Xiaoqin (Emma) Fan appointed as ADB’s new country Director for Pakistan

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Xiaoqin (Emma) Fan as the new Country Director for Pakistan.

“She joined the Pakistan Resident Mission today (Monday) to officially commence her role,” ADB said in a statement.

As Country Director, Ms. Fan will oversee ADB’s operations in Pakistan, specifically the CPS to support Pakistan’s growth and development. Furthermore, she will be responsible for consultations of the subsequent country partnership strategy CPS for the 2026-2030 years.

“She will also lead the consultation for the new CPS covering the period from 2026 to 2030,” it added.

Ms. Emma Fan expressed her enthusiasm about returning to Pakistan, stating, “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,”

“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,” She added.

A national of New Zealand, Xiaoqin Fan has a Doctorate in Economics from the Australian National University and a Master’s and bachelor’s degree from Lanzhou University in the People’s Republic of China. She has been a professional for more than 30 years and has served the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for about 22 years.

Ms. Fan joined ADB in June 2002 as an Economist and has been given increasingly challenging assignments within various departments of the organization. She joined the ADB in December 2013 as an Advisor in the SPD and head of the Results Management Unit. In June 2016, she was promoted to Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office (PLCO), and in 2019, she was appointed Director for the Public Management Financial Sector and Regional Cooperation Division of the East Asia Department.

After the adoption of ADB’s New Operating Model in June 2023, Ms. Fan joined the Sector Group Finance as Director of Finance. In this capacity, she has been directly involved in building a strong pipeline of business in the finance sector and in the effective coordination of sovereign and non-sovereign relationships across several ADB projects. Earlier in her career, she took over Yong Ye as the Country Director for Pakistan.

Ms. Fan worked as a Policy Adviser in the Department of Finance and Administration of Australia, Economist of New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, and a visiting scholar at Lanzhou University, PRC.

ADB’s vision focuses on achieving sustainable urbanization, sustainable development of rural areas, and improving digital environment and connectivity for the purpose of regional cooperation and integration.

This strategic appointment comes at a time when ADB is working hard to deliver on its vision for a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable region for the people of the Asia and Pacific while at the same time promoting the eradication of extreme poverty.

ADB is a twin of the region with 49 members founded in 1966 and has 69 members in total, therefore it is devoted to the development of the region.