Mahnoor Arshad is a Research Associate at the Economic Growth Cluster at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), where she works on research, policy advocacy, and capacity-building initiatives in areas including gender equality, financial inclusion, trade, energy, and local governance. She has led and co-authored studies on women’s economic empowerment, digital transformation, and sustainable livelihoods.

Beatrice Yulo Gomez is Director for Pacific and Inter-regional Non-Sovereign Operations in ADB’s Office of Safeguards. She provides policy oversight and supports the implementation of ADB’s safeguard requirements, ensuring alignment with international good practice. Her role includes leading knowledge management, staff development, and integration of sovereign and non-sovereign safeguards, while building capacity among developing member countries and private sector clients. She also oversees portfolio monitoring and reporting.

Md. Rasel Parvez is a highly accomplished professional with Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Master's in Procurement and Supply Management from BRAC University. He is chartered member of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), UK; Project Management Professional (PMP) certified by Project Management Institute (PMI), USA; and certified Asset Manager by Institute of Asset Management (IAM), UK.

Akira Matsunaga began his professional career in 1994 with the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund Japan, where he supported infrastructure development in Asia. Before joining ADB in 2015, he held various roles within the Japanese government, including positions at the Ministry of Finance and the Embassy of Japan to Myanmar. He also served as an Associate Professor at Hitotsubashi University. From 2011 to 2014, he was the Deputy Country Director for the JICA Indonesia office.