ADB Launches High-Level Advisory Group at Davos to Drive Private Sector Development in Asia and the Pacific – EQ
In Short : The Asian Development Bank has launched a High-Level Advisory Group at the World Economic Forum in Davos to strengthen private sector engagement in Asia and the Pacific. Comprising global business and financial leaders, the group will advise ADB on mobilizing private capital, reducing investment risks, and scaling sustainable development projects across emerging markets.
In Detail : DAVOS, SWITZERLAND — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today announced the launch of its High-Level Private Sector Advisory Group on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026. This impact-oriented group will guide ADB’s strategy to harness private investment for sustainable growth, resilience, and digital transformation amid profound global uncertainty.
“Capital, technology, and expertise exist globally at unprecedented scale, but they do not flow fast enough or at sufficient scale into emerging markets,” said ADB President Masato Kanda. “This is not a lack of ambition, but a challenge of alignment: how risk is priced, how policy signals are read, and how quickly strong ideas become investable projects. Guided by this Advisory Group, ADB is evolving from financier to comprehensive partner, creating the conditions for the private sector to invest with confidence and deliver lasting impact in Asia and the Pacific.”
The Advisory Group brings together distinguished global business leaders to provide insight on advancing ADB’s private sector engagement. Members include BNP Paribas Chairman Jean Lemierre, Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, Standard Chartered PLC Group Chair Maria Ramos, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation President and CEO Akihiro Fukutome, Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Temasek Holdings Executive Director and CEO Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara, and Zurich Insurance Group CEO Mario Greco.
At the inaugural meeting of the Group, discussion centered on identifying bottlenecks where progress stalls, specifically risk allocation and how to attract liquidity into the region. Participants stressed that private capital engages when frameworks are credible, governance is strong, and pipelines are designed for scale from the outset. The Advisory Group will identify and recommend concrete actions aimed at scaling the mobilization of institutional capital through innovative financial instruments and platforms, and accelerating the development of digital and AI-enabled infrastructure.
This initiative builds on ADB’s track record as a catalytic partner for private sector development. ADB is scaling up its support across the end-to-end project lifecycle, from policy reform and project preparation to financing and risk-sharing. Leveraging its established model of housing public and private sector operations under one roof, ADB is working to shorten project timelines, reduce friction, and more effectively channel global liquidity into the region’s emerging markets.
ADB aims to increase its annual private sector financing four-fold by 2030, with 40% of public sector operations supporting private sector development. Achieving these goals requires comprehensive support, from creating markets to catalyzing private capital to deliver measurable impact.
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable 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.
