ADB's Strategy 2030: Emerging Directions

Bambang Susantono is the vice president for knowledge management and sustainable development of ADB, responsible for the Departments of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation, and External Relations. He was vice-minister of Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation and deputy minister for infrastructure and regional development. He holds a PhD in infrastructure planning and master’s degrees in transportation engineering as well as city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley, United States, and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia.

Chris Morris heads ADB’s NGO and Civil Society Center, and oversees the planning, implementation, and monitoring of ADB’s overall engagement with civil society organizations, as well as the design and implementation of the CSO program at the ADB Annual Meetings. Before joining ADB, Chris was vice president within the water division of global engineering firm Black and Veatch.

Ms. Valerie Hill is director of the Strategy, Policy, and Business Process Division of ADB's Strategy and Policy and Review Department. She has worked in various capacities within ADB since 2000. Ms. Hill has more than 20 years of professional experience working mostly in Asia and Africa on development issues. Before joining ADB, she worked as an economist at the International Monetary Fund, USA. She also previously worked for the World Bank in Washington, DC, USA where she performed research and various consultancy assignments. She holds doctorate and master’s degrees in economics from George Washington University, USA, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Monmouth College, USA.

Tomoyuki Kimura has more than 30 years of work experience in corporate and development finance. He joined ADB in 2000 as energy sector specialist. Prior to joining the Strategy, Policy and Review Department, he served as country director for Viet Nam and advisor for work force planning and human resource policy development. Mr. Kimura holds a master’s degree in business administration from the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management in Northwestern University, USA and a bachelor of law in Kyoto University, Japan.

Vinay Bhargava is currently chief technical advisor and a board member at the international NGO Partnership for Transparency Fund, which supports CSOs in promoting citizen engagement for promoting government transparency, accountability, and freedom from corruption. He is a former country director and director of international affairs at the World Bank. He is currently adjunct faculty at Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA and is a visiting professor at the Hiroshima and Kobe Universities in Japan, delivering courses on international development and foreign aid management. Mr. Bhargava is passionate about governance and anti-corruption, international development policy and practice, and Asian affairs. He pursues these interests as a volunteer, professor, consultant, and author.

Devon Ronald Dublin is the project coordinator of the Global Environment Facility-Satoyama Project for Conservation International, Japan and has held the position since 2015. Prior to his work in Conservation International, Mr. Dublin received his doctorate in environmental science development from Hokkaido University Japan. Throughout Mr. Dublin's academic career, he held several teaching assistant positions and post-doctoral fellowships at Hokkaido University, specializing in the fields of environmental science, culture, regionalism and sustainability sciences. Mr. Dublin previously served at the Ministry of Agriculture in Guyana as a veterinary officer in 2007.

Emeline Siale Ilolahia is deputy executive director of PIANGO, a major regional NGO network with membership from 23 countries and territories of the Pacific Islands. She also worked as executive director of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga, which aims to provide a common voice for CSOs in Tonga to advocate and influence policy direction. She helped to develop an accountability mechanism to guide CSO work and ensure that their accounts are regularly audited, and strategic plans, operational policies and constitutions are in order. She has been lobbying and advocating for CSO representation in national and international conferences and on national committees, and for recognition of CSO contribution to national development. Ms. Ilolahia also supported the development of the CSO Engagement Framework with cluster/coalition approach to facilitate engagement and partnership with governments and key stakeholders.

Mr. Abdelrahman is the current president of AIESEC International where he leads the AIESEC International Headquarters staff in Rotterdam, Netherlands as well as youth volunteers and AIESEC members from over 126 countries. Abdelrahman served as the director of the Middle East and Africa AIESEC contingency before he took office in September 2017. Abdelrahman’s experience with AIESEC also include leading AIESEC Egypt as country director and national director of organizational development respectively. Abdelrahman received his bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences and clinical pharmacy from Cairo University in 2012.

Marlene D. Ramirez is secretary general of Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (AsiaDHRRA), where she has been helping organize a regional farmers' alliance, now an autonomous body called Asian Farmers' Association (AFA) serving millions of farmers in Asia. She sits on the board of AgriCord global alliance of agri-agencies, providing direct financing and advice to farmers/fishers' organizations, and represents AgriCord in the Joint Steering Committee of European Union-International Fund for Agricultural Development ASEAN Farmers' Organization Support Program (AFOSP 2015-2019). From 2010 to date, she serves as interlocuter for civil society engagement with the Food and Agriculture Organization Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and sits in the Civil Society Governance Council of Grow Asia. As an ASEAN follower, she represents AsiaDHRRA in the Coordinating Conference on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, has led the drafting of ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Framework Action Plan 2011-2015 and the external Mid-term Review of the ASEAN Socio Cultural Community Blueprint in 2013.

Hemantha Withanage is the co-founder and executive director of the Centre for Environmental Justice. He also serves as executive member to the Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). He is the convenor of Sri Lankan Working Group on Trade and International Financial Institutions. Mr. Withanage has worked in various capacities for the Environmental Foundation Ltd. since 1990. He has also been an active member of the following International committees and networks: current international convener of the NGO Forum on ADB, steering committee member of Oilwatch, and coordinator of the FOEI Working Group on Water, among others.