Maria João Kaizeler

Maria João Kaizeler is a Principal Financial Management Specialist at the Asian Development Bank, based in Manila, Philippines. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in public financial management, financial accounting, reporting, and auditing.

A Chartered Accountant, Certified Public Accountant/Statutory Auditor, and Certified Internal Auditor, Maria João has spent the past 15+ years focused on assessing and strengthening country financial management systems and institutional capacity. She has developed particular expertise in external audit - especially Supreme Audit Institutions - as well as public internal control and internal audit.

From 2011 to 2017, she served as a Financial Management Specialist at the World Bank’s Brasilia office, where she supported internal control reforms across Brazil and received the commendation of “Honor of Merit in Internal Control” in recognition of her contributions. Since joining ADB, she has coordinated financial management work across Southeast Asia and serves as the Philippines FM focal. In this role, she is leading the PFM Reform Roadmap 2024-2028 and overseeing major diagnostics including the PEFA++, Disaster Risk-Responsive PFM, and Child-Responsive PFM assessments, along with the development of the national PFM Action Plan.