The African Development Bank has appointed Caroline Kende-Robb as Director, Strategy and Operational Policies Department, effective 16th October 2022.
Kende-Robb, a British national, brings over 30 years of leadership and management experience in development and humanitarian sectors, coupled with deep knowledge and practical experience in achieving organizational effectiveness and results through strategic planning, effective financial management and nurturing high performing teams.
Prior to her appointment, she was senior adviser to the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), where she played a vital role in influencing policy across Africa and globally, to support Africa’s long- term growth through transformation. Before joining the African Center for Economic Transformation, she was Secretary-General of CARE International, a confederated international Non-Governmental Organization operating in 100 countries worldwide, with over 10,000 staff. CARE International has a dual mandate of sustainable development and humanitarian assistance with a focus on empowering women and girls.
Kende Robb has served in a number of international roles including Chief Adviser to the Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown, and at the Education Commission, Executive Director of the Africa Progress Panel, a unique multisector policy and research organization with high-level political access.
Kende-Robb worked at the World Bank (1995-1999 and 2005-2011) in the regions of Africa, Europe and Central Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific. She was part of a Senior Management Team in the Sustainable Development Network, which focused on agriculture, environment, social development, infrastructure, energy, and water and sanitation.
Kende-Robb holds a Master of Science degree in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts honors degree in Geography from Liverpool University. She is currently a Board Director of Global Financial Integrity and a Trustee of CAMFED International, an NGO focused on girls’ education in Africa.
Commenting on her appointment, Kende- Robb said, “I am deeply honored to work for the African Development Bank Group, the premier pan-African development institution, and I would like to thank President Adesina for giving me this valued opportunity. I am excited to work with President Adesina and Senior Management to help implement the President’s inspiring vision for the Bank and for Africa. I am looking forward to working with the Bank’s highly committed and dedicated colleagues to help develop appropriate operational policies, shape a corporate vision, and promote a strategic perspective to guide the Bank’s vital agenda.”
The president of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: “I am pleased to appoint Ms. Caroline Kende-Robb to the position of Director, Strategy and Operational Policies Department of the Bank. Caroline, a respected development professional, has solid leadership and management experience in development and humanitarian sectors, as well as development diplomacy at the highest levels, which will be key for this role. She will contribute fully to the development and review of the Bank’s overall strategy and direction, the effective functioning of its governance systems, and the promotion of strong partnerships within and outside the Bank and she will also provide strategic leadership in the alignment of Bank strategies to its overall mission and business priorities.”
Source African Development Bank Group
