bank’s resource mobilization as it seeks to address the complex development challenges facing Asia and the Pacific, including climate change and digital transformation.

The move marks a strategic shift for the bank, placing one of its most experienced veterans at the helm of its global donor engagement and private sector partnership initiatives.

A Career Built on Investment and Development

Ms. Kawawaki, a Japanese national, brings a formidable blend of private sector efficiency and multilateral development expertise to her new role.

• Total Professional Experience: 36+ years.
• ADB Tenure: Over 25 years in various senior leadership positions.
• Investment Banking Background: 11 years at Nomura Securities, where she specialized in equity and bond structuring, including the high-profile privatization of the UK electricity sector.

Mandate: Innovative Financing for "Strategy 2030"

In her new capacity, Ms. Kawawaki will be responsible for translating ADB's Strategy 2030 into a well-funded reality. Her primary objectives include:

• Trust Fund Innovation: Establishing new trust funds to pilot cutting-edge development models.
• Membership Expansion: Engaging with potential new member countries aligned with ADB’s regional priorities.
• Private Sector Synergy: Deepening relationships with foundations and private sector entities to leverage blended finance.
• Strategic Partnerships: Strengthening ties with both long-standing traditional donors and emerging economies.

"With climate change, the private sector shift, and digitization as ADB's priorities, my task will be to ensure maximum efficiency in delivering solutions that have a lasting positive impact on communities." — F. Cleo Kawawaki (on her recent leadership transition).

Context: The Need for Scaled-Up Funding

The appointment follows a recent internal evaluation by ADB’s Independent Evaluation Department (IED), which called for more professionalized fund management. Between 2015 and 2024, ADB-administered trust funds mobilized $14.7 billion. Ms. Kawawaki's appointment is seen as a direct response to the need for a more coordinated and strategic approach to global fundraising as concessional resources become increasingly competitive.