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Commissioner — Masato Kanda

President, Asian Development Bank (ADB)Masato Kanda

Masato Kanda is the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Chair of its Board of Directors. Elected by ADB’s Board of Governors, he assumed office on 24 February 2025. Under his leadership, ADB scaled up support to the region and secured the first amendment to its Charter, increasing annual financing capacity by 50%. His first term was also marked by rapid crisis response to the Middle East conflict and key policy reforms, including an updated Energy Policy supporting nuclear energy. Mr. Kanda previously served as Special Advisor to Japan’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Over a nearly four-decade career at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, culminating as Vice-Minister for International Affairs (2021–2024), he engaged actively in the G7, G20, and other forums. He also chaired the OECD Corporate Governance Committee (2016–2024). Mr. Kanda holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo and an M.Phil. in Economics from the University of Oxford.

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