Ponce Samaniego

Ponce Ernest Samaniego is a development professional and a social entrepreneur. He is Lead Youth Coordinator for Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Having joined the ADB in 2012 at 22 years of age, he is often acknowledged as the youngest consultant in ADB’s history. Since 2014, he has become ADB’s youngest team leader managing knowledge and partnerships to promote increased stakeholder participation in ADB’s operations. His portfolio includes urban development, environment, water and sanitation, and climate change projects.

Previously, he was Youth Participation Specialist for ADB’s Water Sector Group. He also worked as a consultant on an ADB project for financing small-scale infrastructure in the Philippines given his background in innovative financing for development.

Because of his leadership and community service, Ponce has been recognized as an adviser to the UNEP Tunza Southeast Asia Youth Environment Network, US State Department’s Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative alumnus, British Council Global Changemaker, and World Economic Forum Global Shaper.

Ponce obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines where he received the Student Achievement Award.

In 2009, Ponce was awarded an Erasmus Mundus scholarship through which he spent a semester at the University of Warsaw’s International Business Programme.

Awarded a full scholarship, received his Master of Business Administration degree from the Asia School of Business in collaboration with MIT Sloan and Certificate of Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology on April 2018.