BIOGRAPHY

Craig Steffensen has served as Representative to the Asian Development Bank’s North American Representative Office (NARO) in Washington, DC since May 2013. Mr. Steffensen leads NARO’s efforts to strengthen collaboration between ADB and leading policymakers, academic and private sector partners, and multilateral and bilateral development partners, and to raise public awareness of ADB in the US and Canada.

Mr. Steffensen was assigned as Country Director to ADB’s Thailand Resident Mission from 2011 to 2013. During this time, he supported ADB’s re-engagement with Myanmar.

Prior to this, he was ADB’s Country Director and Team Leader for Afghanistan (from 2001 to 2004 and again from 2008 to 2010), serving at the forefront of efforts by the international community to assist in Afghanistan’s recovery and reconstruction.
He was assigned as Head, Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Unit, based in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 2005 to 2007, and prepared a comprehensive action plan for regional cooperation in transport, energy and trade in collaboration with eight Central Asian countries and five development partners.

He has worked for the World Bank in Lao PDR and Washington DC; The Asia Foundation in Thailand and Cambodia; USAID in Thailand and Washington DC; and the US Peace Corps in the rural Philippines. An American national, Mr. Steffensen holds a master’s degree in development economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Purdue University. He successfully completed the AID International Development Intern Program in Washington, DC, and a six-month intensive Thai language and Southeast Asia area studies program at the Foreign Service Institute.

Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank aims for an Asia and Pacific free from poverty. Approximately 1.7 billion people in the region are poor and unable to access essential goods, services, assets and opportunities to which every human is entitled.Since its founding in 1966, ADB has been driven by an inspiration and dedication to improving people’s lives in Asia and the Pacific. By targeting our investments wisely, in partnership with our developing member countries and other stakeholders, we can alleviate poverty and help create a world in which everyone can share in the benefits of sustained and inclusive growth.