ACEF Speaker
Cleo Kawawaki
Head Office of Public-Private Partnership,
Asian Development Bank
Ms. Kawawaki is the Head of Office of Public-Private Partnership (OPPP) of the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and assumed office in Jan 2022. The Office of Public–Private
Partnership (OPPP) was established to enhance the role of ADB in supporting and
enabling governments of its developing members to secure greater private investment
and generate economic growth in the region. OPPP provides transaction advisory services
to developing member clients in order to develop bankable PPP projects. It also
coordinates and supports PPP-related activities in ADB.
Previously, she was in the Deputy Director General role for Southeast Asia and Central
West Asia Regional Departments. SERD covers the ASEAN countries and Timore-Leste
with a portfolio of over $20 billion in loans/grant assistance and CWRD covers Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Caucus countries. From large road and infrastructure
projects to education and rural development projects, ADB has been a partner to
developing member countries for over 56 years. ADB is working with our countries for
immediate support for medical, social and economic needs as well as formulating for
innovative green recovery. She oversaw $20 billion financing for COVID-1 Support. She
also chairs the Digital Committee for ADB.
Prior to this position, Ms. Kawawaki was the Director, Energy Division of the Central and
West Asia Department. Responsible for business development and implementation of $7
billion portfolio for the Central and West Asian countries as well as leading the Central
Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program’s Energy Sector Committee. Ms.
Kawawaki has been with ADB since 2000.
Starting as Commercial Cofinancing Officer, she implemented the bond (JPY 61.7 billion)
guaranteed by ADB in Dec 2002 for Power Sector Asset Liabilities Management Corp
(PSALM) of the Philippines and established the ASEAN+3 Asian Bond Market Initiative.
As a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist, she worked on enabling environment
and increase private sector investment in Indonesia and Philippines. In Central West Asia,
she was responsible for Energy Sector’s $1.2 billion portfolio, policy dialogue, business
development and portfolio oversight and lead milestone innovative projects totalling $3.6
billion.
Prior to ADB, she was with the Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. for over a decade. As
underwriter (equity and financial structuring of bonds and syndication manager), in Japan
and Hong Kong, she led the documentation for UK electricity privatization, worked as
transaction advisor for state owned enterprises, structured finance as well as was a
syndication manager for equity and bond sales. Immediately before joining ADB, she
structured the transactions for Miyazawa initiative debt guarantees to support ASEAN
countries.
Session/Event:
- Deep Dive Workshop: Spark the Future: Unlocking Clean Energy Innovation through Blended Finance