Appointment to the Asian Development Bank

We welcome the appointment of Mr Bruce Gosper to the position of Vice-President, Administration and Corporate Management at the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Mr Gosper will play an important role in the ADB as it continues to support development in the Indo-Pacific region and tackle the challenges arising from the COVID−19 pandemic.

The ADB is one of Australia’s key development partners and a major source of development finance in our region. The ADB’s strategic priorities closely align with the objectives of our development program, together contributing to a stable, prosperous and resilient Indo-Pacific.

In supporting the region to respond to and recover from COVID-19, we will focus our efforts with the Bank on health security, maintaining stability and economic recovery, and supporting the most vulnerable, including women and girls, people with disabilities and those living in poverty.

Mr Gosper is currently Australia’s High Commissioner in Singapore, and was formerly the CEO of Austrade. He has extensive management, diplomatic and policy experience and a strong record of accomplishment in the Indo-Pacific and in multilateral organisations. Mr Gosper is expected to take up his appointment in early 2021.

We acknowledge the contribution of Ms Deborah Stokes as Mr Gosper’s predecessor in the role. During her time at the Bank, Ms Stokes has been instrumental in driving important institutional reforms.

We are pleased that Mr Gosper will continue the strong record of high calibre Australians making significant contributions in global institutions.