F. Cleo Kawawaki

F. Cleo Kawawaki has more than 32 years of professional work experience, including 22 years in ADB. Cleo has led ADB projects worth over $6 billion and managed a $7 billion portfolio. In December 2014, she was promoted to Director and went on to become Deputy Director General in the Southeast Asia Department in July 2017. In 2021 she became a Senior Advisor in the Central and West Asia Department. Cleo was appointed Head of OPPP in January 2022.

Ms. Kawawaki joined ADB in October 2000 as a Commercial Cofinancing Officer in the former Office for Cofinancing Operations. In January 2004 she joined ADB’s Southeast Asia Department as a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist. In 2006 she was transferred to the Central and West Asia Department as a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist and was promoted to Principal Energy Specialist in 2008.

Before ADB, she worked as an investment banker at Nomura Securities in Japan and in Hong Kong, China. There, she led documentation for UK electricity privatization and worked as a transaction advisor for state-owned enterprises. Cleo also structured finance and managed syndication for equity and bond sales. Immediately before joining ADB, she structured transactions for Miyazawa initiative debt guarantees to support ASEAN countries.