UNDP Sri Lanka
Our Team
Our Leadership Team
Azusa Kubota
UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka
Azusa Kubota joined UNDP in Sri Lanka as the Resident Representative in January 2023.
Prior to her appointment in Sri Lanka, Ms. Kubota served as the Resident Representative for UNDP in Bhutan from 2019-2022, where she led overall operations, programme implementation, strategic vision setting and representation of the office in the country.
Prior to her tenure in Bhutan, she has served UNDP in multiple leadership capacities as the Country Manager for UNDP and the UN Joint Presence Office for UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNWOMEN (2016 – 2019) in the Solomon Islands; Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP Lao PDR (2014 – 2016) and UNDP Maldives (2011-2014). She led UNDP’s independent country programme evaluations in multiple countries across regions, as well as thematic evaluations while working for UNDP’s Independent Evaluation Office from 2008 to 2011. Her career with UNDP began as the Programme Analyst- Sustainable Economic Empowerment Unit, UNDP Malawi in 2002.
Previously, she worked at the International Law Institute in Washington D.C. where she was responsible for designing and executing training programmes for senior government officials and Judges in the areas of international law and economic development.
A national of Japan, Ms. Kubota holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs in Economic and Political Development from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, USA; and a Bachelor’s Degree from Smith College, Northampton, USA. She has spent a semester at Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal.
Marina Ten
Deputy Resident Representative
Marina Ten joined UNDP in Sri Lanka as the Deputy Resident Representative in July 2025.
Prior to this assignment, she was the Programme Management Specialist at the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) in Bangkok advising 23 Country Offices and the UNDP Regional Hub on the programme and project management, Social and Environmental Standards Policy, embedding sustainability safeguards across diverse portfolios in the Asia-Pacific region. She also coordinated responses to audits and evaluations, promoting a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based delivery. Marina also performed ad-interim functions as Management Advisor for RBAP focusing on the rollout of corporate planning and monitoring frameworks, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and UNDP’s global standards.
In addition to her strategic advisory roles, Marina also was Deputy Resident Representative ad interim in Indonesia and Lao PDR. In these functions, she oversaw large and high-risk programme portfolios, strengthened cross-sectoral partnerships, and guided offices through periods of institutional transition, external audits, and operational restructuring. Earlier in her career, Marina led regional monitoring and evaluation functions in Europe and Central Asia and established the Programme Support Unit in UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub. She has been consistently recognized for designing and implementing systems that boost organizational performance, improve oversight, and foster innovation. Her work has shaped global standards in programme quality assurance and evaluation practice.
Marina holds a Master’s degree in International Business and Management from the University of Westminster (UK). She has also completed executive leadership training through UNDP and IESE Business School. She is certified in project and programme management and evaluations (PRINCE2, MSP, IPDET).
Integrated Management Team
Chandrika Karunaratne
Inclusive Governance Team Leader
Dr. Buddika Hapuarachchi
Climate and Environment Team Leader
Sonali Thahir
Integrated Support Team Leader
Dr. Vagisha Gunasekara
Economist
Dulani Sirisena
Policy & Programme Specialist/ Team Leader
Sustainable Growth Team