Director, SME Global Market Expansion

Our Purpose Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential. Title and Summary Director, SME Global Market Expansion Director, SME Global Market Expansion Overview The Director, SME Global Market Expansion will lead Mastercard’s global market expansion strategy for SMEs, owning a portfolio of growth initiatives with direct accountability for Gross Dollar Volume (GDV), Net Revenue (NR), market share expansion, and pipeline creation. This role combines strategic leadership, commercial execution, and ecosystem development to create scalable growth engines across priority markets and channels. The Director will partner closely with regional leadership, Product, Finance, Franchise, Marketing, and Sales teams to identify whitespace opportunities, shape investment priorities, and accelerate growth at scale. Role Define and lead Mastercard's global SME market expansion strategy, identifying the highest-value opportunities to accelerate card displacement and capture incremental payment flows across priority markets. Own a portfolio of growth initiatives with direct accountability for GDV growth, Net Revenue generation, market penetration, and pipeline development. Establish the strategic framework for identifying target geographies, SME segments, verticals, and use cases with the greatest commercial potential. Lead the development and execution of global growth programs that accelerate the migration from cash, checks, wires, and alternative payment methods to Mastercard solutions. Influence investment decisions and strategic priorities by building executive-level business cases and commercialization plans. Serve as the executive sponsor for critical growth initiatives, ensuring successful execution from opportunity identification through scaling and market adoption. Key Responsibilities Strategy Development & Commercial Leadership Define and execute Mastercard's global SME market expansion strategy with accountability for enterprise-level GDV, revenue, and pipeline outcomes. Develop multi-year growth plans and investment priorities aligned to Mastercard's broader SME growth agenda. Build and maintain executive-level business cases that quantify financial impact, customer value, and strategic importance. Prioritize initiatives, investments, and resources based on revenue potential, scalability, competitive advantage, and strategic fit. Establish growth targets, operating metrics, and performance expectations across markets and regions. Growth Execution & Scale Lead large-scale growth initiatives from concept through commercialization and global deployment. Oversee pilot programs, experimentation frameworks, and test-and-learn methodologies to validate new growth opportunities. Establish KPI frameworks and governance mechanisms to measure business impact and ensure accountability. Drive rapid scaling of successful initiatives across multiple geographies while capturing and applying best practices. Ensure disciplined execution and measurable business outcomes across the expansion portfolio. Market, Competitive & Customer Intelligence Lead the development of strategic market insights to identify whitespace opportunities and emerging growth trends. Analyze payment behaviors, barriers to adoption, and switching dynamics across SME customer segments. Monitor competitive activity, fintech innovation, embedded finance models, and alternative payment ecosystems to inform strategic decisions. Translate market intelligence into actionable growth strategies and investment recommendations for senior leadership. Opportunity Identification & Portfolio Development Identify high-value payment flows, underserved segments, and new use cases with significant card conversion potential. Develop prioritization frameworks to guide investment allocation across regions, segments, and initiatives. Evaluate new business models, partnerships, and distribution channels that accelerate market penetration and revenue growth. Shape Mastercard's expansion strategy across emerging SME ecosystems, including embedded finance, digital platforms, marketplaces, trade and logistics, and industry-specific verticals. Cross-Functional & Executive Leadership Serve as the strategic link between Global SME Product, Regional Product, Franchise, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Strategy teams. Drive organizational alignment around growth priorities, resource allocation, and commercialization plans. Present growth strategies, investment cases, and performance updates to SVP, EVP, and executive leadership audiences. Influence enterprise-wide decisions through data-driven storytelling and executive stakeholder management. Strategic Partnerships & Ecosystem Development Identify, evaluate, and cultivate strategic partnerships that accelerate SME payment adoption and market expansion. Sponsor initiatives with issuers, fintechs, acquirers, ISVs, platforms, marketplaces, and ecosystem partners. Develop scalable channel strategies that unlock new customer acquisition opportunities and increase payment volume. Drive innovative partnership models that extend Mastercard's reach into emerging SME payment ecosystems. Value Proposition & Commercial Innovation Shape differentiated SME value propositions that address customer pain points and accelerate payment conversion. Lead the design and commercialization of new growth initiatives, distribution models, and customer engagement strategies. Partner with Product and Data & Services teams to embed analytics, insights, and value-added capabilities into market expansion initiatives. Ensure all initiatives are tied to measurable business impact and scalable commercial outcomes. All About You Strategic growth leader with deep experience driving commercial outcomes in payments, fintech, banking, consulting, or financial services. Proven track record of owning and delivering against significant revenue, GDV, market share, or pipeline objectives. Strong understanding of SME payment ecosystems, commercial card economics, embedded finance, and payment digitization trends. Demonstrated ability to identify market opportunities, build business cases, and scale initiatives across multiple regions. Exceptional executive presence with experience influencing senior leaders and presenting to C-suite stakeholders. Strong analytical and strategic problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex data into actionable growth strategies. Entrepreneurial mindset with a history of building new capabilities, launching growth programs, and driving organizational change. Ability to operate effectively in highly matrixed global organizations and lead through influence. Results-oriented leader with a strong bias for action, accountability, and business impact. Qualifications Required 12+ years of experience in strategy, payments, product management, commercial leadership, consulting, fintech, or related industries. Proven experience leading growth strategies and commercial initiatives with measurable financial outcomes. Experience managing complex, cross-functional programs across multiple geographies and stakeholders. Strong financial acumen with experience building business cases, investment frameworks, and growth models. Corporate Security Responsibility All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must: Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices; Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed; Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.