ADB names new country director for Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Andrew Jeffries as new country director for the Philippines.

In a statement, the ADB said Jeffries, who started his new role yesterday, will lead the multilateral lender’s operations in the Philippines, the bank’s host country with an active portfolio of around $13 billion.

As new country director, Jeffries will oversee implementation of the ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy 2024 to 2029, which defines the multilateral lender’s approach in the Philippines.

He will also manage the ADB’s relationships with the government, private sector and development partners.

“The economy is at a critical juncture, with huge infrastructure and social protection investments rolling out and starting to bear fruit,” Jeffries said.

As the country aims to achieve upper-middle income status, he said more steps need to be taken to ensure no one is left behind and risks are mitigated.

“My immediate priority is to see that ADB does everything we can to help the Philippine government with their development priorities. I am also excited to grow ADB’s support to mobilize private capital and expertise as an important part of our overall assistance,” he said.

Jeffries is stepping into the role with more than 34 years of professional experience, including over 18 years with ADB.

Prior to being named country director for the Philippines, Jeffries was advisor for the Energy Transition Mechanism and Partnerships, overseeing the implementation of the regionwide initiative.

He also previously served as ADB’s country director for Vietnam from 2020 to 2023.

Jeffries held other positions at the ADB, including director of the Southeast Asia energy division from 2016 to 2020 and head of ADB’s energy sector operations in India from 2013 to 2016.

Before joining ADB in 2007, Jeffries was senior vice president at Fortis Capital Corp.

He also held the position of vice president in the Global Energy Division of GE Capital’s Structured Finance Group in the United States, where he led the execution of structured finance transactions, project financing and equity and preferred equity investments in energy infrastructure.

Jeffries, a US national, holds a master’s degree in international affairs specializing in international economic policy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bucknell University.