ADB appoints Takeo Konishi to spearhead South Asia development initiatives

Konishi officially assumed office on December 11.

In addition to his role as Director General, Konishi will concurrently serve as the Country Director for India, a position he has held since September 2020.

During his tenure in India, he played a pivotal role in achieving the objectives of the country's programs and operations.

Notably, Konishi led the formulation of the 2023-2027 country partnership strategy and fostered stronger working relationships with various levels of the government.

Under Konishi's leadership, ADB significantly contributed as a key international partner to critical Sherpa and finance track working groups during India's G20 Presidency.

Konishi stated, "I am glad that strategic inputs from these groups supported by ADB contributed to shaping the G20 Leaders' Declaration. I look forward to leading the ADB team in South Asia and continuing dialogues on climate change, tomorrow's cities, energy transition, the nexus of climate and health, and women's empowerment."

A Japanese national, Konishi holds a master's degree in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States and a bachelor's degree in political science from Lynchburg College, US.

With over 27 years of professional experience, including 24 years within ADB, he has steadily progressed through senior roles since joining as a Young Professional in August 1999.

Before his assignment in India, Konishi served as the Director of the Public Management, Financial Sector, and Trade Division of SARD.

He also held the position of Country Director for Uzbekistan, where he led ADB's team in managing corporate- and country-level strategies and operations.

Prior to joining ADB, Konishi worked as a consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank and PADCO (now AECOM International Development) in the US. (ANI)