Takeshi has more than 22 years of professional experience, including 16 years with ADB, where he started as a Natural Resources Economist in 2008, and progressed to Senior Natural Resources Economist. In 2017, he was appointed as Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist in the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Division under the Southeast Asia Department. He administered and formulated various projects for the agriculture, natural resources, and rural development sector in Cambodia, Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, and Viet Nam.
From July 2023 to August 2024, Takeshi contributed to the transition to the Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development (AFNR) sector operations under the new operating model of ADB and gave an oversight to AFNR Sector Office administration. In late August 2024, he was appointed as Director for Emerging Areas of the AFNR Sector Office.
Prior to joining ADB, he worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Policy Officer at its Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, and as a project expert at its Bangladesh Country Office in Dhaka. He also worked for Japan International Cooperation Agency as an Adviser for Private Sector Development at its Bangladesh Country Office.
Takeshi is a national of Japan. He holds a doctoral degree in agricultural economics from the Pennsylvania State University and master’s degrees in Economics from the Michigan State University and Soka University.