Stephen P. Groff
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Stephen P. Groff is Vice-President (Operations 2) of ADB. He assumed office in October 2011.
Mr. Groff is responsible for the full range of ADB's operations in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.
Stephen P. Groff is Vice-President (Operations 2) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He assumed office in October 2011.
Mr. Groff is responsible for the full range of ADB's operations in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. His mandate includes establishing strategic and operational priorities in his areas of responsibility, producing investment and technical assistance operations amounting to approximately $5 billion annually, managing an existing portfolio of about $31 billion, and leading about 650 staff.
In addition, Mr. Groff supports ADB's President in managing ADB's overall operations, represents ADB in high-level multilateral fora, and contributes to managing its relationships with its 67 member country shareholders, other multilateral financial institutions, and key government, private sector, and civil society partners.
Prior to joining ADB, Mr. Groff was Deputy Director for Development Cooperation at the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) where he led OECD's work on a wide range of development-related economic and political issues. He also served as OECD's envoy to the G20 Working Group on Development and was a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council. Prior to this he was the Deputy Vice-President for Operations at the Washington-based Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), where he helped set up the agency and led MCC programs while advising the CEO on development issues, strategy, and policy. Prior to MCC, Mr. Groff held several staff positions at the ADB. Before this, Mr. Groff was the deputy director and chief economist on a large U.S. Agency for International Development project designed to encourage private sector development in the southern Philippines, a Program Director for the U.S. Refugee Program, and a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer.
Mr. Groff has worked across Asia, Africa, and Latin America and writes regularly on development issues. He also serves on a number of advisory boards for development-related organizations.
Mr. Groff holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology from Yale University.
Professional history
| September 2011 | Vice-President (Operations 2), Asian Development Bank |
| 2007-2011 | Deputy Director for Development Cooperation, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| 2006-2007 | Deputy Vice President for Operations, Millennium Challenge Corporation |
| 2004-2006 | Managing Director – Eastern Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Millennium Challenge Corporation |
| 2001-2004 | Senior Advisor to the Vice-President, Asian Development Bank |
| 1997-2001 | Senior Project Economist, Asian Development Bank |
| 1996-1997 | Chief Economist, Louis Berger International Inc./ U.S. Agency for International Development |
| 1995-1996 | Research and Teaching Assistant, Harvard Institute for International Development |
| 1989-1994 | Program Director, U.S. Refugee Program |
| 1987-1989 | Marine Fisheries Extension Agent, U.S. Peace Corps |
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ADB Vice-President Reaffirms ADB's Partnership with Thailand for 50th Anniversary
ADB is reaffirming its long-term commitment and partnership with the Government of Thailand to continue helping the country achieve its development goals, ADB Vice-President Stephen P. Groff said. -
World Bank, ADB, and Australia Commit to Unified Approach for Pacific Islands
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (26 October 2016) – Following talks in Canberra today, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Australian government have renewed their commitment to supporting Pacific island countries address many of the key challenges facing the region—including gender inequality, situations of fragility, economic and environmental vulnerability—and promote greater resilience throughout the region. They pledged strong collaboration across development projects and analytical work, as well as an increased presence throughout the Pacific islands region. -
Safe, Sustainable Road Network Opened in Tarawa, Kiribati
Representatives from ADB, the World Bank Group, and the Governments of Australia and Kiribati gathered here today to officially open the improved road network on South Tarawa. -
Fiji, ADB Sign $2 Million Grant For Disaster Relief After Cyclone Winston
The Government of Fiji and ADB today signed a $2 million grant agreement to finance relief efforts for communities affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston. -
ADB, New Zealand Help Boost Education Services in Ha’apai, Tonga After Cyclone Ian
Officials today participated in an opening ceremony and formal handover of schools rebuilt and refurbished after they were damaged by Cyclone Ian in 2014.
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ADB Statement at the UN Sustainable Development Summit - Stephen P. Groff
ADB Statement by Stephen P. Groff, Vice-President (Operations 2), Asian Development Bank, at the UN Sustainable Development Summit, 27 September 2015, New York. -
Opening Statement at the 20th Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Ministerial Conference - Stephen Groff
Opening statement by ADB Vice-President Stephen Groff at the 20th Ministerial Conference of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program held 9-10 September 2015 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. -
Opening Remarks at the Seminar on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) - Stephen Groff
Opening remarks by ADB Vice-President Stephen Groff at the Seminar on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) held 2-3 September 2015 in Manila, Philippines. -
Keynote Speech at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) 2015 Asia Conference - Stephen Groff
Keynote speech by ADB Vice-President Stephen Groff at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) 2015 Asia Conference held 24 August 2015 in Manila, Philippines. -
Closing Remarks at the Third Asian Youth Forum - Stephen Groff
Closing remarks by ADB Vice-President Stephen Groff at the Third Asian Youth Forum held 13 August 2015 in Manila, Philippines.
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How Will ASEAN Members Cope with Their Climate Change Challenge? - Stephen Groff
Regional cooperation is the best way forward when it comes to mitigating and adapting to climate change. -
Putting out Indonesia’s fires - Stephen Groff
Every year, forest fires ravage Indonesia, causing massive environmental, social, and economic devastation. -
China can balance eco-protection with growth - Stephen Groff
China faces a fundamental challenge: How to balance environment protection with economic growth? -
How private sources of development finance could be key to Asia's future - Stephen Groff
As leaders gather for the Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, we look at how private investment is key to sustainable development in Asia -
Overcoming Southeast Asia's barriers to trade - Stephen Groff
The launch of the Asean Economic Community in six months will be a critical moment for Southeast Asia.
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Can coordinated city clusters take off in the PRC?
The PRC can learn from international examples of metropolitan governance, adapting them to its own urban development requirements.
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Why US-ADB partnership remains strong after 51 years
ADB-financed projects are good for American businesses and for developing countries in Asia-Pacific, explains Vice-President Stephen Groff.
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Supporting PRC's "mother river" will help achieve ecological civilization
Vice-President Stephen Groff gives an update from his visit to the Upper Yangtze River region in the People’s Republic of China.
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How ADB is supporting PRC’s drive to become an “ecological civilization”
Vice-President Stephen Groff explains how ADB is helping the People’s Republic of China deliver environmentally sustainable growth and achieve its climate targets.
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ADB to more than double climate financing for vulnerable Pacific countries
Vice-President Stephen Groff, in Fiji for a COP23 meeting, reveals that ADB will mobilize over $500 million in climate finance for the Pacific until 2021.
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Partnership can deliver better infrastructure in PNG
ADB sees an important role for PPPs in developing PNG’s infrastructure and meeting its development goals.
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ADB scaling up assistance to PNG
Vice-President Stephen Groff discusses the role of public-private partnerships, connectivity, and renewable energy in helping PNG meet its development goals.
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Connectivity, competitiveness, community guide Mekong regional cooperation
Vice-President Stephen Groff shares his views on cooperation among Mekong countries from the 22nd GMS Ministerial Conference in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.
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Dealing with fragility in middle-income countries
Failure to address challenges in fragile and conflict-affected situations puts the notion of an “Asian Century” at risk.
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Asia needs both hard infrastructure, software
Vice-President Stephen Groff gives an update from the Beijing launch of the PRC-led Belt and Road Initiative.
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How Cambodia can grab its big opportunity
It’s time to diversify its economy to transition to upper-middle-income status.
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Data matters to meet the SDGs
Vice-President Stephen Groff explains why we should monitor SDG implementation with truly relevant data.
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Thailand and ADB: A strong, enduring partnership
Vice-President Stephen Groff looks back on the Thailand-ADB relationship, and outlines areas for future cooperation.
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Boao Forum: Use fiscal policy to boost infrastructure spending
Developing Asia urgently needs further investments in infrastructure to sustain growth and improve social equity.
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ADB, Myanmar deepen partnership to meet infrastructure investment needs
ADB’s new Country Partnership Strategy in Myanmar will focus on connectivity, human capital, and structural reforms.
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Upgraded road to improve quality of life in Kiribati
Vice President Stephen P. Groff explains how the rehabilitation of Tarawa's most important road will benefit all in this remote South Pacific nation.
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Challenges facing Asia and Pacific in terms of sustainable development
International financial institutions must recalibrate their strategies for maximum impact in the post-2015 era.
How ADB is helping Fiji recover from Cyclone Winston
Vice President Stephen P. Groff describes the devastation wrought by Cyclone Winston, and discusses what ADB is doing to help Fiji recover.
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Let's scale up, vary access to SME finance to boost Asia's growth, cross-border trade
We need to make the best possible use of all financial instruments in our national and regional tool boxes so SMEs in Asia can continue driving national economies, providing jobs, and becoming globally competitive.
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3 ways to serve Asia and the Pacific's 'unbanked'
Every time I stop and withdraw cash from an ATM or use my credit card to buy something online, I wonder how many people in Asia have access to such services. In fact, these simple transactions are beyond the reach of 45% of adults in East Asia and the Pacific alone. They are excluded from the formal financial system and will remain so until they open a bank account.
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Fast-tracking Myanmar's reform
Over just 3 years, Myanmar has introduced ambitious reforms which have put it on track to become a modern economy. But big challenges still lie ahead.
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Asia Pacific post-2015 priorities, MDG8 and Global Partnerships
Any contemporary story on development in Asia-Pacific begins with reflection on massive gains achieved in the fight against poverty. The incidence of people living on less than $1.25 a day fell from 54.5% in 1990 to 20.7% in 2010, with the number of extreme poor declining from 1.48 billion to 733 million. This precipitous decline in poverty incidence has been accompanied by tremendous gains in access to health and education.
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Turning on the lights in Myanmar
A multitude of statistics underscore the challenges that the people of Myanmar face when it comes to access to electricity - many of these illustrating a lack of conveniences other parts of the world consider commonplace, ranging from water pumps to stovetop ranges.
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Myanmar: Cautionary tales for a country on the move
Can a nation once intentionally isolated from the world be rebuilt from the outside in? After decades of isolation, Myanmar has an extraordinary amount of work to do on every imaginable front. The country needs access to billions of dollars to bring modern irrigation systems to rural farmers, roads and electricity to remote communities, as well as technical and vocational training to prepare the country's youth for the jobs of the future.
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Dialogues on Change: Up Close with Aung San Suu Kyi
My second meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was in early November. I had returned to the country to meet with officials and discuss next steps following our Board’s approval of our interim country partnership strategy. Following a variety of meetings in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw, we returned to her residence on the outskirts of the capital. Madame Suu Kyi again greeted us at the entrance to her home and ushered us to the same table.
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Meeting Myanmar’s Iconic Lady
Over the course of our eleven-month “re-engagement” with Myanmar and my three trips to the country since June, I have discussed prospects for the country with literally hundreds of people. In a September op-ed, I quoted Rudyard Kipling who referred to the country as "quite unlike any land you know about" in his 1898 collection Letters from the East and these discussions leave me convinced that this century-old observation holds true.