Sofia Shakil

With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Ms. Sofia Shakil has been a transformative leader in economic and social development across Asia. Most recently, she served as the Director of Economic Development at The Asia Foundation from February 2020 to March 2023, where she led impactful initiatives in areas such as women’s economic empowerment, green growth, and STEM education.

Prior to this, Sofia held high-profile roles at the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, overseeing a broad array of social sector projects and introducing award-winning innovative approaches. She holds a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Politics from Sophia University, Tokyo. At present, Ms Shakil leads strategy, programs and teams in the Central and West Asia and East Asia region for human and social sector development programs focusing on education, workforce development, resilient health and social protection systems at Asian Development Bank.