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ADB Appoints Ms. Khempheng Pholsena, Lao PDR Vice-Minister, as Vice-President

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (5 March 2004) - The Board of Directors of ADB, acting on the recommendation of ADB President Tadao Chino, has appointed Ms. Khempheng Pholsena as Vice-President (Finance and Administration) with effect from 5 April 2004.

Ms. Khempheng Pholsena, who is currently Lao PDR's Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, in charge of international cooperation, succeeds Vice-President John Lintjer, who retired from the service of ADB on 17 January 2004. She is ADB's first female Vice-President.

As a senior government official of the Government of Lao PDR, Ms. Khempheng Pholsena has been in charge of negotiating with foreign institutions, countries and international agencies with the aim of furthering international economic relations and cooperation.

Before her current position, Ms. Khempheng Pholsena was Vice-President of the Committee for Planning and Cooperation from 2001 to 2003, responsible for aid coordination and resource mobilization relating to national planning and investments, including foreign direct investment.

Ms. Khempheng Pholsena brings to her new position a diverse background that includes expertise in economic and financial management and resource mobilization.

She rose through the civil service to become Vice-President of the Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation with Socialist countries (1988); Vice-Minister of Trade and External Economic Relations (1989 to 1993); and Vice-President of the Committee for Planning and Cooperation and Secretary of the Official Development Assistance Management Committee (1993 to 1996).

In 1996, Ms. Khempheng Pholsena joined the Prime Minister's Office as Vice-Minister to help prepare for Lao PDR's accession to the ASEAN Free Trade Area. From 1997 to 2001, she was Vice-Minister, Prime Minister's Office, in charge of international cooperation.

She has also been involved in the Greater Mekong Subregion economic cooperation initiative that has been supported by ADB since its inception in 1992.

Ms. Khempheng Pholsena, who speaks fluent French, English and Russian, is also Vice-President of the Lao-Luxembourg Partnership Commission, the Lao-Japan Friendship Association, and the Joint Commission for Cooperation with the Federation of Russia.

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