ADB Appoints Emma Veve as Director General for Pacific

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (3 February 2025) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Emma Veve as Director General of its Pacific Department (PARD), where she will be responsible for the department’s vision and strategy in the subregion.

Beginning her new role today, Ms. Veve will lead the delivery of the forthcoming Pacific Approach 2026–2030, which will serve as ADB’s overall country partnership strategy for 12 of its 14 Pacific developing members: Cook Islands, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. She will also lead the implementation of ADB’s individual country partnership strategies for Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

“I am delighted to be back working in the Pacific, and I’m deeply committed to helping shape the new Pacific Approach, which will serve as ADB’s guide to assisting the Pacific developing members achieve their development goals,” said Ms. Veve. “In keeping with ADB’s role as Asia and the Pacific’s climate bank, we will remain focused on combatting climate change and its impacts using innovation, knowledge, and collaboration.”

Prior to her appointment as Director General for the Pacific, Emma was Deputy Director General with ADB’s Southeast Asia Department. She also served as the Deputy Director General of the Pacific Department where she supported the Director General in the delivery of ADB operations across the 14 Pacific developing member countries. Ms. Veve has also held other senior roles within ADB’s economic, social, and urban sectors in the Pacific Department. 

Before joining ADB in 2005, Emma was the Economic Advisor with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji and held various positions in the Australian commonwealth public service. She is a national of Australia, holds a double degree in agricultural science and economics from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; and holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of New England, Armidale, Australia.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.