The Rockefeller Foundation, a USA-based philanthropic organisation and private foundation, has appointed former African Development Bank (AfDB) president Dr Donald Kaberuka to its board of trustees, reports indicated Tuesday.

While making the announcement on Monday, the Foundation’s chairman, David Rockefeller Jr, said, Dr Kaberuka is an authority in development issues, deeply knowledgeable on global finance, with experience in government and the private sector, all of which makes him a great addition to their board.

Dr Kaberuka last year received the Forbes Africa Lifetime Achievement Award during the magazine’s fourth Annual Person of the Year Awards ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, for ushering in significant change in Africa during his 10 years at AfDB.

Dr Judith Rodin, the president of The Rockefeller Foundation, is quoted saying: "Dr Kaberuka is a compelling voice on key development issues, and we are confident he will contribute immensely to our work as we promote more inclusive economies and build greater resilience against shocks and stresses in today’s world.”

Kaberuka was the seventh president of AfDB, serving the bank for a decade since 2005. Before joining the institution, he had a distinguished career in banking and international trade, having served as Minister of Finance and Economic Planning in Rwanda between 1997 and 2005.

Credited with elevating the AfDB’s role in Africa as a leading development institution, Kaberuka also steered the bank through the tumultuous 2008 financial crisis and increasing infrastructure lending.

He is also widely acknowledged as a key player in Rwanda’s successful post-Genocide reconstruction and economic reform. He, and others in government, set the groundwork for post-conflict Rwanda’s stable macroeconomic path.

Kaberuka was educated at universities in Tanzania and Scotland. He holds a PhD in economics from Glasgow University.

Currently, a Hauser Leader-in-Residence at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, he sits on several other boards including the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

"It is a tremendous honour to be invited to join the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Its rich legacy in innovation and multi-sectoral achievements all over the world, have made a remarkable difference in countless lives for the better across the world,” said Dr Kaberuka is quoted saying as he welcomed the appointment.

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