Abidjan — The African Development Bank Group has announced the appointment of Mr. Josiah Maximilian Bankole Jarrett as the new Director of Strategy and Delivery in the Office of the President, effective from 16th July 2023. This appointment comes as a strategic move to enhance the Bank's focus and effectiveness in delivering its work program while ensuring compliance and accountability.
Mr. Maximilian Jarrett, a British-Liberian national with a deep understanding of Africa, brings over three decades of experience in promoting a greater understanding of the continent and implementing progressive transformative policies. He holds a Master of Arts degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
He is a direct descendant of the Grebo former Vice President and Maryland Senator H. Too Wesley, the Benson family of Edina and the Barbadian Liberian Braithwaite and Eastman families of Crozierville.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Jarrett has demonstrated expertise in African economic and political affairs, multilateral government relations, and strategic communications. From 2018 to 2020, he served as the Coordinator of the Third Murdoch Commission of Murdoch University in Western Australia, focusing on inclusive transitions in Africa. Prior to that, he held various executive roles in international organizations, including the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IA), where he managed the Agency's high-level engagement across the African continent to support clean-energy transitions.
Mr. Jarrett's extensive experience also includes his involvement with the Africa Progress Panel, chaired by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He served as the Director-in-charge of the Geneva-based Africa Progress Panel Secretariat in 2017 and was a key figure in the Special Panel on Accelerating the Implementation of the African Development Bank Group's Ten-Year Strategy.
Having worked closely with African leaders, directors, and divisional managers, Mr. Jarrett brings a wealth of knowledge in managing executive office institutional partnerships, strategy formulation, policy analysis, and program delivery. His roles within the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) have further equipped him with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of the African development landscape.
Expressing his gratitude for the appointment, Mr. Jarrett said, "I am humbled, motivated, and grateful to President Adesina and the leadership of the African Development Bank for offering me this opportunity to continue to serve Africa in this role. The challenge of accelerating the delivery of significantly more infrastructure finance and a massive scale-up of human capital investment in African states is now more critical than ever. I look forward to using my experience and creativity to help the Bank in advancing this mission to the best of my abilities."
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Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, commended Mr. Jarrett's appointment, stating, "I am pleased to appoint Mr. Josiah Maximilian Bankole Jarrett as the new Director of Strategy and Delivery in the Office of the President. Mr. Jarrett, a seasoned and respected professional, will provide technical and operational support to the President, ensuring strategic focus and effective delivery on the Bank's work program, as well as reinforcing compliance and accountability."
With Mr. Jarrett's expertise and leadership, the African Development Bank Group aims to further its mission of driving sustainable economic development and social progress across the African continent.
