The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the appointment of Xiaoqin (Emma) Fan as its new Country Director for Pakistan. Fan officially commenced her role today at the Pakistan Resident Mission.
In her capacity as Country Director, Ms. Fan will oversee ADB’s operations in Pakistan, focusing on the implementation of the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS). This strategy emphasizes promoting economic growth, enhancing resilience, and improving competitiveness within the country. She will also lead consultations for the next CPS, which will cover the period from 2026 to 2030.
“I am delighted to be back in Pakistan to lead the country office. I look forward to promoting ADB’s longstanding partnership with the government and people of Pakistan,” said Ms. Fan.
“ADB will continue to work closely with Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders to speed-up economic recovery, implement reforms, and champion policies and development processes to create jobs. We’ll scale up our support for climate resilience, private sector development, and institutional development; and we will continue to foster livable cities, rural development, digital ecosystems, growth centers, and regional cooperation and integration.”
A national of New Zealand, Ms. Fan brings over 30 years of professional experience to her new role, including 22 years at ADB. She holds a Doctorate in Economics from the Australian National University and both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Lanzhou University in the People’s Republic of China.
Fan joined ADB in June 2002 as an Economist and has since held various leadership positions within the organization. Notably, she served as Advisor for ADB’s Strategic Planning Department and as Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office. Most recently, she was the Director of the Public Management, Financial Sector, and Regional Cooperation Division within the East Asia Department.
Following the introduction of ADB’s New Operating Model in June 2023, Ms. Fan was reappointed as Director of Finance, where she successfully built the finance sector pipeline and led collaborations involving multiple ADB initiatives. She succeeds Yong Ye, who held the position from 2021.
Before joining ADB, Fan worked as a Policy Adviser in Australia’s Department of Finance and Administration, as an Economist at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, and as a Researcher at Lanzhou University.