Kathmandu. Sona Shrestha has been appointed as the Director General of the South Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank. With this appointment, Shrestha will lead ADB’s strategy development, development and implementation in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Prior to this, she was Deputy Director-General of ADB and is one of the few Nepali women in Nepal to reach the highest leadership level of ADB. “I am proud to have been appointed as the Director General of South Asia Department,” said Shrestha. She pledged to work with member states to contribute to inclusive and sustainable development in the region. She also hoped to deepen ADB’s engagement and implement effective programmes with developing countries.

Shrestha’s experience has given him expertise in international development, policy analysis, project operation and evaluation. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and a BA from Smith College. In 23 of her 27 years in the field of international development, she has worked at ADB with extensive experience in Central and West Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

In particular, his leadership at ADB has accelerated economic recovery and sustainable development in developing countries in the region, strengthening various projects and policy initiatives. Her appointment is seen as a source of inspiration for Nepali women, as she is the only one of the few Nepali women to reach top leadership.