ADB Appoints Wempi Saputra as Vice-President for Sectors and Themes

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (16 July 2026) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Wempi Saputra as Vice-President for Sectors and Themes for a 3-year term.

“Wempi Saputra brings the experience, judgment, and leadership we need at a time when our members are facing increasingly complex and interconnected challenges,” said ADB President Masato Kanda. “From energy security to digital transformation and stronger institutions, the demand for practical, high-quality development solutions has never been greater. I am confident he will help ADB deliver with greater speed, scale, and impact.”

Mr. Saputra will succeed Vice-President Fatima Yasmin and is expected to assume office in September 2026. As Vice-President for Sectors and Themes, Mr. Saputra will oversee ADB’s Sectors Departments, the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, and the Office of Business Intelligence and Operations Coordination.

Mr. Saputra is a senior development finance and economic governance executive with more than 30 years of experience in multilateral organizations, sovereign fiscal policy, international economic diplomacy, and large-scale institutional reform.

He has held a range of senior leadership positions in the Government of Indonesia, with responsibilities at the vice-minister level, including Assistant Minister for Macroeconomic Policy and International Finance and Indonesia’s G20 Finance Deputy during the country’s G20 presidency in 2022. He also served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Finance, Director of the Center for Policy Analysis and Harmonization, and Chief Change Management Officer II at the Central Transformation Office.

Mr. Saputra currently serves as Executive Director for the Southeast Asia Voting Group on the World Bank Group Board of Directors, representing 11 countries. From 2021 to 2022, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

He holds a doctorate in economics from Nagoya University, a master’s degree in public finance from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan, and a postgraduate certificate in artificial intelligence and machine learning for business applications from the University of Texas in the United States. He earned his bachelor’s degree in financial management from the University of Indonesia and a diploma in finance, customs, and excise from the National Accounting College in Indonesia.

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.