Vanchin is an accomplished professional with over 16 years of project management experience in agriculture, rural development and private sector engagement. He successfully managed a number of large, complex multi-disciplinary projects for the Government of Mongolia with funding from World Bank, ADB, and UNDP. Mr. Vanchin specializes in carrying out all aspects of project starting from conception to execution and completion which has given him an excellent reputation in the field.

William is a Youth Project Designer in ADB’s Youth for Asia (YfA) team, a youth-led initiative helping ADB realize its goals of a more prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable in Asia and the Pacific.

YfA supports youth-led actions and partnerships between governments and local young leaders contributing to development issues throughout the Asia and Pacific region. William designs meaningful youth elements into ADB projects to enhance inclusion and innovations in ADB’s agriculture and climate change operations.

Thierry is an agricultural economist by training, a development expert by experience. Over the past 4 years, he has worked extensively on climate change and green economy related matters. In 2002, he joined the International Cooperation Center for Agronomic Research and Development (CIRAD) and was seconded to the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), a French think-tank. There, he initiated and then led its Foreign Aid Policy Program.

Thierry is an agricultural economist by training, a development expert by experience. Over the past 4 years, he has worked extensively on climate change and green economy related matters. In 2002, he joined the International Cooperation Center for Agronomic Research and Development (CIRAD) and was seconded to the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), a French think-tank. There, he initiated and then led its Foreign Aid Policy Program.

Subhadeep is an investment professional with almost a decade of first hand early stage venture investing experience across high impact sectors like agri-tech, food, rural supply chains, and rural focused alternate energy and farmer focused fin-tech startups in India. He leads the Delhi office for Omnivore and is a Partner in the investment team.

Srinivasan is a Principal Climate Change Specialist and Climate Change Focal Point for ADB’s Southeast Asia Department more than 25 years of experience in the field. He chairs the ADB Climate Smart Agriculture Working Group and serves as ADB focal for the Forest Investment Program, ADB focal for stakeholder engagement in climate investment funds and as ADB’s alternate focal for Pilot Program for Climate Resilience.  

Dr. Shenggen Fan is currently Chair Professor and Dean of Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP) at China Agricultural University (CAU). Prior to joining CAU, Dr. Fan served as director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) from 2009 to 2019.

He currently serves as a member of the United Nations’ Lead Group for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. He was a member, vice chair and chair of food and nutrition council of the World Economic Forum.

Sara is the Director of IFAD’s Research and Impact Assessment Division. Starting in 2016, Savastano worked at the World Bank as Senior Economist with the Development Economic Research Group. From 2008 to 2016 she was an Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. After working from 2001 to 2005 with the Development Economic Research Group of the World Bank, Savastano was an economist at the Public Investment Evaluation Unit of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance until 2008.

Reginald is Director of Partnerships at Grow Asia, a multi-stakeholder partnership platform that catalyzes action on inclusive agricultural development in South-East Asia. The platform convenes governments, farmers, NGOs, and other stakeholders to co-create value chain projects and transform their commodity sectors to improve smallholder farmers’ productivity, incomes and environmental sustainability.