Description
Mastercard is seeking a Director, Franchise Business Partner - IC Director , Western Europe Franchise Lead. The role is accountable for enabling customer participation in the Mastercard ecosystem, supporting strategic growth initiatives, driving ecosystem performance, and ensuring a risk-based approach to onboarding, compliance, standards, fraud management, and customer engagement.
Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as the Franchise Lead and go-to expert for internal and external stakeholders across Western Europe.
- Partner with market leadership and cross-functional teams to align Franchise priorities with business strategy and customer needs.
- Provide guidance on new customer onboarding, licensing, standards, scheme compliance, fraud performance, approval rates, chargebacks, and ecosystem integrity.
- Enable new business opportunities across core payments, digital, multi-rail, processing, fintech, instalment, and other emerging customer segments.
- Ensure customer onboarding and partnership initiatives are executed with a risk-based approach, aligned to global standards and SLA expectations.
- Deliver Franchise-related advisory services and identify opportunities to commercialize solutions that address customer pain points and improve ecosystem performance.
- Support measures to address disintermediation, localization, regulatory change, and evolving competitive dynamics across Western Europe.
- Lead cross-functional resolution of complex Franchise matters across divisional, regional, and global teams.
- Conduct customer and partner reviews, develop practical recommendations, and support implementation of performance improvement plans.
- Develop and deliver training, thought leadership, and solution-based sessions for internal teams and customers.
- Maintain strong knowledge of the regulatory landscape and ensure alignment with Mastercard standards, policies, and governance expectations.
- Represent Franchise in relevant business reviews, customer engagements, industry forums, and regulatory discussions where appropriate.
All About You / Experience:
- Strong track record in the payments industry, with experience in operations, product, risk, fraud management, compliance, customer engagement, or related areas.
- Proven ability to translate strategy into execution across multiple markets and stakeholders.
- Strong business acumen, analytical thinking, and sound judgment in complex, fast-moving environments.
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across matrixed, multicultural, and geographically dispersed teams.
- Customer-focused mindset with the ability to identify pain points, develop practical solutions, and influence outcomes.
- Strong understanding of payment systems, bank card operations, Mastercard standards, and the broader regulatory environment.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to translate technical or complex topics into clear business narratives.
- Self-motivated, collaborative, people-centric, and results-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
- High attention to detail, strong risk management discipline, and commitment to ecosystem integrity.
- Ability to work effectively across country, regional, and global levels while demonstrating Mastercard Way values.
- Fluent English required; at least one more European language with French, Spanish, or Italian strongly preferred.
- Willingness to travel across Western Europe as needed.